GM: Ignition parts were ordered prior to recall

General Motors has issued a formal statement regarding claims that it ordered half-a-million ignition switches from suppliers two-months prior to alerting authorities to a potentially deadly defect.
In a brief statement issued this morning, GM affirmed the allegations, citing the situation as proof that the company’s system for safety checks was in dire need of a reform.

“These emails are further confirmation that our system needed reform, and we have done so,” GM said. “We have reorganized our entire safety investigation and decision process and have more investigators, move issues more quickly and make decisions with better data.”

The email chain uncovered by The Wall Street Journal indicated that GM ordered 500,000 ignition switches to repair defective vehicles a full two-months before it alerted safety regulators. So far 30 deaths have been linked to that recall, although the final tally could be closer to 200.