On May 19, 2014 a U.S. Department of Transportation investigation determined that a defect exists in some Takata airbags and prompts the airbag supplier to issue a national recall. The defect affects frontal driver and passenger side airbag inflators used in vehicles manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. According to the recall report, these inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and rupture, sending fragments that could injure vehicle occupants. The defect is blamed for six deaths worldwide. Continue reading
Category Archives: NHTSA
Fiat Chrysler Investigated For Recall Deficiencies
In October 2014, the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an audit query to investigate the delays of recall campaigns 13V-528 and 13V-529, after owners complained about difficulty obtaining service appointments and part availability issues. The NHTSA experienced additional concerns with the administration, execution, and pace of an additional 22 safety recalls as a result of complaints from vehicle owners involving part availability issues, lack of notification, and misinformation from dealers. Continue reading
NHTSA Promises To More Aggressively Enforce Auto Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have revealed their plans to more aggressively enforce automobile safety after admitting to missing signs of ignition problems affecting millions of GM vehicles. The Administration will be using a team of auto safety system experts who will spend a year advising the NHTSA about implementing new reforms to strengthen its investigation processes, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Continue reading
Vehicle Safety Improvement Act Of 2015
The House of Energy and Commerce Committee have introduced a safety bill designed to increase penalties for auto, tire, and auto parts makers that fail to recall defective products or notify the government of safety problems. The Vehicle Safety Improvement Act, introduced Feb. 27, 2015, hopes to address a number of shortfalls in the current system by enhancing congress oversight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and making safety information more readily available to consumers. Continue reading
Are You Still Waiting For Airbag Replacement Parts?
With a record number of recalls released last year, people visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website to check the VIN number of their vehicle to see if it has been recalled, may experience problems accessing the information they are looking for. The service has been slow after automakers released another round of recalls for defective Takata airbags. About 33.8 million vehicles, manufactured by 11 different automakers, have already been recalled to replace frontal airbags on the driver’s side and/or passenger’s side, because they could deploy with too much force, injuring and in some instances killing occupants. Six fatalities and over 100 injuries have already been linked to the problem. Continue reading
Dealerships Propose Bill To Protect Consumers From Unfixed Recalls
In response to the NHTSA pushing congress to change rules that will force car rental companies and used car dealerships to fix recalls, California car dealers have come up with their own version of a fix they say will protect consumers. The organization is proposing a state bill that would require 100% disclosure of recalls for used car sales. Dealerships would be obligated to tell you about all defects and where you can go to get it fixed, same line dealerships would have to make repairs before they could sell a recalled car, and serious recalls, as defined by manufacturers, would have to be fixed no matter which type of dealership is selling it. Continue reading
NHTSA wants Congress To Decide On Recalled Auto Safety
Once again, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and elected officials are pushing congress to pass laws that require car rental companies and used car dealerships to fix recalls before vehicles can be rented or sold. Under current federal law, rental companies and used car dealers are not required to fix a defect, or even tell you that there is a problem, before you drive a vehicle off their lot. This lack of regulation puts drivers at risk and has lead to fatal crashes. Continue reading
NHTSA Investigates Ford Super Duty Trucks
According to a recent investigation report, the NHTSA have opened a probe into the 2013 recall of certain 2011-2012 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Ambulance package vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engines. In October 2013 these vehicle were recalled due to an exhaust sensor problem that led drivers to experience loss of power followed by an engine stall. To date, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has experienced 30 more complaints affecting vehicles both within and outside the scope of the subject recall. Continue reading
