It's true that the auto behemoth has conducted a lengthy outside investigation led by Anton Valukas (a celebrated former prosecutor who also investigated the collapse of the investment-banking powerhouse Lehman Brothers); spearheaded subsequent recalls of millions of its cars in search of possible defects; and even fired numerous senior-level executives for their alleged roles in the multitude of accidents and deaths that resulted from the safety flaw.
Yes, GM has done a great deal of soul-searching in trying to find out internally what went wrong over a 10-year period where the defect was ignored, and it's quite possible the firm emerge as a better organization than it's been. But the results of the Valukas investigation unfortunately point to accusations that have been leveled at Detroit's Big Three auto manufacturers for decades: that the company is dysfunctional and poorly managed.