CBS Evening News - 1994-10-17
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Read a transcript preview of “CBS Evening News - 1994-10-17” from malgent, uploaded on 2026-02-20.
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Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)
[0:03] This is the CBS Evening News
[0:08] with Dan Rather and Connie Chung.
[0:12] Good evening.
[0:13] New and possibly serious trouble for
[0:15] General Motors. The United States
[0:17] government is cracking up the pressure
[0:19] on GM to recall millions of Chevrolet
[0:22] and GM pickup trucks. Transportation
[0:24] Secretary Federico Pena today all but
[0:27] accused GM of an outright cover-up
[0:30] concerning a design flaw that could
[0:32] cause gas tanks to explode on impact on
[0:35] some Chevy and GM pickups built in the
[0:38] 1970s and 80s. Correspondent Jim Stewart
[0:41] has the story.
[0:43] After a nearly 2-year investigation, the
[0:46] government today said 9 million Chevy
[0:48] and General Motors pickup trucks, model
[0:50] years 1973 through 87, have a serious
[0:53] safety defect and may face a total
[0:56] recall. The record clearly shows that
[0:59] there is an increased risk associated
[1:02] with these GM pickups and leads me to
[1:04] conclude at this point that that risk is
[1:07] unreasonable.
[1:08] Furthermore, the government said GM knew
[1:10] the trucks were unsafe when it designed
[1:12] them with fuel tanks outside the
[1:14] protective mainframe of the vehicle.
[1:16] Critics say the sheet metal thin tanks
[1:18] make the trucks rolling fire traps. If
[1:21] it's hit fully broadside, you can have a
[1:23] hydrostatic rupture where it splits
[1:25] along the seams. And you get a fire. And
[1:27] you get a fire. You get a massive fire
[1:29] with these. Fires like the one that
[1:30] nearly killed Mike McGarry of Northern
[1:32] California and took the life of his
[1:34] friend.
[1:35] GM conducted its own extensive test and
[1:38] today a spokesman again defended the
[1:39] trucks.
[1:41] General Motors stands fully behind these
[1:43] tr