The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a new public awareness campaign this week called “Safe Cars Save Lives”. The program is focusing on ways to encourage drivers to regularly check for open recalls and to get them fixed as soon as possible. According to NHTSA statistics, last year there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationwide, with an average 25 percent of recalls left unrepaired. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Automobile Safety
Mercedes 2016 GLE450 & GLE64 Power Train Issues
Mercedes Benz will be asking a small number of 2016 GLE450 4Matic Coupe and 2016 GLE63 AMG S 4Matic coupe owners to return to their dealerships to repair a problem affecting their vehicles powertrain. According to reports filed with the NHTSA, the rear drive shaft bolts may loosen and the rear drive shaft could separate from the transmission or the rear axle differential. The vehicle could unexpectedly stall, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. Continue reading
Are Recall Delays Affecting Your Vehicles Safety?
With record recalls in the past few years, part shortages have owners concerned that they may be driving vehicles that could potentially harm them. Part of the challenge is that companies send defect notices to drivers before parts are available and will send a second notice when the parts are obtained, but according to consumer advocate Rosemary Shahan, even when parts do become available, limited repair facilities and a shortage of technicians are making it difficult to get the repairs done quickly. She says automobile manufacturers are not doing enough to help consumers.
In the above video, a CBS Sacramento investigation tells you what you can do if you have to wait for recall repairs.
Lawsuit Claims Keyless Ignitions Can Be Deadly
A suit filed in a Los Angeles Federal Court last month is prompting automakers to recall millions of vehicles with keyless ignitions because drivers failing to press the ignition start/stop button could be subject to deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the suit, there have been at least 13 deaths and many close calls because drivers mistakenly believe that removing the Keyless Fob from the vehicle turns off the engine. It claims that Automakers have known about the deadly consequences but fail to install an Outo-Off feature on their vehicles or include warnings in manuals or sales brochures. 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
Takata Airbag Recall Expands Again
Takata continues to make the news as Japans three biggest automobile manufacturers, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, announce that they are expanding the recall for faulty airbags. Over 30 million vehicles world wide have been recalled over the defect and it has been linked to six deaths and over 100 injuries. Although it is not known for sure why Takata airbags are prone to exploding some suspect the ammonium nitrate used to inflate them can overheat, especially in high humidity, and shower passengers and drivers with shrapnel from the canisters holding them. 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
