The man who blew the whistle on GM Motors

America’s largest carmaker General Motors has been forced to recall 25.7m vehicles so far this year and is being sued after faults were linked to at least 13 deaths. Now it has emerged, the company may have been ignoring warnings for years. Tim Higgins and Nick Summers investigate.

It was close to 3am on June 6 when Courtland Kelley burst into his bedroom, startling his wife awake. General Motors (GM), America’s largest carmaker and Kelley’s employer for more than 30 years, had just released the results of an investigation into how a flawed ignition switch in the Chevrolet Cobalt could easily slip into the “off” position — cutting power, stalling the engine, and disabling airbags just when they’re needed most.

The part has been linked to at least 13 deaths and 54 crashes. GM chief executive officer Mary Barra, summoned before the US Congress in April to answer for the crisis, repeatedly declined to answer lawmakers’ questions before she had the company’s inquest in hand. Now it was out, and Kelley had stayed up to read all 325 pages on a laptop on the back porch of his rural home about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.