• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers

1

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

2

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

3

Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
General Motors

U.S. weighing criminal charges against GM over ignition switch recall

By
Reuters
Reuters
and
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
and
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 9, 2015, 9:44 AM ET
Mary Barra
General Motors CEO Mary Barra addresses the Global Business Conference for investors in Milford, Mich., Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014. Barra says the company has enough parts available to fix all the faulty ignition switches that are blamed for at least 23 deaths nationwide. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Photograph by Carlos Osorio — AP

Federal prosecutors are weighing criminal wire fraud charges against General Motors (GM) over the company’s failure to recall vehicles equipped with faulty ignition switches, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said U.S. prosecutors in New York are considering other possible charges and have not made a final decision. Authorities hope to reach a settlement with the automaker by the end of summer or early fall, it reported.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the report, and representatives for the U.S. Department of Justice and General Motors could not be reached for comment.

GM’s CEO Mary Barra declined to comment on the report. She said GM had “cooperated fully” with prosecutors. Any settlement would be “on their timeline,” Barra added ahead of the company’s shareholder meeting, which is taking place Tuesday in Detroit.

Barra also addressed a report Tuesday that said Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne is reaching out to hedge funds and activist investors to help persuade GM to agree to a merger.

More: Read more about GM in the latest Fortune 500 list

Barra said the proposal was “vetted” by GM’s board. She added that GM is focused on its own business plan and that decision is supported by the board.

According to the Wall Street Journal, prosecutors have determined that the company likely hid information about the switches and made misleading statements, leading authorities to zero in on the wire fraud charges.
[fortune-brightcove videoid=4265141231001]

It was the latest potential legal problem for the nation’s No. 1 automaker as it continues to grapple with the fallout from the deadly ignition-switch defect in its vehicles that has led to more than 100 deaths and 2.6 million recalls.

Detroit-based GM is already facing various legal action over the defect, although a U.S. judge in April ruled the company could be shielded from some lawsuits.

It also faces more than 4,300 claims for compensation from people who said they suffered injuries related to the faulty switches or from relatives of those killed in related accidents, the lawyer overseeing the program has said.
[fortune-brightcove videoid=3832334477001]

About the Authors
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Fortune Editors
By Fortune Editors
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Berkshire triples Alphabet stake and buys Delta stock while dumping Amazon in Greg Abel’s first quarter as CEO
InvestingBerkshire Hathaway
Berkshire triples Alphabet stake and buys Delta stock while dumping Amazon in Greg Abel’s first quarter as CEO
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressMay 15, 2026
12 minutes ago
SpaceX said to plan public IPO filing as soon as Wednesday
Big TechIPOs
SpaceX said to plan public IPO filing as soon as Wednesday
By Anthony Hughes, Bailey Lipschultz and BloombergMay 15, 2026
22 minutes ago
America’s productivity boom started before AI, and a Stanford economist who decoded the Great Resignation says working from home is the reason why
Future of Workremote work
America’s productivity boom started before AI, and a Stanford economist who decoded the Great Resignation says working from home is the reason why
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 15, 2026
3 hours ago
A man stands looking out over his front porch where a sign reads, "No data centers."
EnvironmentData centers
Startups are installing tiny data centers in people’s homes to reduce strain on the beleaguered electrical grid
By Sasha RogelbergMay 15, 2026
4 hours ago
deep-sea mining equipment
EnvironmentChina
China dominates the minerals that power AI. But one company claims there’s enough supply on the ocean floor to last for hundreds of years
By Jake AngeloMay 15, 2026
6 hours ago
Demand for longer-term U.S. debt gets weaker as one shock after another stokes fear that high inflation is here to stay
EconomyDebt
Demand for longer-term U.S. debt gets weaker as one shock after another stokes fear that high inflation is here to stay
By Jason MaMay 15, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
3 days ago
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
2 days ago
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
Travel & Leisure
Nearly 50,000 Lake Tahoe residents have to find a new power source after their energy source looks to redirect lines to data centers
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 14, 2026
1 day ago
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
Energy
The airplane fuel shortage is a myth propagated by airlines who want to cancel unprofitable flights, says private jet CEO
By Jim EdwardsMay 14, 2026
2 days ago
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
Economy
Top economist says $39 trillion national debt leaves government worse prepared for recession than ever
By Eva RoytburgMay 14, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.