GM wants to investigate reports of turning back truck odometers

General Motors Corporation wants to conduct an investigation following reports that some workers replaced or turned back odometers to conceal mileage run up by managers, a company spokesman says. ``These are serious allegations,'' spokesman Jim Crellin was quoted as saying in the Oakland Press.

``We are interested in any information about violations of that policy at the plant so that we can investigate and take whatever steps are appropriate.''

The newspaper reported that unidentified GM Truck and Bus Group employees at the Pontiac West plant said they were asked by supervisors to replace, disconnect, or turn back odometers. The requests came, the paper said, because the trucks were returned after overnight test drives with too many miles on them.

Chrysler Corporation's manufacturing subsidiary and two executives were recently indicted by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on charges of selling as new cars ones on which odometers had been disconnected during test drives. Chairman Lee Iacocca last week apologized for the practice.