GM orders new ignition switches prior to recall

General Motors ordered a half-million replacement ignition switches nearly two months before alerting regulators to a defect linked to at least 32 deaths, The Wall Street Journal reported. The largest US automaker placed an "urgent" order for the new ignitions on December 18, a day after a meeting of senior executives, the Journal said Sunday, citing emails between GM and its supplier Delphi Automotive.
But GM, which is embroiled in lawsuits over the faulty ignition switches, only began its recall of some 2.6 million cars in February. The Journal said the practice was not unusual but could be used in court to portray GM as stalling on releasing information crucial to public safety.