Nearly eight months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled more than 500,000 “hoverboard” scooters from eight manufacturers over fire hazards posed by the devices’ lithium-ion battery backs, the agency has opened an investigation into a fire that killed a 3-year-old girl in Pennsylvania on Friday. [More]
Looking Into it
Hormel Investigating Supplier Accused Of Abusing Animals
By 1.31.17
Hormel Foods has suspended buying from one of its largest suppliers and opened an investigation into its practices after an animal rights group secretly taped workers at the plant allegedly mistreating and abusing pigs. [More]
Report: Fiat Chrysler Facing Criminal Probe Over Use Of Supposed “Defeat Devices”
By 1.13.17
In a week where Volkswagen and Takata both entered guilty pleas to criminal wrongdoing as part of settlements with federal prosecutors, the Department of Justice has reportedly opened a new investigation against Fiat Chrysler for its alleged failure to disclose so-called “defeat devices” in 100,000 vehicles. [More]
Braking Failures In Older Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Vehicles Under Investigation
By 12.27.16
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]
For-Profit Educator Bridegepoint Education Under Investigation Over Federal Funding
By 7.13.16
Bridgepoint Education, the operator of for-profit colleges Ashford University and the University of the Rockies, added its name to the long list of higher education companies to find themselves on the receiving end of a federal investigation, as the Department of Justice has opened a probe into the organization’s federal student aid funding. [More]
Tesla Won’t Disable Autopilot Feature Amid NHTSA Investigation
By 7.12.16
Tesla’s Autopilot function isn’t going anywhere, company executives say, despite a recently launched federal safety investigation into what part the feature played in the first fatality crash to occur while the semi-autonomous function was activated, and a reported probe into whether Tesla properly informed its investors of the collision. [More]
Tesla Probed By SEC Over Fatal Autopilot Crash
By 7.12.16
Nearly two weeks after Tesla announced the first fatal crash in one of the company’s electric vehicles while operating in semi-autonomous Autopilot mode, federal regulators are reportedly investigating whether the carmaker was forthright with offering information about the crash to investors. [More]
Safety Regulators Looking Into Brake Failure In 400K Harley Davidson Motorcycles
By 7.8.16
After receiving reports of three accidents resulting in two injuries, federal safety regulators have opened an investigation into possible brake failure in several Harley-Davidson motorcycle models. [More]
NHTSA Investigating Ford Explorers Over Concerns Exhaust Could Enter Cabin
By 7.8.16
Federal regulators are investigating complaints from more than 150 Ford Explorer owners that potentially dangerous exhaust fumes may be leaking into the SUV’s cabin.
[More]
Second Crash Reported Involving Tesla Vehicle Operating In Autopilot
By 7.6.16
UPDATE: Tesla is now claiming that, counter to police accounts of the incident, the autopilot mode may not have been engaged at the time of the crash.
Less than a week after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an inquiry into the fatal crash of a Tesla vehicle operating in its semi-autonomous “autopilot” mode, a second self-driving Tesla has reportedly been involved in a crash. [More]
QVC Looking Into Why It Showed A Laptop With Racist Content On TV
By 6.21.16
Imagine you’re sitting in your living room, watching some home-shopping show on QVC. The host is showing off some of the features on a laptop computer and — wait, did that just say “N****r”??
SEC Opens Investigation Into Alibaba
By 5.25.16
Federal regulators have opened a probe into Chinese e-commerce biggie Alibaba’s accounting practices. [More]
Feds Investigating Lending Club’s Loan Sales
By 5.17.16
A week after Lending Club’s CEO abruptly left the company, the peer-to-peer lending service disclosed that it had received a federal grand jury subpoena and warned investors it could soon face legal action. [More]
Daimler Reviewing U.S. Emissions Certification Process
By 4.22.16
Shortly after it was revealed that Volkswagen equipped 11 million diesel-engine vehicles worldwide with emissions-cheating “defeat devices,” rumors began swirling that similar irregularities were present in Daimler vehicles. While the carmaker hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing by regulators, it announced today that it would review its emissions certification process and investigate possibly issues. [More]
University Of Phoenix Faces Probe Into Military Recruiting Practices
By 8.10.15
A little more than a week after federal regulators set their sights on the University of Phoenix for possible deceptive and unfair business practices, the California Attorney General’s office is joining the investigation party by opening a probe into the for-profit college’s military recruitment practices. [More]
Regulators Investigating University Of Phoenix’s Business Practices
By 7.30.15
Apollo Education Group, owners of the country’s largest for-profit college – University of Phoenix – is the latest target for federal regulators set on reining in the for-profit education industry for engaging in allegedly deceptive marketing practices. [More]
