The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) faced criticism during a consumer protection subcommittee last week as Senator Clair McCaskill questioned the agencies effectiveness in protecting consumers from defective automobiles. Deputy Administrator, David Friedman was grilled about the agencies roll in the delay of General Motors’ recalls, including defective ignition switches which have been linked to 20 deaths.

The ignition switch recall delay is not the only example of NHTSA’s failure to enforce vehicle safety. They were also accused of standing by as GM ignored steering defects for four years and were questioned about the long-running investigation for GM vehicles for rusted brake lines that can cause vehicles to lose braking ability.

Another example includes the 2.7 million Jeep vehicle recalled for exploding fuel tanks. The federal agency scaled back its request of recalled SUVs to 1.1 million and agreed to not label the problem as a safety defect. The problem has been linked to 51 deaths and at least two serious injuries over the last 14 years.

A report by The New York Times into the agency’s handling of major safety defects in the past decade has found that it is frequently slow in identifying problems and reluctant to employ its full legal powers. The NHTSA has been accused of overlooking evidence that could have saved lives and of deferring to the auto industry rather than standing up to it.

McCaskill has vowed to continue working on legislation to overhaul the agency. Her committee hopes to encourage changes to vehicle and highway safety laws as Congress works on a transportation funding bill that will allow the NHTSA to operate more effectively.