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Chinese Supplier Blamed by GM Over Ignition Switch Fiasco

Well, well, well. What do we have here then? Moments ago we’ve found out that General Motors accused one of its suppliers as the prime cause for the millions of vehicles fitted with sub-standard ignition switches.
Redesigned GM ignition switch 1 photo
Photo: GM
Specifically, the American automaker’s bigwigs blame Dalian Alps Electronics - the Chinese company that was comissioned to build the switches, for the 3.4 million GM cars recalled just a week ago. The supplier provided ignition lock cylinders that are slightly below the torque parameters outlined in the initial design.

At first glance that seems like it’s Dalian Alps Electronics’ fault, all right, but think again. In this day and age, every major automaker tests third-party components in both prototype and production forms to verify if the design meets the specifications of the car manufacturer.

That basically means that General Motors knew about the sub-standard torque parameters of the Chinese-built ignition switches, but still gave the seal of approval to fit the damn contraptions on the aforementioned 3.4 million vehicles. You wanna know how that slipped through?

Well, certain claims hint at General Motors being a bit of a cheapskate with its third-party components. Specifically, GM has forced certain suppliers to keep production costs down for the commissioned parts without really caring about the consequences of an out-of-spec ignition switch. Cost cutting has come a long way in the automotive industry, hasn’t it?

What’s your opinion on this latest bit of news about the GM ignition switch fiasco? Who should take the blame considering some people have lost their lives while driving GM-built cars fitted with defective ignition switches?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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