DETROIT — Another high-ranking General Motors engineer is leaving the company following its delayed recall of small cars with faulty ignition switches.
Jim Federico, who most recently headed safety, vehicle performance, and testing labs, is retiring after almost 36 years. GM said he’s leaving on his own to work outside the auto industry.
Federico was GM’s highest-ranking executive with safety in his title in February, when the company began recalling 2.6 million older-model small cars. He was also chief engineer for global small cars in 2010 and may have been involved in an internal investigation of the faulty switches.
The switches can unexpectedly move out of the ‘‘run’’ position, shutting off the engine and disabling the power-assisted steering and brakes and the air bags. GM says the problem has been linked to 13 deaths, but one trial lawyer says he has 53 wrongful death lawsuits against GM due to the problem.
The company has admitted knowing about the faulty switches for more than a decade, yet it didn’t issue any recalls until this year.
Federico reported to global engineering chief John Calabrese, who retired last month after 33 years at GM. GM said Federico was one of its most accomplished engineers.