The accelerator pedal might just be one of the more important components of a vehicle, so when reports start surfacing that the pedal might break or bend, that’s kind of a big deal. Such is the case for more than 200,000 Kia Soul vehicles that are now subject to a safety recall. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Lawsuit That Brought GM Ignition Switch Defect To Light Settled For Second Time
By 3.13.15
The lawsuit filed by the family of a Georgia woman who died in a 2010 car accident that spurred the recall of 2.5 million General Motors vehicles with faulty ignition switches has been settled out of court. [More]
NHTSA Chief Says Takata More “Forthcoming” With Investigation, Senators Send Letter Urging Cooperation
By 3.13.15
A week after Japanese auto parts maker Takata said it would double its production of replacement airbags and three weeks after U.S. federal regulators began imposing a $14,000 per day fine against the company, the head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the company is being more forthcoming with information related to an investigation into millions of defective airbags. [More]
GM Scaling Back On Length Of Warranty, Reining In Free Maintenance Program
By 3.12.15
Offering a perk is only valuable to the company if it’s getting something in return in exchange, and for General Motors, it seems the car maker isn’t convinced that its free maintenance program and warranty is worth the effort. As such, GM is cutting the length of its warranty and pulling back on its free maintenance offers, saying those perks don’t sway people to choose one brand of vehicle over another. [More]
Uber, Lyft Trying To Convince Courts That Drivers Are Not Employees
By 3.12.15
What’s the difference between a contractor working for you and an employee? Often, an employee will receive benefits like health insurance and workers compensation if something goes awry, among other things, while a contractor is hired to do one job and that is it. Uber and Lyft don’t want their drivers to fall into the employee category and be responsible for all that entails, but thus far they haven’t been able to sway the courts to see it their way. [More]
Honda Starting New Campaign Urging Consumers To Repair Recalled Vehicles
By 3.12.15
After recalling 6.2 million vehicles for a Takata airbag defect that can spew pieces of shrapnel at passengers and drivers, Honda now plans to launch a multi-million dollar campaign urging consumers to take those recalled vehicles to a dealer for much-needed repairs. [More]
Toyota Recalls 112,000 Top-Selling Vehicles For Loss Of Power Drive, Steering
By 3.11.15
When driving a vehicle down a busy highway, one of the last things you want to happen is for the car to lose power steering. But that’s exactly what can happen in nearly 112,500 Toyota vehicles being recalled this week. [More]
Parents Using Uber To Chauffeur Kids To School, Even Though It’s Not Allowed
By 3.11.15
Rather than packing their kids onto a crowded bus in the morning or having to take time out of their morning schedule to get those students to school (or just making them walk, which is what legs were invented for), some parents are looking to ridesharing service Uber to ferry their youngsters around — even though it’s against the company’s own rules. [More]
Maker of Infant’s & Children’s Tylenol, Motrin To Pay $25M For Selling Meds With Metal Particles
By 3.10.15
Nearly five years after McNeil Consumer Healthcare – a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson – began recalling over-the-counter Infant’s and Children’s Tylenol and Children’s Motrin, the company has acknowledged that it knowingly sold the cold medication that contained metal particles and agreed to pay $25 million to resolve the case. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Toyota, GM & Ford Deceived Consumers About Hackability Of Connected Cars
By 3.10.15
A recently filed class action lawsuit claims that Toyota, Ford and General Motors knowingly put consumers at risk by selling connected cars that can be susceptible to hackers looking to remotely control vehicle functionality. [More]
Amid Passenger Safety Concerns, Uber Promises To Hire 1 Million Women Drivers By 2020
By 3.10.15
While ridesharing service Uber has fans glad to new options for getting around town, headlines about drivers allegedly assaulting and harassing female passengers continues to cast a pall over Uber’s reputation. So today the company announced a plan to hire 1 million female drivers worldwide over the next five years. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 703,000 Minivans & SUVs For Ignition Switch Issues
By 3.9.15
The first major ignition switch recall of 2015 belongs to Fiat Chrysler. The automaker has expanded a previous safety recall to include more than 702,000 minivans and SUVs because – like the previous General Motors recalls – the ignition key can inadvertently move to the off position, disabling safety features of the vehicles. [More]
March Recall Roundup – Plummeting Chandeliers And Ceiling Fans
By 3.9.15
In this month’s Recall Roundup for non-edible items, fans and chandeliers might plummet from the ceiling, handlebars on kids’ bikes and amphibious vehicles for grown-ups fall apart, and cocktail glasses shatter for no reason. Also, there are 40,000 portable heaters out there that could spray hot oil on their owners at any time. [More]
Did Lyft Backtrack On $1,000 Bonus Promise For New Drivers Or Is It Simply Overwhelmed By Applicants?
By 3.6.15
In an effort to raise a fleet of drivers for its ride-sharing service, Lyft offered $1,000 bonuses both to new drivers and those referring them last week. But it appears the company might have bitten off more than it can chew after receiving more applications than anticipated, leaving some hopeful drivers without bonuses. [More]
Nissan Expands Hood Latch Recall To 625,000 Additional Altima Sedans
By 3.6.15
Five months after Nissan first issued a recall of its most popular vehicle for hood latch issues, the car maker is adding more than 640,000 Altima sedans to the list. [More]
Uber Must End Pilot Ride-Sharing Program In Japan
By 3.4.15
Ride-hailing app Uber does a small amount of business in Japan. Until now, their drivers have been existing drivers of taxis and private cars for hire. The company has been experimenting with a ride-sharing service in the city of Fukuoka. They thought it would get around regulations by not having passengers pay for their rides. That did not work. [More]
NHTSA Adds Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ To Ongoing Door Latch Investigation
By 3.4.15
After receiving notice of additional consumer complaints the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration added thousands of Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles to an ongoing investigation into door latches that may inadvertently open while the car is in motion. [More]
Tesla Asks Drivers To Please Stop Souping Up Their Cars
By 3.4.15
Sometimes the factory radio just doesn’t cut it in your new vehicle. While swapping out the sound system, and other features – rims, seat covers, tires – is an established way for consumers to put their personal stamp on cars, one automaker is asking them not to, because, you know, it could pose a safety risk, which isn’t good for business. [More]
