Yesterday, airbag-maker Takata made a terrifying admission: the company has no idea exactly why its products have been spraying metal shards into motorists’ bodies when they deploy. The good news is that two more automakers have, with the encouragement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, expanded their recall of vehicles containing Takata parts to those registered in more states. [More]
Quality & Safety
Customer Sues Domino’s Because Intestine-Piercing Wire Bristles Are Not A Pizza Topping
By 12.4.14
If you’ve ordered enough pizzas, you’ve probably come across a few with a stray topping that shouldn’t be there. In most cases, the worst that can happen is you eat some green pepper, sausage, or mushroom that you hadn’t intended on consuming. But one Washington state man claims he didn’t realize until it was too late — and he was having emergency surgery — that he’d eaten some Domino’s Pizza topped with wire bristles. [More]
If You Have A GM Car Recalled For Ignition Problem, Now Is The Time To Get It Fixed
By 12.2.14
It’s been many months since General Motors finally got around to recalling more than 2 million vehicles for a problem with the ignition switch that has been tied to dozens of deaths. Many recalled cars have yet to be fixed because there weren’t enough parts to make the repairs, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says sufficient replacement switches are now available so there is no reason to wait any longer. [More]
Maybe We Should All Just Stop Eating Sprouts
By 11.26.14
Sprouts are exactly what they sound like: the first sprouts from plants like beans or alfalfa, grown for a short time and then packaged for maximum deliciousness in a stir fry or on a salad. However, two pieces of sprout-related news from this week might make you pause before adding them to your salad. [More]
Mazda Recalls Nearly 100,000 Cars Because Adequate Tire Pressure Is Important
By 11.25.14
Car manufacturers must meet a number of safety regulations when selling vehicles. One such mandate that the vehicle’s a low-tire pressure warning system works. That apparently isn’t the case for nearly 100,000 of the newest Mazda vehicles. [More]
Woman’s Conviction Overturned 10 Years After Fatal Wreck, GM Says Ignition Switch Could Be To Blame
By 11.25.14
Millions of General Motors vehicles have been found to contain a deadly ignition switch defect. Among those cars is the 2004 Saturn Ion. And while that may seem insignificant to the vast majority of consumers, it resulted in a judge clearing a Texas woman for a car accident that killed her fiancé. [More]
Ranchers Legacy Meat Co. Recalls 1,200 Pounds Of Ground Beef Over E.Coli Contamination
By 11.24.14
Sure, it’s Thanksgiving week and we’re all preparing to devour our fair share of turkey. But some consumers prefer a main dish that’s a little more beefy. If you’re part of that camp, you might want to check the label after a Minnesota firm recalled ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli. [More]
Graco Recalls 4.7 Million Strollers To Prevent Amputations Of Tiny Fingertips
By 11.20.14
Graco and Century strollers with a sliding fold-lock hinge have been on the market since 2000, but they are potentially dangerous. The Consumer Product Safety Commission knows of eleven cases where children have caught their tiny fingers in the hinge. In ten of those cases, their fingertips were amputated or partially amputated. Graco has announced a recall, and will send a repair kit to stroller owners. [More]
NTSB Rules That Model Aircraft Can Be Regulated By FAA
By 11.18.14
What’s the difference between a model aircraft you’d take out to the park and fly for your own amusement without having to worry about being fined or penalized by the Federal Aviation Administration, and operating a remote-controlled aircraft that does fall under the regulatory umbrella of the FAA? Earlier this year, a federal administrative law judge said it was pretty clear that model aircrafts of any sort are exempt from FAA oversight, but the National Transportation Safety Board today said the judge was mistaken. [More]
4.5 Years Later, Restaurant Owner Pleads Guilty To Serving Whale Meat
By 11.18.14
Way back in March 2010, we brought you the story of The Hump, a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles charged with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act by serving the meat of the Sei Whale. The eatery has since closed, but the case against its owner has lingered, until yesterday, when he entered a guilty plea in federal court. [More]
GM Extends Claim Submission Deadline To January 31 For Ignition Switch Victims
By 11.17.14
With the deadline for submitting ignition switch related injuries and deaths for consideration under the General Motors’ Victim Compensation Plan a little more than a month away and thousands of consumers still waiting to be notified, officials with the car company have extended the deadline to January 31. [More]
Takata Officials Say Company Is Subject Of Criminal Investigation Over Defective Airbags
By 11.13.14
Japanese auto parts maker Takata, which already faces several lawsuits and investigations by U.S. regulators regarding its production of potentially defective airbags that have been linked to five deaths, is now the subject of a U.S. criminal investigation. [More]
GM Knew 2003 Death Was Tied To Ignition Problem, Didn’t Tell Family
By 11.11.14
Back in 2003, a woman died in a car crash after the airbag in her Saturn Ion failed to deploy. In 2004, GM denied an insurance claim related to the incident. That was the last the woman’s family would hear from the carmaker for 10 years, even though its own lawyers had included her in the 13 deaths it initially acknowledged were tied to a faulty ignition switch. [More]
Takata Allegedly Knew About Airbag Defect 10 Years Ago, Senators Urge Criminal Investigation
By 11.7.14
With 16 million vehicles recalled, a number of lawsuits and several investigations already underway related to defective Takata-produced airbags, lawmakers are urging the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into the Japanese auto parts maker following revelations that the company knew off issues four years prior to the first recall. [More]
NHTSA Gives Honda Until December 15 To Turn Over All Communications About Takata Airbag Defect, Recalls
By 11.6.14
Federal regulators have increased their scrutiny over Honda’s actions related to the millions of vehicles recalled because of Takata airbag defects. Two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would look into Honda’s reporting process, the regulators have asked the car maker to submit even more documentation including all communications the company had with the airbag supplier. [More]
Nissan Recalls Nearly 16,000 Infiniti Hybrid Sedans For Transmission, Software Issues
By 11.4.14
A mere four days have gone by since Nissan last issued a recall of Infiniti vehicles. Now the car manufacturer is upping its game by making two recalls at the same time affecting nearly 16,000 vehicles with possible software and transmission issues. [More]
Ford Begins Its Own Recallapalooza With Five Recalls Totaling More Than 202,000 Cars
By 11.4.14
If at first you don’t succeed – or the car isn’t actually fixed – then re-recall the vehicles. That’s Ford’s stance in one of the five recalls, totaling more than 202,000 vehicles, the company issued Tuesday. [More]
28,980 Pounds Of Chicken Kiev Recalled For Connection With Salmonella Illness
By 10.31.14
Sometimes you want Chicken Kiev but don’t feel like pounding out the chicken breasts, stuffing them with butter and herbs, and then cooking them. But if you’ve got some Antioch Farms Chicken Kiev sitting in your freezer, check the label because 29,000 pounds of the pre-stuffed chicken have been recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. [More]
