GM aware of faulty ignition switch problem as early as 2001

(CNN) — General Motors knew of an issue with its ignition switch several years before it has previously acknowledged knowing of a fault with that part.
The company said in a federal filing that surfaced Wednesday it discovered an issue with the Saturn Ion ignition switch in 2001 during pre-production. GM has previously said it first learned of ignition switch issues in 2004.
It wasn’t clear from the document if the issue discovered in 2001 was the same one that led to a recent recall of 1.4 million cars in North America. The issue cited in the recall has been tied to 13 deaths.