General Motors Co has agreed to pay $900 million and sign a deferred-prosecution agreement to end a U.S. government investigation into its handling of an ignition-switch defect linked to 124 deaths, two sources told Reuters.<br />Outrage over the GM ignition switch case prompted a much tougher approach by Washington toward auto safety issues and compelled automakers to act more quickly and comprehensively to recall vehicles with potentially dangerous defects.<br />The largest U.S. automaker also admitted to misleading consumers about the safety of vehicles affected by the defect.<br />GM was criminally charged with scheming to conceal a deadly safety defect from its U.S. regulator, as well as wire fraud.
