Given the possibility of theft, damage, and loss, packing your laptop in a checked bag is not a good idea to begin with. Even so, travelers continue to stow their computers and other large electronics in their checked luggage. But that could come to an end, now that the Federal Aviation Administration has urged airlines around the world to stop this practice, citing the fire and explosion risk posed by the batteries in these devices. [More]
Quality & Safety
GM, States Reach $120M Settlement Over Claims It Kept Ignition Switch Defect Under Wraps
By 10.19.17
Three years after General Motors recalled millions of cars that contained a ignition switch defect that was ultimately linked to more than 120 deaths, the carmaker is finally closing another chapter of the saga. The company will pay $120 million to resolve allegations that it failed to disclose the safety defect in a timely manner. [More]
Toyota Recalls 310,000 Minivans Over Rollaway Risk
By 10.19.17
When you park your car, you expect for it to stay parked. Yet, that might not happen in nearly 310,000 Toyota minivans that may contain an extra greasy shift lever. [More]
Why You Need A Medication Checkup
By 10.18.17
With half of Americans regularly taking prescription medication — four, on average, according to a nationally representative Consumer Reports survey of 1,947 adults — a medication “checkup” can reduce your risk of side effects and interactions, and stop you from taking unnecessary pills. [More]
Stonyfield Farm Recalls Soy Yogurts That May Be Dairy Yogurts
By 10.18.17
If you’re buying yogurt made from soy milk, you’re probably trying to avoid dairy for health or ethical reasons, including potential allergies. That’s why it’s a problem that a batch of soy yogurt from Stonyfield Farms may actually be dairy yogurt, and the company has recalled the entire lot as a precaution. [More]
Recalled IKEA Dresser Linked To Another Child’s Death
By 10.18.17 — Updated: 10.19.17
More than a year after IKEA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of about 29 million topple-prone Malm and other style dressers, another child’s death has been linked to the dangerous furniture. [More]
5 Potentially Harmful Chemicals Now Banned From Kids’ Products
By 10.18.17
Almost a decade after the Consumer Product Safety Commission was ordered to study the potential health affects of phthalates — chemicals often used in plastic products for children — and make recommendations on what further steps should be taken, the agency has voted to approve a final rule that prohibits manufacturers from selling items that have more than a minimal level of five of these chemicals. [More]
Ford Recalls 1.1M Trucks Over Doors That Don’t Stay Shut
By 10.18.17
One of the last things you want to happen when driving down the road is to have your vehicle’s door unexpectedly open. For that reason, Ford has issued the recall of 1.1 million trucks. [More]
Mercedes-Benz Recalls Nearly 500K Vehicles Over Inadvertent Airbag Deployment
By 10.17.17
Airbags can save lives, but they can also hurt people if they deploy at the wrong time. To that end, Mercedes Benz has recalled nearly 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. that contain airbags that could deploy without warning. [More]
Merkts Cheese Spread Recalled After Reports Of Plastic Pieces
By 10.16.17
Drop the cracker! Put down that little spreader knife! Before you keep snacking, make sure that your tub of spreadable cheese isn’t the port wine flavor of Merkts spread that has been recalled after customers found plastic pieces mixed in with the cheese. [More]
19,000 Macy’s Martha Stewart Cake-Cutting Sets Recalled Because They Aren’t Supposed To Cut You
By 10.16.17
When properly used, a cake-cutting knife should not cut the person slicing into the cake. But some Martha Stewart-branding serving sets have been breaking, doing damage to the holder instead of the cake. [More]
Flight Lands Safely After Plane Loses Cabin Pressure, Rapidly Descends
By 10.16.17
Passengers on a flight from Australia to Bali on Sunday say they were terrified when the plane cabin depressurized at around 34,000 feet and then rapidly descended about 23,000 feet in a matter of minutes. [More]
Ford To Inspect, Repair 1.3M Explorers Over Exhaust Fumes
By 10.13.17
More than a year after federal safety regulators announced they were investigating at least 600,000 Ford Explorer SUVs after receiving hundreds of complaints that potentially dangerous exhaust fumes were leaking into the car’s cabin, Ford says it will inspect and repair more than 1.3 million vehicles. [More]
H-E-B Recalls Shredded Beef That May Contain Potential Plastic Pieces
By 10.13.17
While people may disagree about the best ingredients for their favorite barbecue dishes, everyone can agree that pieces of plastic do not belong in pulled beef. That’s why grocery chain H-E-B is recalling 6.4 tons of shredded beef with barbecue sauce shipped to its stores. [More]
Following Mid-Flight Explosion, FAA Orders Emergency Inspection Of Some Airbus Engines
By 10.13.17
In the wake of the recent in-flight engine explosion on an Air France jet, the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an emergency inspection of the engines on some Airbus superjumbo jets to make sure this is not likely to happen again. [More]
Tesla Recalls 11,000 Model X Vehicles Over Seats That Could Fly Forward
By 10.13.17
It’s not only convenient, but often necessary, for a vehicle’s seats to move. However, if those seats don’t return and stay in their proper position it can be a problem. Case in point: 11,000 Tesla Model X SUVs now under recall. [More]
Diono Recalls Nearly 520,000 Child Car Seats Over Concerns About Restraint Strength
By 10.12.17
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced today that Diono has recalled 519,052 child restraint and booster seats sold since 2014 because these seats may not restrain some children sufficiently in a crash. [More]
Exploding Sunroofs: Danger Overhead
By 10.12.17
When it happened, Heather Savage had two of her five children with her in their 2016 Nissan Pathfinder. Four-year-old Eli was strapped into a car seat in the second row, and Raquel, 15, whom they’d just picked up from ballet class, was in the front passenger seat. [More]
