Texas federal judge Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has denied an emergency motion that would have forced General Motors to tell owners of 2 million recalled cars to stop driving their vehicles until their ignition switches are repaired on Thursday in Corpus Christi, according to Reuters.

"The court is of the opinion that NHTSA is far better equipped than this court to address the broad and complex issues of automotive safety and the regulation of automotive companies in connection with the nationwide recall," Ramos wrote, according to Reuters.

Attorney Robert Hilliard, who represents some owners, argued that the GM cars could at any moment lose power and expose their occupants to serious injury or death, but GM opposed the motion, arguing that the vehicles were safe to drive as long as nothing extra was attached to the key while it was in the ignition, Reuters reported.

"Unfortunately at GM, when profits come up against morality, profits seldom lose," Hilliard said in a statement, according to Reuters.

GM urged the court not to intervene and instead let a recall overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proceed, according to Reuters.

General Motors also said extensive testing had shown that if the recall instructions were followed there was no risk that the ignition switch would fail, Reuters reported. GM has linked the switch to 13 deaths so far.

The company has started to ship replacement switches to dealerships, but it has not instructed customers to stop driving the cars, according to Reuters. Its website advises customers that it is "very important" to remove additional weight, like fobs, from the key ring, and to make sure the vehicle is in park before exiting.

GM's website also advises consumers about the risk that switches could also malfunction if the vehicle "experiences rough road conditions or other jarring or impact related events," Reuters reported.