General Motors says it has fixed 70 percent of small cars with faulty ignition switches

General Motors says it has fixed about 70 percent of the small cars it recalled last year for a deadly ignition switch problem.

The figures show that switch replacements are now running about the same pace as the average recall in the U.S. for a similar time frame.

Company spokesman Alan Adler says GM has repaired 1.6 million of the roughly 2.3 million recalled cars worldwide that are registered and still in use.

GM started the recalls in February of 2014. The average completion rate 1 1/2 years after a recall begins is 75 percent.

The switches can slip out of the run position and cause the engines to stall, knocking out air bags and power steering and brakes. This has led to numerous crashes and at least 80 deaths.