Members of a congressional subcommittee criticized General Motors' approach to recalling older vehicles for a faulty ignition switch, as CEO Mary Barra appeared before the committee on Wednesday.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the recalls showed "a maddening and deadly breakdown over a decade plagued by missed opportunities and disconnects," reports the Detroit News.

Barra appeared in front of the committee primarily to address the findings of the Valukas report. She has announced several operational changes within GM to prevent future problems on the scale of 2.6 million older Cobalt and other cars.

The automaker's 2014 recalls haven't adversly affected sales and, J.D. Power announced June 18 that GM had earned the top rating in six vehicle categories in its 2014 Initial Quality Study.