General Motors chief executive Mary Barra has apologised for an ignition switch fault in some cars linked to at least a dozen deaths in road crashes.
At a US congressional hearing on Tuesday, she also said she was "disturbed" by the company's previous comments about the high cost of replacing the defective parts.
General Motors (GM) has so far recalled 2.6m cars because of the defect.
But it has been criticised for taking too long to do so.
Faults with ignition switches in some GM models, including the Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion, were first reported more than 10 years ago.
'Deeply sorry'
But the company only began recalling vehicles in February this year, a month after Ms Barra took over as chief executive.
"I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced... but I can tell you that we will find out," said Ms Barra, testifying before a US House of Representatives panel investigating the issue.
"As soon as l learned about the problem, we acted without hesitation. We told the world we had a problem that needed to be fixed.
"We did so because whatever mistakes were made in the past, we will not shirk from our responsibilities now and in the future. Today's GM will do the right thing.
"That begins with my sincere apologies to everyone who has been affected by this recall, especially to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured.
"I am deeply sorry."
Ms Barra said she found it "disturbing" that cost considerations may have discouraged an immediate replacement of the faulty switches.
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