An airbag can save your life if you’re ever in a crash, but that’s only possible if the safety device deploys as intended. For more than 105,000 Jeep vehicles, that might not happen, leading federal regulators to open an investigation into the matter. [More]
Quality & Safety
Kawasaki To Pay $5.2M To Resolve Allegations It Didn’t Properly Report Defects, Injuries Related To Recall
By 6.2.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Under federal law, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are required to immediately report information regarding possible safety defects to the Consumer Product Safety Commission within 24 hours of obtaining reasonable supporting evidence. Kawasaki allegedly failed to do this with regard to defects in thousands of eventually recalled recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) and now the company has agreed to pay a $5.2 million penalty. [More]
Toyota Recalling 32,000 Tacoma Trucks That Could Unexpectedly Stall
By 6.2.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
Usually it’s a good thing when a piece of metal that could corrode over time comes covered with anti-corrosion coating. But the maker of some Toyota Tacoma parts was a bit too liberal in its application of the coating, resulting in trucks that could stall, prompting the recall of 32,000 Tacoma vehicles. [More]
Out-Of-Order Birth Control Pills Not Great At Preventing Pregnancy, Prompt Recall
By 6.1.17
As anyone who’s ever used an oral contraceptive knows, it’s important to take the pills in the right order, because each dose is different: Some pills contain hormones and some are inert and don’t do anything. Mixing those up could mean the difference between remaining unpregnant and getting pregnant. To prevent the latter, the maker of one birth control product is recalling pills that are packaged incorrectly. [More]
Smuckers Recalls Three Brands Of Flour Over Possible E.Coli Contamination
By 6.1.17 — Updated: 6.9.17
The two-month-old recall of potentially E. coli-contaminated flour in Canada is makings its way across the border, as Smuckers announced the recall of three brands of flour shipped to the U.S. [More]
United Facing $435K Fine For Allegedly Flying A Plane That Wasn’t In Airworthy Condition
By 6.1.17
United Airlines may have to fork over $435,000 to the Federal Aviation Administration after the agency accused it of flying an aircraft that wasn’t in airworthy condition almost two dozen times. [More]
Ohio: Makers Of OxyContin, Percocet & Other Opioids Helped Fuel Drug Epidemic By Misleading Doctors, Patients
By 5.31.17
As Americans nationwide deal with the ongoing opioid epidemic, which has also resulted in the resurrection of heroin in many parts of the country, the Ohio Attorney General is accusing five major pharmaceutical companies of misleading the public about the safety and benefits of opioid painkillers. [More]
Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Laptop Battery Catches Fire
By 5.31.17
Passengers on a cross-country flight last night have all safely arrived at their destination after a surprise laptop battery fire forced the flight to make an emergency landing in Michigan. [More]
Kroger Recalls ‘Simple Truth’ Macadamia Nuts For Possible Listeria
By 5.30.17
If you have some Kroger Simple Truth store-brand macadamia nuts sitting around, check the package before chowing down. The nuts have been recalled over concerns about possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes [More]
WHO: Tobacco Isn’t Just Bad For Humans, It’s Also Killing The Environment
By 5.30.17
From cancer to heart disease and many things in between, the health effects of smoking tobacco are well known. But a new report from the United Nation’s World Health Organization tries to show how all this smoke has affected the environment. [More]
Homeland Security Won’t Expand Laptop Ban To Flights From Europe (For Now)
By 5.30.17
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed to Consumerist that it will not be expanding a ban on laptops in the cabins of U.S.-bound aircraft to cover flights coming from Europe. At the same time, DHS cautions that this restriction still remains a possibility in the future. [More]
Water Park Investigating After Boy Flies Off Giant Slide
By 5.30.17
Fun in the sun was cut short over Memorial Day weekend when a 10-year-old boy flew off a giant water slide at a park that just opened in California. [More]
British Airways Finally Flying Again After Major Holiday Weekend Systems Outage
By 5.30.17
Tens of thousands of travelers whose holiday weekend plans included a trans-Atlantic hop or a jaunt around Europe probably met with some unpleasantness this weekend, as an IT problem led to British Airways cancelling hundreds of flights and leaving more than 75,000 passengers in the lurch. [More]
New Baggage Scanners May Someday Let You Bring Liquids Through Airport Security
By 5.26.17
The Transportation Security Administration may be testing new ways to get travelers through security checkpoints more quickly and efficiently by having them remove additional items from their carry-on bags, but the companies that make these devices have developed technology that could eventually save you from having to take out your laptop at the checkpoint or guzzle that bottle of water before you’re forced to throw it out. [More]
4 Tips For Maintaining & Repairing Your Gas Grill
By 5.26.17
Whether you’ve been using it all year or haven’t touched it in months, you should give your grill the once-over before the holiday weekend. Use these maintenance tips to help keep your grill in top shape or to spot problems that aren’t worth fixing. [More]
How To Check Your Tires Before Heading Out On A Summer Road Trip
By 5.26.17
A tire check should be part of your pretrip routine because a basic inspection can improve your safety and even help boost your fuel economy. To remind motorists about performing this important review, the tire industry has designated May 28 to June 3 as National Tire Safety Week. [More]
Check Grandma’s Freezer For Potentially Listeria-Contaminated Waffles
By 5.26.17
Thousands of pounds of frozen breakfasts specifically marketed to frail or housebound elderly people and delivered to them through meal programs have been recalled for potential Listeria contamination. People who are elderly or who are already sick are especially susceptible to potentially fatal complications of listeriosis. [More]
BMW Recalls 45,500 Cars Over Doors That Could Open Unexpectedly
By 5.26.17
It’s one thing to feel the breeze through an open window or sunroof while driving down the road; it’s a very different experience when that fresh air comes from a door that opened on its own. [More]
