Earlier this year, federal vehicle safety regulators reached a voluntary agreement with nearly two dozen car manufacturers to make forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking features standard in their cars starting in 2022. But some consumer safety advocates believe this is too long a wake and have gone to court in the hope of pressing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into taking more immediate action. [More]
national highway traffic safety administration
Kia Recalls 72K Sportages Over “Thermal Events” — A Snazzy Way Of Saying “Fire”
By 11.23.16 — Updated: 11.27.16
Blaze, inferno, and conflagration are all words that can be use interchangeably with “fire.” But, as referenced in Kia’s latest recall, the carmaker has its own term to describe the incident you never want to happen to your vehicle — “thermal event.” [More]
Safety Regulators Hope A “Driver Mode” On Phones Would Curb Distracted Driving
By 11.23.16
Whether it’s Tweeting, SnapChatting, playing Pokémon Go, or just sending a text while on the road, it’s clear that smartphones present a potentially deadly distraction for drivers. Most states have banned or restricted texting while driving, but these problems persist. Now federal safety regulators are proposing new guidelines to curb distracted driving, including asking phone manufacturers to include a “Driver Mode” that would limit the use of a smartphone while behind the wheel. [More]
Feds Deny Petition To Recall 850,000 Nissans Over Transmission Issue
By 11.1.16
Four years after a consumer group asked federal safety regulators to recall more than 850,000 Nissan vehicles based on hundreds of owner complaints that the cars would unexpectedly lose speed or stall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declined to pursue the issue, despite finding there was a mechanical problem with the vehicle transmissions. [More]
BMW Recalls 136K Vehicles Over Stalling Issues
By 10.28.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
You can’t go anywhere — or at least get far — if the engine in your car stalls. For that reason, BMW recalled more than 135,000 vehicles that could contain a wiring issue. [More]
Subaru Recalls 100K Vehicles Over Fire Concerns
By 10.26.16 — Updated: 10.31.16
One of the last things you might expect when driving your vehicle is for it to catch on fire. But that’s apparently a concern for more than 100,000 Subaru vehicles now under recall. [More]
Eleventh U.S. Death Linked To Takata Airbags
By 10.21.16
An eleventh person has died in the United States as a result of a shrapnel-shooting Takata airbag, according to federal safety regulators. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 257K Vehicles Over Airbag, Fire Risks
By 10.19.16
Fiat Chrysler hasn’t exactly been having a great year when it comes to vehicle safety and recalls — from cars that tend to roll away because of confusing gear shifts to a slew of vehicles with airbag issues. Those woes continued today as the carmaker announced two separate recalls — totaling more than 257,000 vehicles — involving airbags that might not deploy and wiring issues that could cause a fire. [More]
Hyundai Recalls 84K Genesis Vehicles Over Airbag Issues
By 10.18.16
For the better part of two years, dozens of carmakers have dealt with a slew of airbag issues — including the massive Takata defect. Now, problems with the safety devices have led to the recall of 84,000 Hyundai vehicles. [More]
Honda Recalls 350K Cars Over Parking Brake Issue
By 10.14.16
Earlier this week, Toyota announced it would recall hundreds of thousands of cars over a parking brake issue. Now, Honda is following suit, recalling 350,000 sedans that contain parking brakes that might not work as intended. [More]
Lawmakers: Takata Bankruptcy Could Leave Consumers On The Hook For Repairs
By 10.4.16
Facing billions of dollars in losses related to fines, penalties, repair costs, and other expenses connected to the massive recall of shrapnel-shooting airbags, Takata is reportedly looking at restructuring through bankruptcy as an option. But if the auto parts maker goes this route, would we all be stuck footing the bill to replace the defective safety devices? [More]
Ford Recalls 74K Focus Hatchbacks Over Latch Issues
By 9.28.16
For the past two years Ford has dealt with a number of issues related to not being able to keep the doors of its vehicles shut, from an investigation by federal regulators to the recall of millions of cars. Today, those issues continue, albeit in a different manner, as the carmaker recalled 74,000 hatchbacks with hatches that can open while the car is moving. [More]
Audi Recalls 20K SUVs Because Seats Shouldn’t Move In A Crash
By 9.27.16
Owning or driving a vehicle with a third row of seats can be convenient when hauling around your family, the neighbor’s kids, or when you simply just need to get more people from point A to point B. But you know what’s not convenient? When those seats don’t stay where they’re supposed to in a crash. For that reason, Audi is recalled nearly 20,000 SUVs. [More]
Evenflo Recalling 30K Booster Seats Because Kids Can Loosen The Harness
By 9.21.16
Kids have a way of figuring out how to do exactly what they shouldn’t, which is why car seat maker Evenflo is recalling about 30,000 booster seats over concern that some children have figured out how to loosen the harness all by themselves. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 1.9M Cars Over Airbag Issues Linked To Three Deaths
By 9.16.16
Following the deaths of three people and injuries to at least five others, Fiat Chrysler has recalled 1.9 million vehicles over an alleged airbag defect. [More]
GM Recalling 3.6M Cars For Airbag Issue Linked To One Death, Several Injuries
By 9.9.16
Following the death of one person and the injuries of three others, General Motors has recalled more than 3.6 million vehicles over a software issue that could prevent the front airbags from deploying when needed. [More]
Nissan Tells Owners Of 120K Recalled Cars To Park Outside Over Fire Concerns
By 9.9.16
The last thing you want to worry about after coming home from a long day at work is whether or not parking your car in the garage will start a fire. For some Nissan vehicles, that’s apparently a possibility, with the carmaker warning owners of 120,000 recently recalled SUVs and sedans to keep their vehicles outdoors until they are repaired.
[More]
Ford Recalls Additional 1.5 Million Vehicles With Defective Door Latches
By 9.8.16
After two years of federal investigations and one rather large recall, the ongoing saga of Ford’s issues with doors that just won’t stay shut entered a new chapter Thursday, as the carmaker said nearly 1.5 million additional vehicles are afflicted with the issue. [More]
