- Matthew C., Folsom There have been many reports in the media lately about the General Motors ignition switch recall, which includes 2.6 million cars and is connected to 13 deaths and 31 crashes. The government has shown a sudden interest in investigating GM since they sold off the last of their shares in the company in December 2013; but why did the NHTSA, prompted not by the faulty ignition switch, but by un-deployed airbags, fail to investigate not once, but twice, this glaring safety issue present in the vehicles? One possible reason is the stake in GM, that until 2013, had the federal government heavily invested in the company. A mass recall and subsequent owning up to the crashes and deaths would not provide the best publicity for either GM or the administration since they were so closely tied. Both parties benefited from keeping the story out of the mainstream. Another reason may be the steady increase of public pressure has forced a   congressional investigation into both GM and the NHTSA in regards to their slow response and mismanagement of the situation. The investigation is ongoing, but it is clear both parties, GM and the federal government, have been lax in their responsibilities and the consumer ultimately has paid the price.