The manufacturer of Mylan’s emergency allergy treatment devices has been accused of failing to investigate hundreds of complaints over three years that the EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. failed to work properly, a failure that resulted in the deaths of several people. [More]
defect
Regulators Investigating 105K Jeep Liberty SUVs Over Airbag Failures
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]
Hyundai, Kia Recall 1.2M Vehicles Over Engine Failure
Realizing that a non-moving car is a useless car, Kia and Hyundai have recalled nearly 1.2 million vehicles in the U.S. over concerns about engine failure. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Five Automakers Knew Of Dangerous Takata Airbags, Used Them Anyway
Takata recently agreed to pay $1 billion to close the books on a federal criminal investigation into its shrapnel-shooting airbags linked to 11 deaths, but the auto parts company — and several automakers — must still answer allegations that these airbags were a known problem long before the massive recall. [More]
Samsung Galaxy S7 Owners Say Camera Glass Shatters Unexpectedly
When you purchase a brand-new smartphone you don’t expect to wake up days later to a broken camera lens. Yet, that’s exactly what Consumerist reader Sean says happened to his new Samsung Galaxy S7, and he’s apparently not alone, as Samsung’s own forums are filled with similar stories. [More]
Braking Failures In Older Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Vehicles Under Investigation
When driving in certain weather situations — like a snowstorm or when it’s raining — it’s important to leave enough room between you and other vehicles to lessen the chance of an accident. But that space may not be enough when it comes to nearly 475,000 Ford and Mercury vehicles now under investigation for brake failure. [More]
GM Settles Two Ignition Switch Injury Lawsuits
Nearly two years after General Motors’ decades-long ignition switch defect came to light, the automaker continues to face hundreds of lawsuits. However, the company recently settled a pair of complaints that could set the tone for future litigation. [More]
Flaw In iPhone 6 Can Reportedly Render Some Devices Unusable
If you’ve ever owned, borrowed, or simply looked at an iPhone, then you know the device works by responding to the user’s touch. Except when it doesn’t. And that’s apparently happening more and more for some iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners thanks in part to a flaw that can render the devices useless — or simply a $300 flat brick. [More]
Class-Action Suit Accuses Honda Of Selling Acura Vehicles With Battery-Draining Defect
Connecting your phone to your vehicle via a Bluetooth link can make driving safer. But for thousands of Acura owners, they claim this convenience — a HandsFreeLink Bluetooth phone-pairing system — contains a defect, that results in dead car batteries and the need for frequent battery replacements. Today, those owners came together to file a class-action lawsuit against Honda, the maker of the vehicles. [More]
84 Million Airbags Could Be Added To Recall If Takata Can’t Prove Inflators Are Safe
More than 28 million Takata airbags have already been recalled after they were found to deploy with such force that pieces of shrapnel shoot at drivers and passengers. Regulators now say that figure could increase by 84 million airbags if the Japanese auto parts maker can’t prove other inflators are safe. [More]
Investigators: Deadly Takata Airbag Explosions Caused By Mix Of 3 Factors
For nearly a year, federal regulators and researchers have pointed the finger at the volatile chemical ammonium nitrate found in Takata-produced airbags as the reason the safety devices can rupture with such violence that pieces of shrapnel are sent flying at drivers and passengers. Today, a consortium of 10 automakers are expected to announce that the chemical is just one factor in the deadly defect. [More]
Volkswagen Begrudgingly Complied With Regulators’ Request For Takata Airbag Recall
Earlier this week, Volkswagen announced the recall of 840,000 Audi and VW-branded vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags. But according to documents recently posted by regulators, the already embattled carmaker resisted the safety initiative. [More]
Panel: Takata Lacks Quality Control Processes, Policies For Addressing Defects
An independent review panel hired by Takata — the company behind the ongoing recall of millions of defective, potentially dangerous, airbags — found that the parts maker lacks processes to improve the quality of its products, or to adequately address problems in its devices once they are installed in vehicles.
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Trial Starts In First GM Ignition Switch Defect Civil Lawsuit
The first of six planned civil trials involving General Motors’ faulty ignition switches that resulted in at least 124 deaths is slated to start today in a federal court in New York City. [More]