It’s possible that Kia is working on a self-driving car, but there’s a difference between a truly autonomous vehicle and one that can unexpectedly shift into “drive” and roll away. [More]
safety recall
Ford Issues Six Recalls Covering 380,000 Vehicles Over Crash, Fire Risks
By 10.1.15
Ford significantly increased the number of vehicles it’s recalled in 2015 on Wednesday when the car manufacturer announced six new recalls covering nearly 380,000 automobiles — some of which have already been called back, but may continue to have issues. [More]
NHTSA Chief: Regulators “Questioning Everything” About Vehicle Recalls, Safety Issues
By 9.22.15
Recent high-profile recalls from the likes of Volkswagen, General Motors and other automakers have changed the way federal regulators view safety issues within the auto industry. Instead of viewing some recall initiatives as isolated incidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now going to take a closer look at issues.
[More]
Regulators Holding Yet Another Takata Airbag Meeting, Could Finally Coordinate The Messy Recall
By 9.9.15
Back in June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was considering options to speed up replacement of defective shrapnel-shooting Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. Today, the agency announced it will hold yet another public meeting next month, a move that signals the agency’s latest step in taking control of the massive recall effort. [More]
New Policy Means AutoNation Won’t Sell Vehicles With Open Safety Recalls
By 9.8.15
Although there is no specific federal law prohibiting used car dealers to sell recalled vehicles, nearly a year ago AutoNation – one of the nation’s largest pre-owned vehicle dealers – suspended the sale of cars with potentially deadly Takata airbag defects. Now, the company plans to take things a bit further, announcing it will no longer sell any vehicle that has an open safety recall. [More]
Senators Call For Recall Of All Vehicles With Takata Airbags
By 8.20.15
Because it could take some time for federal investigators to determine the cause of a ruptured Takata airbag in a Volkswagen — a carmaker that hadn’t been part of any earlier exploding, shrapnel-shooting airbag recalls — some lawmakers are calling for a recall of all vehicles equipped with airbags made by Takata. [More]
At Least 124 People Died Because Of General Motors Ignition Defect
By 8.4.15
One year after General Motors’ victim compensation fund began accepting death and injury claims related to its massive ignition switch issue and six months after the submission deadline, the carmaker announced it had completed its review. Now, instead of acknowledging just 13 deaths tied to the deadly defect, the car manufacture is admitting that 124 deaths – nearly 10 times the original tally – resulted from its failure to address the problematic switches in more than 2.59 millions of vehicles. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Receives Record $105 Million Fine For Failure To Address 23 Recalls
By 7.27.15
For the second time this year, federal regulators have handed down a record-setting fine to an automaker for failing to properly report and investigate possible defects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration levied a $105 million fine against Fiat Chrysler, following months of investigations into the car maker’s leisurely pace in fixing more than 11 million vehicles connected to 23 safety recalls. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls More Than 88,000 Challengers For Takata Airbag Defect
By 7.13.15
Nearly a month after regulators announced they had identified all 33.8 million vehicles equipped with potential shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, one auto maker says it’s not quite done, recalling about 88,000 more cars to the massive recall. [More]
Takata Nixes Idea Of Airbag Victim Compensation Fund, For Now
By 7.10.15
Last month, in his first public address of the massive airbag defect linked to eight deaths and more than a hundred injuries, Takata CEO Shigehisa Takada announced the Japanese auto parts maker would consider the possibility of creating a victim compensation fund. Now, the company says such a fund is a no-go. [More]
Legislation Would Allow Some Rental Car Companies To Rent Vehicles Under Recall If They Give Notice
By 7.10.15
In 2014, auto manufacturers recalled nearly 60 million vehicles, including millions that are handed from one customer to another by rental companies. While the major rental car companies promised back in 2012 that they would stop renting and leasing recalled vehicles, new legislation would allow some to send potentially dangerous cars back on the road. [More]
General Motors Recalls Nearly 200,000 Hummers Because They Shouldn’t Just Catch On Fire
By 7.9.15
When operating your vehicle’s heating and cooling system, one probably doesn’t fathom a scenario in which simply turning on that function could set the car ablaze. But that’s exactly what several owners of Hummer SUVs say happened to them. [More]
Ford Recalls More Than 400,000 Vehicles Because They Should Turn Off At Some Point
By 7.6.15
When you’re done driving your vehicle, it’s best to, you know, turn it off. But that’s apparently not always possible with more than 400,000 new Ford models. [More]
NHTSA “Tentatively Concludes” Fiat Chrysler Failed To Adequately Address Dozens Of Recalls
By 7.2.15
Federal regulators took Fiat Chrysler to task for its leisurely pace in fixing 11 million vehicles recalled for one reason or another in recent years during an unusual public hearing today. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 7,000 SUVs, Tells Customers To Immediately Stop Driving Them
By 6.29.15
About 65 Jeep and Dodge SUV owners can expect to receive a phone call from Fiat Chrysler telling them to stop driving their vehicles. [More]
Subaru Recalls 72,000 Vehicles Because Automatic Braking Systems Are Supposed To Actually Help Drivers
By 6.26.15
The ability to brake may be one of the most essential safety features of a vehicle. But part of that intricate system – specifically the automatic braking component – just isn’t working like it should for tens of thousands of newer Subaru vehicles. [More]
Takata CEO Says Company Will Consider A Victim Compensation Fund
By 6.25.15
Just days after Honda confirmed the eighth death linked to the ongoing recall of defective Takata airbags in millions of vehicles from nearly a dozen manufactures, the Japanese parts maker says it is considering the possibility of creating a victim compensation fund. [More]
Ford Recalls The 2014 Escape For The Ninth Time
By 6.24.15
Ford Motor Company redesigned the Escape for 2013 and to say they’ve had a few problems with the new model is an understatement. Today, the company announced its ninth recall for the 2014 version of SUV. [More]
