In a recently published report, an investigation conducted by a third-party firm sheds light on culture issues, ineptitude, and poor leadership at Cruise, General Motors' autonomous vehicle unit. The probe addressed concerns of regulatory oversights and potential cover-up following an accident involving a pedestrian in October. The findings have caused controversy and raised questions about the company's transparency and accountability.

The 105-page report, which was released on Thursday, includes insights gathered from interviews with 88 Cruise employees and an extensive review of over 200,000 documents, such as emails, texts, and Slack messages. The investigation aimed to determine whether Cruise representatives misled investigators or the media in their discussions about the incident.

The report acknowledges the ongoing controversy surrounding Cruise since the October 2nd accident, in which a pedestrian in San Francisco was dragged 20 feet by a Cruise robotaxi after being struck by another vehicle. While the findings pointed to significant issues with the company's culture, the probe did not establish that Cruise leadership or personnel intended to deceive or mislead regulators during briefings held the day after the accident.

According to the report's summary released by Cruise, several company leaders and employees, many of whom are no longer employed by the company, attempted to show regulators a video of the incident during meetings. However, connectivity issues prevented the video from being presented, and subsequent efforts to inform regulators of the incident were inadequate.

The investigation revealed that some Cruise employees failed to update or correct company statements that omitted crucial information and instead tried to shift blame onto the human driver involved in the hit-and-run. As a result, both regulators and the media accused Cruise of misleading them.

The Quinn Emanuel business litigation firm, known for representing high-profile clients such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk, conducted the three-month investigation. Led by former federal prosecutor John Potter, the firm delved into the matter, emphasizing poor leadership, judgment mistakes, coordination deficiencies, and a problematic relationship mentality with regulators as contributing factors to Cruise's failings.

Following the accident, Cruise's robotaxi fleet was grounded, and both local and federal governments launched their own investigations. The company experienced significant leadership changes, with co-founders, including former CEO Kyle Vogt, resigning and nine other leaders being ousted. Additionally, 24% of Cruise's workforce and a number of contractors were laid off.

Cruise has stated that it accepts the conclusions of the report and will act on all recommendations. The company is fully cooperating with investigations by state and federal agencies, which include the California DMV, California Public Utilities Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The report also revealed findings from a separate investigation conducted by engineering consulting firm Exponent Inc. According to Exponent, the Cruise autonomous vehicle involved in the accident incorrectly classified the collision with the pedestrian, leading to a subsequent maneuver error. Cruise has since addressed the software issues and filed a voluntary recall with the NHTSA in November.

While Cruise remains committed to relaunching its operations, the company acknowledges that rebuilding trust with regulators and addressing the issues outlined in the report are of paramount importance. Before the accident, Cruise had plans for aggressive expansion of its robotaxi services beyond its home market.

As GM CEO and Chair Mary Barra, who leads Cruise's board, stated last month, the automaker is focused on rectifying the situation at Cruise. GM emphasized in a statement that the Quinn Emanuel report confirms that Cruise's actions following the October 2nd incident were not aligned with the company's values and fell short of expectations from regulators and the public. The statement also emphasized GM's commitment to Cruise's vision and the belief that autonomous technology will ultimately save lives.

The fallout from the investigation continues, with Cruise and GM working to regain public trust and collaborate closely with regulatory authorities as they navigate the path forward.