General Motors Co has agreed to pay $900 million and sign a deferred-prosecution agreement to end a U.S. government investigation into its handling of an ignition-switch defect linked to 124 deaths, two sources told Reuters.
Outrage over the GM ignition switch case prompted a much tougher approach by Washington toward auto safety issues and compelled automakers to act more quickly and comprehensively to recall vehicles with potentially dangerous defects.
The largest U.S. automaker also admitted to misleading consumers about the safety of vehicles affected by the defect.
GM was criminally charged with scheming to conceal a deadly safety defect from its U.S. regulator, as well as wire fraud.