Ford significantly increased the number of vehicles it’s recalled in 2015 on Wednesday when the car manufacturer announced six new recalls covering nearly 380,000 automobiles — some of which have already been called back, but may continue to have issues. [More]
national highway traffic safety administration
Regulators Accuse Fiat Chrysler Of “Widely Under-Reported” Deaths Related To Vehicle Accidents
By 9.29.15
After being fined $105 million by federal regulators for their leisurely pace in fixing more than 11 million vehicles connected to 23 safety recalls, Fiat Chrysler’s recall woes haven’t magically disappeared. Instead, it appears they may be intensifying, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today accused the carmaker of widely under-reporting the number of deaths in accidents involving its vehicles. [More]
Regulators Investigating BMW’s Slow Recall Pace After Vehicles Failed Side Crash Tests
By 9.29.15
Just two months after federal regulators fined Fiat Chrysler a record $105 million as a result of a lengthy investigation into the carmaker’s leisurely pace in fixing more than 11 million vehicles connected to 23 safety recalls, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is poised to take another manufacturer to task: BMW. [More]
Regulators Send Letters To Seven Additional Automakers Related To Shrapnel-Shooting Takata Airbags
By 9.28.15
While federal regulators reduced the number of vehicles equipped with potentially deadly Takata airbags, more could be added to the list that already includes 19.2 million after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent letters last week to seven additional automakers warning that their cars include the shrapnel-shooting safety devices. [More]
Hyundai Recalls 470,000 Sonatas Because Engines Shouldn’t Contain Debris
By 9.25.15
A properly running engine is a vital part of driving a car, for that reason, Hyundai has initiated a recall of nearly 470,000 sedans that could contain debris in their motors. [More]
NHTSA Chief: Regulators “Questioning Everything” About Vehicle Recalls, Safety Issues
By 9.22.15
Recent high-profile recalls from the likes of Volkswagen, General Motors and other automakers have changed the way federal regulators view safety issues within the auto industry. Instead of viewing some recall initiatives as isolated incidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now going to take a closer look at issues.
[More]
Automakers Commit To Making Sensor-Based Emergency Braking Systems Standard In Vehicles
By 9.14.15
Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced plans to change its vehicle safety rating program to include two sensor-based automatic emergency braking systems. While the agency didn’t go so far as to mandate automakers’ use of the systems, 10 manufacturers recently pledged to do so. [More]
Regulators Could Call On Other Parts Makers To Increase Production Of Replacement Takata Airbag Inflators
By 9.11.15
Just days after federal regulators announced they would hold a public meeting to once again address the slow replacement of defective, shrapnel-shooting, Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries, officials with the agency outlined what steps it could take to finally coordinate the messy recall. [More]
Regulators Holding Yet Another Takata Airbag Meeting, Could Finally Coordinate The Messy Recall
By 9.9.15
Back in June, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was considering options to speed up replacement of defective shrapnel-shooting Takata-produced airbags linked to eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. Today, the agency announced it will hold yet another public meeting next month, a move that signals the agency’s latest step in taking control of the massive recall effort. [More]
Proposed Keyless Ignition Alert Rule May Have Prevented Carbon Monoxide Deaths
By 9.8.15
A recently filed lawsuit alleges that 10 automakers concealed the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in more than five million vehicles with keyless ignitions, resulting in 13 deaths. Meanwhile, a federal regulator’s four-year-old proposal for an alert that could have saved some lives continues to go unimplemented. [More]
Takata Airbag Recall Lowered, Still Largest Auto Recall In History
By 9.2.15
Months after Japanese auto parts maker Takata gave into pressure by federal regulators and recalled more than 30 million vehicles equipped with potentially deadly airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revised the number of vehicles, reducing it to 19.2 million. [More]
Regulators Open Investigation Into Jeeps That Just Roll Away When Parked
By 8.26.15
When putting your vehicle in the “park” position, you probably have the expectation that your car won’t be moving. That’s apparently not the case for more than 400,000 Jeeps now under investigation by federal regulators because they have a tendency to simply roll away after being parked. [More]
CarMax Plays “Used Car Recall Roulette” By Selling Potentially Dangerous Vehicles
By 8.25.15
During the height of recallopalooza 2014, a coalition of consumer advocacy groups raised concerns about CarMax, alleging that the nation’s largest used vehicle seller was misleading customers with claims of “Quality Certified” cars and “125+ point” inspections while not revealing that some cars had been recalled for safety issues that had not yet been repaired. More than a year later, a new report shows that CarMax is continuing this practice, which one legislator has dubbed “used car recall roulette.” [More]
NHTSA Denies Second Petition To Open Investigation Into Unintended Acceleration Of Toyota Vehicles
By 8.21.15
For the second time this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would not open a probe into millions of Toyota vehicles regarding possible unintended acceleration. [More]
Senators Call For Recall Of All Vehicles With Takata Airbags
By 8.20.15
Because it could take some time for federal investigators to determine the cause of a ruptured Takata airbag in a Volkswagen — a carmaker that hadn’t been part of any earlier exploding, shrapnel-shooting airbag recalls — some lawmakers are calling for a recall of all vehicles equipped with airbags made by Takata. [More]
Exploding Airbag In Volkswagen Under Investigation
By 8.18.15
For the past year, federal regulators have been investigating shrapnel-shooting airbags, linked to at least eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. These devices, made by Takata, are used by 11 different automakers, but until this week, Volkswagen had not been part of the investigation. [More]
More Recalls Under A More Watchful Eye Is The “New Normal” For Auto Regulators
By 8.17.15
Back in January, newly appointed chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind predicted that 2015 could see even more recalls than the recallapalooza that was 2014.While, the 32.4 million cars recalled in the first eight months of the year still pales in comparison to the more than 63 million called back last year, Rosekind wasn’t completely off on his forecast – namely that the agency would take a less forgiving approach to possible safety defects. [More]
Volkswagen Recalls 420,000 Vehicles Over Non-Deployment Of Airbags
By 8.14.15
Automakers have recalled more vehicles for airbag issues in the last year than many of us can keep track of. Today, Volkswagen joined the long list, calling back some 420,000 sedans equipped with airbags that may not deploy. [More]
