GM Fires Top Engine Chief Over False Emission Data in India

General Motors Co. says it has dismissed 11 powertrain employees including Sam Winegarden, vice president for global engine engineering for violating company policy.

The actions are tied to an internal probe that reportedly found that company officials were falsifying emission data for some of its diesel-powered vehicles in India.

Media reports say the firings include the local GM unit's chief financial officer and technical center chief, plus three executives who the company had transferred to jobs in other countries: the unit's previous president, the former head of engineering and the ex-sales and marketing boss.

The discovery that diesel-powered Chevrolet Tavera MPVs failed to meet emission standards forced GM to halt production in June and July. Earlier this month the company said it would recall 114,000 noncompliant Taveras from the 2005-2013 model years. Affected models were equipped with 2.0- and 2.5-liter diesels.

GM tells India's Economic Times it also may recall diesel versions of the Chevrolet Sail small car for noncompliance. Those cars are powered by a 1.3-liter, 77-hp diesel.

The newspaper cites a GM letter to Indian regulators revealing that specially tuned low-emission engines were substituted in some Tavera test vehicles to meet emission standards. The letter also says the weights of some vehicles were manipulated to move them into categories governed by less stringent standards.

The Indian government is investigating to determine whether GM India is guilty of deliberate wrongdoing. If so, the company could face fines or restrictions on production.

Winegarden was a 44-year GM veteran who headed global engine operations since 2004. He was ousted under CEO Dan Akerson's "zero tolerance" policy for breaches of company rules.