When you’re putting groceries in the back of your car, there’s a silent agreement between you and the vehicle that it won’t attack you by allowing the hatch to fall and hit you on the head. Apparently, nearly 800,000 Mazdas didn’t get that message. [More]
national highway traffic safety administration
6 Things You Should Know About What Led Up To Takata’s Massive Airbag Disaster
By 8.26.16
Over the past two years, 16 carmakers have recalled millions upon millions of vehicles equipped with Takata-produced, shrapnel-shooting airbags linked to 14 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Investigations have revealed the cause of the ruptures, but a new report sheds light on how the defective safety devices ended up in so many vehicles. Like many shortsighted bad decisions, it came down to money. [More]
Mazda Recalls 190K SUVs Over Loss Of Steering
By 8.26.16
Being able to steer your vehicle in the direction that you want it to go is paramount to, you know, driving. So when that doesn’t work properly, it’s time for a recall. That’s why Mazda is calling back more than 190,000 SUVs to replace potentially defective parts. [More]
Mitsubishi Recalls 80K Vehicles Over Acceleration Issues
By 8.23.16
Last week, Mitsubishi recalled some 45,000 Outlander Sport crossover SUVs after determining that an issue during assembly may lead to a leak in the vehicles’ transmission. Now, the carmaker is back, recalling about 82,000 Outlander and Lancer vehicles, because stepping on the gas pedal should make the car, you know, move. [More]
Mitsubishi Recalls 45K Outlander Sports Over Fire Concerns
By 8.16.16
Generally speaking you don’t want your vehicle to leak in any way: gas, oil, or any other fluid. For that reason, Mitsubishi is recalling more than 45,000 vehicles that may leak transmission fluid, increasing the risk of a fire. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 550K Vehicles Over Gear Shifter
By 8.10.16
Six months after Fiat Chrysler first recalled 811,586 vehicles equipped with a confusing gear shifter that has been linked to one death, 68 injuries, and hundreds of crashes, the carmaker has issued a similar recall for 505,000 vehicles that are equipped with another version of the automatic transmission shifter. [More]
Class-Action Suit Accuses Honda Of Selling Acura Vehicles With Battery-Draining Defect
By 8.4.16
Connecting your phone to your vehicle via a Bluetooth link can make driving safer. But for thousands of Acura owners, they claim this convenience — a HandsFreeLink Bluetooth phone-pairing system — contains a defect, that results in dead car batteries and the need for frequent battery replacements. Today, those owners came together to file a class-action lawsuit against Honda, the maker of the vehicles. [More]
Ford Recalls 830K Vehicles Because Doors Should Stay Shut When Closed
By 8.4.16
For the better part of two years Ford has been the center of federal safety investigations related to certain sedan doors that just wouldn’t stay shut. This week, the carmaker announced it would recall 830,000 vehicles to replace side door latches in certain states. [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]
NHTSA Is Looking Into Fatal Crash Of Tesla Model S In Autopilot Mode
By 6.30.16
Last fall, Tesla released a beta version of Autopilot, a software upgrade that would let the car take over some driving functions, including steering, cruise control, and lane changes. Today, the company announced some sad news: the first fatal crash in of one of the company’s vehicles while in autopilot mode happened in northern Florida in May. [More]
Regulators Close Investigation Into Confusing Gear Shifter Linked To 68 Injuries, 266 Crashes
By 6.28.16
A week after the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin was potentially linked to the confusing gear shifter in recalled Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler vehicles, federal safety regulators revealed they have closed an investigation into the issue following Fiat Chrysler’s recall of vehicles now tied to 68 injuries and hundreds of crashes. [More]
Jeep Recalled For Gear Shift Issue Linked To Star Trek Actor’s Death
By 6.20.16
When Fiat Chrysler (FCA) recalled 811,000 Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles in April over concerns about the cars’ confusing electronic gear shifter, the carmaker said it was aware of more than 100 crashes, including 41 injuries, resulting from drivers inadvertently leaving their vehicles in gear with the engine running. The issue is now being linked to the death of a young actor over the weekend. [More]
Kia Recalls 219K Minivans Because Hoods Shouldn’t Just Fly Up
By 6.13.16
There’s nothing worse than driving down the road only to have the hood of your car all of a sudden fly up, obstructing your view. Okay, that likely doesn’t happen often, but for more than 219,000 owners of recently recalled Kia Sedona minivans it is certainly a possibility. [More]
NHTSA: Self-Driving Cars Need To Be Twice As Safe In Order To Reduce Traffic Deaths
By 6.8.16
Proponents of self-driving vehicles claim the new technology will decrease the number of crashes occurring on the roadways, thereby reducing the number of driver and pedestrian deaths. But for that to happen, regulators say the new industry must take significant steps to improve autonomous vehicle safety. [More]
