What Recall Woes? GM Sold Record 9.92M Vehicles In 2014

Back in June, General Motors hit the mark where it had officially recalled more cars during the 2014 recallapalooza than it had sold in the United States during the past seven years. While that comparison was startling and put the sheer enormity of the company’s many recalls into perspective, it apparently wasn’t something the company or consumers worried about, as a new report points out that the company still managed to sell a record number of vehicles last year.

The car manufacturer announced yesterday that it sold 9.92 million cars worldwide in 2014 besting its previous record in 2013 by 2%, according to the L’Agence France-Presse.

Officials with GM say the increased sales in the U.S. could be contributed to consumers purchasing more large trucks and large SUVs. Additionally, sales in Europe jumped 3.4%, while those in the Chinese market increased 12%.

Still, the 9.92 million cars sold in 2014 don’t hold a candle to the more than 30 million the manufacturer recalled in the same 12-month period.

GM’s recallapalooza kicked off in February 2014 when the company announced millions of vehicles may contain faulty ignition switches. It was soon revealed that the company had known about the deadly issue for more than a decade before issuing its first recall.

According to Reuters, the company has now officially linked 45 deaths and hundreds of injuries to the safety defect. In all, GM’s victim compensation plan has received 2,710 claims for injury or death and paid out nearly $2 billion to victims and their families since it began accepting applications in August.

GM sold record 9.92 mn cars in 2014 despite recalls [L’Agence France-Presse]

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