He was hired by the board of General Motors in the wake of the ignition switch recall, when GM’s leadership realized in early 2014 that, for nearly ten years, some of its vehicles contained a defective part that was apparently resulting in fatalities. Under pressure from Congress and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mary Barra, GM’s CEO since Jan. 15, 2014, directed Valukas to conduct a no-holds-barred investigation into the defective ignition switch, including who knew what when, and to make recommendations for the company moving forward.