Japanese auto parts maker Takata finally buckled under pressure from federal regulators Tuesday, declaring that nearly 33.8 million vehicles sold in the United State come equipped with airbags that can spew pieces of shrapnel upon deployment. While about 17 million of those vehicles had already been part of recalls by major automakers, millions of others have yet to be identified, leaving consumers wondering if they’re driving around with what some people have likened to an explosive device in their steering wheel. [More]
national highway traffic safety administration
NHTSA Says It Could Take Days Or Weeks Before All Takata Recalled Vehicles Are Identified
By 5.20.15
34 Million Takata Airbags Declared Defective, More Recalls To Come
By 5.19.15
After months of resisting federal regulators’ push for a national recall of vehicles containing defective Takata-produced airbags that could spew shrapnel when deployed, the Japanese auto parts maker announced today that it has declared an estimated 34 million vehicles defective because of the potentially deadly safety devices. The declaration is the first step in what will likely be the county’s largest recall of a consumer product. [More]
NHTSA Investigating Nissan Vehicle Issue That Can Result In Blown Tires, Brake Failure
By 5.19.15
Suffering a tire blowout while driving down the highway is never a welcome experience, but imagine if you found out that the tire blew, not because of debris on the roadway, but as a result of a manufacturing defect with your vehicle? It’s for that reason more than 130,000 Nissan Versa vehicles are now under investigation by federal regulators. [More]
NHTSA Probing Fiat Chrysler’s Response To At Least 20 Safety Recalls, Schedules July 2 Public Hearing
By 5.18.15
Federal regulators are once again expressing their displeasure with Fiat Chrysler’s slow-moving response to fixing millions of Jeeps that can explode following low-speed rear-end collisions. Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it plans to take the car manufacturer to task not only for its leisurely pace on the Jeep recalls, but for nearly 20 other safety recalls. [More]
Toyota, Nissan Add 6.5 Million Vehicles To Takata Airbag Recall; Honda Expected To Follow Suit
By 5.13.15
Just when you think carmakers have recalled the last of the vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that could spew shrapnel when deployed, more cars are added to that list. Today, Toyota and Nissan expanded their already massive recalls to include an additional 6.5 million vehicles, while Honda has plans to do the same. [More]
NHTSA Investigating Chrysler Recall Remedy After Reports That Sun Visors Continue To Catch Fire
By 5.6.15
When a consumer takes their recalled vehicle to a dealer for repairs, they probably assume they won’t have the same issue with the car in the future. But that apparently hasn’t been the case when it comes to several Jeep and Dodge SUVs recalled last summer, and now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is probing the effectiveness of the recall remedy. [More]
NHTSA Won’t Open Investigation Into Unintended Acceleration In Toyota Corollas
By 5.4.15
Toyota will not face another probe regarding unintended acceleration in its vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced over the weekend. [More]
Ford Expands Door Latch Recall To Include 156,000 Additional Fiesta, Fusion & Lincoln Vehicles
By 5.1.15
Less than a week after Ford finally issued a recall for nearly 400,000 vehicles that may contain malfunctioning door latches, the car manufacturer is adding another 156,000 of the same vehicles to the recall roster. [More]
Ford Issues Four Recalls Covering Nearly 600,000 Vehicles
By 4.29.15
Just days after Ford bit the bullet and recalled nearly 400,000 vehicles under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a door latch issue, the automaker is at it again, issuing four recalls covering nearly 600,000 vehicles with an array of potential problems. [More]
Regulators Gearing Up To Take Action On Slow-Moving Takata, Jeep Recall Fixes
By 4.29.15
After months of expressing concern over the slow-moving pace automobile and parts manufacturers have taken to remedy defects associated with nearly 1.5 million Jeeps that can explode following low-speed rear-end collisions and more than 25 million vehicles equipped with defective, shrapnel-shooting airbags, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is poised to take aggressive action to better ensure the safety of owners of those vehicles. [More]
Ford Recalls 400,000 Vehicles Under Investigation By NHTSA For Door Latch Issues
By 4.27.15
Nearly seven months after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration first opened an investigation into thousands of Ford vehicles that may contain malfunctioning door latches, the car manufacturer has issued a recall of nearly 400,000 sedans. [More]
Nissan Expands Recall Of Vehicles With Takata Airbags, Includes Some Sentra Models
By 4.17.15
After several months without additional recalls of vehicles with potentially defective Takata-produced airbags, Nissan has opened the gates again, adding some 45,000 sedans to the list of cars equipped with airbags found to spew pieces of shrapnel at passengers and drivers upon deployment. [More]
Volkswagen Recalls 20,000 Chrysler-Built Minivans With Ignition Switch Issue
By 4.16.15
Nearly a month after Fiat Chrysler recalled 702,000 minivans and SUVs because of an ignition switch issue that can lead to disabled safety features, Volkswagen announced it would recall more than 20,000 Routan minivans that were produced by Chrysler at the same facility. [More]
NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Subaru Impreza Airbag System
By 4.14.15
Airbags are meant protect a driver or passenger in the event of a collision, but the only way for those safety devices to actually cushion a person from the impact of a crash is if the device activates. Apparently that hasn’t been happening in some Subaru sedans, leading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to initiate a probe into the problem. [More]
GM Says 70% Of Vehicles Recalled For Deadly Ignition Switch Defect Fixed
By 4.13.15
Six months after General Motors began coaxing consumers to fix their recalled vehicles with a social media campaign and the promise of $25 gift cards, the car manufacture says that about 70% of the 2.4 million vehicles recalled for a deadly ignition switch defect have been fixed. [More]
NHTSA Head Considers Reopening Investigation Into Fiery Jeep Crashes Tied To 75 Deaths
By 4.10.15
Following a week in which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed two investigations without finding a defect or ordering a recall, the agency appears to be poised to reopen a probe into older Jeeps involved in fiery rear-end crashes. [More]
NHTSA Closes Five-Year Probe Into 1.8M GM Trucks & SUVs With Brake Failure; Doesn’t Order Recall
By 4.9.15
After five years of investigating why brake lines in some 1.8 million older trucks and SUVs have a tendency to fail, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to find a safety defect and plans to close the probe without ordering General Motors to replace the often rusted brake lines. [More]
NHTSA Closes Probe Into 1.9M Chrysler, Dodge Minivans Without Determining Cause Of Stalling Issue
By 4.8.15
Following months of analyzing data, reviewing a recall petition and assessing more than 720 consumers complaints, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to close a probe into nearly 1.9 million Chrysler minivans without finding a safety issue or determining why the vehicles stall. [More]
