By the end of 2013, the government had sold off the last of its GM shares and GM ranked as the world's third-largest automaker, according to Bloomberg. In 2014, GM's net income clocked in at nearly $3 billion from the sale of just about 10 million cars. GM has now been hit by a federal investigation into its decade-long delay of initiating recalls tied to defective ignition switches in its cars. It's another challenge affecting the $54 billion company's long-term outlook and stock price.