GM Says Working To Understand Takata Airbag Issue, Supplier Partnerships Improving

GM's Global Head of Product Development Mark Reuss says the auto industry is working to find the root cause of the problem with some of the Takata airbag inflators. Reuss says, 'I'm not sure we have the answers to those questions yet. So, I think we need to get the answers to those questions first and then figure out how we would remedy that.' Separately, Reuss says General Motors is working hard to improve its relationships with its suppliers. He says one issue in the past has been that GM has not done a great job of planning the volume and mix of products it was making. Reuss says, 'we really need a partnership for the long term and have the trust to enable innovation and technology...The suppliers businesses were put at risk because planning volumes were wrong.' Looking ahead to 2015, Reuss says cyber security will be front and center. 'When we start introducing safety systems that are very advanced with connectivity, some of the biggest challenges are going to be cyber security and the integration of those systems.'

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