After months of pushing back, Fiat Chrysler is finally following the lead of other major automakers. Bowing to pressure from federal regulators, the company is massively expanding their recall of vehicles with potentially defective Takata airbags that have been linked to at least five deaths so far.
defects
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]
Go-Cart Maker Hit With $4.3M Penalty For Failing To Immediately Report Dangerous Defects
By 10.28.14
Through its recall power, the Consumer Product Safety Commission aims to protect Americans from unreasonable risks found in the things they buy. And when companies know about a defective product but don’t tell the CPSC right away, they can end up facing millions of dollars in penalties for delaying a recall. Just ask the South Carolina go-cart manufacturer hit with the agency’s largest-ever penalty. [More]
Kodak Uses Creative Shipping To Solve Printer Problem In Mexico
By 8.11.11
Joe got Kodak to agree to send him a replacement printer when his kept showing “replace the cartridge” error messages, even after installing several completely new cartridges. There was just one problem. Joe lives in Mexico. Kodak, based in the US, doesn’t ship internationally. How to get around this cartridge conundrum? Deb in Kodak’s executive customer service had an ingenious idea… [More]
Man Gets Freezer Burned On Defective Maytag Fridge
By 6.9.11
Frank has had to use up five days of timeoff because of his leaky new Maytag fridge that they just can’t seem to ever repair correctly. Like when he told them to bring out the UV light since the last tech had installed a dye so you could find leaks. The rep said oh yeah, we’ll make a note of that. Then the guy shows up with only a mulitimeter and says, hm, we’re going to have to send another guy out here with more tools. No kidding! [More]
Dell Accused Of Cutting And Pasting Text, Withholding Emails, In Defective 11.8 Million PCs Suit
By 8.13.10
Dell is accused of providing altered and incomplete emails from among its top execs, the latest turn in a lawsuit that alleges the computer maker of selling and then covering up 11.8 defective PCs. [More]
Court Docs Reveal Dell Sold Computers It Knew Would Fail
By 6.30.10
Seem Dell has a hell all of its own. Newly unsealed court documents show that Dell sold computers knowing they would go kaput. The documents reveal that Dell sold nearly 12 million Optiplex machines between 2003-2005 with leaky capacitors that caused problems in 97% of the cases in over three years. Leaky capacitors lead to device failure, and can even cause the computer to become ablaze with fire. [More]
Snow Thrower Wheels Still Exploding 4 Years After Recall
By 2.15.10
Recalls are imprecise and never fully successful, but how can they be improved? Jeff Gelles of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at the recall problem with snow throwers manufactured by a company called MTD, and sold under Yard Machines, Troy-Bilt, and Craftsman brands. The snow throwers used plastic wheel rims which sometimes exploded, so in 2006 the company cooperated with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and announced a recall. [More]
Stroller Company Maclaren Knew About Amputation Risk 5 Years Ago
By 11.12.09
The British company Maclaren knew that its recently recalled strollers could potentially lop off a tot’s fingertips over five years ago, reports the New York Post, but it didn’t bother to alert the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Shop At A Dollar Store, Gamble On Quality
By 10.8.09
Marlene Alexander will buy pretty much anything, at least once, from her local dollar store. Then depending on how well it holds up, she might write about it to warn others. She’s put together a list of some of the biggest dollar store failures she’s encountered over the past year.
Hey Verizon, My 5th FiOS DVR Sucks As Much As The Last 4
By 9.15.09
Reader David’s FiOS DVR really sucks. Since it’s his 5th one — he’s starting to suspect that they all suck.
E.E.C.B. Forces Best Buy To Finally Replace Defective TV
By 8.10.09
It took an Executive Email Carpet Bomb to convince Best Buy to replace Bryan’s Panasonic LiFi LCD Projection TV after it ate through four lamps. Bryan had purchased Best Buy’s extended warranty, which contains a no lemon clause that promises a replacement after three failed repairs. Best Buy conveniently insisted that replacing the broken lamp did not count as a “qualified repair.” Bryan first escalated his complaint through normal channels; when he had no other choice, he launched the mighty EECB.
Trek Bikes Demonstrates How To Handle The Occasional Bad Product
By 7.17.09
Tony had a lot of problems with the build quality of his new bicycle, so he finally wrote to Trek Bikes and told them all the things going wrong with it. Unlike Comfort Select, which denies manufacturing problems even as it replaces broken units with a less defective version (that you pay for), Trek contacted Tony and treated him like they actually wanted his repeat business.
Honda Owners Say Brakes Are Made Of Worthlessness — Honda Hasn't Responded
By 5.26.09
While it’s OK for messages from top-secret government agencies to self destruct, that’s not the case for car brakes. But more than 200 owners of 2008 and 2009 Accords have complained that keeping their brakes in working condition has proven to be a mission impossible.
LG Refrigerator Causes Flash Floods, Mini-Glaciers
By 5.4.09
Jason’s refrigerator wouldn’t work correctly, no matter how many times it was repaired. Eventually, Best Buy had to intervene. Yes, that Best Buy.
Home Depot Steps In When GE Gives You The Warranty Runaround
By 4.20.09
Reader Chris bought a GE hot water tank from Home Depot, only to find out that it was broken. He noticed a sticker on the back telling him to call a 1-800 number for warranty repair rather than returning the tank to the store. So he did. And he got the runaround.
New Baseball Season, Same Bad Service From MLB.TV
By 4.8.09
For fans who don’t live in the same area as their favorite team, the glorious beginning of a new baseball season is tarnished by the flawed methods for keeping up with games. And once again MLB.TV, the official package from Major League Baseball, is making its case for the worst option.
By 3.2.09
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4 resources for researching if your car has a defect. [Examiner] (Photo: nixter)
