Category Archives: litigation

Porsche Profits Impaired by Pending VW Diesel Recall, Fines

Because of the capital stake Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Stuttgart holds in Volkswagen AG (31.5%), the results of Porsche SE will be diminished. The Porsche Profits target for the Porsche SE Group for fiscal 2015 will also require adjustment downward. Continue reading

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GM Ducks Criminal Charges in Ignition Switch Recall Debacle, Incurring $1.575 Billion in Costs, so far, to Stockholders Because of a Decade long Covered Up about Killing Customers

GM has cut a controversial deal over the company’s handling of an ignition switch defect in millions of GM vehicles that killed or seriously injured at least 1,380 innocent people who have lawsuits pending in the Multi District Litigation (“MDL”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Continue reading

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Hyundai and Kia versus Paice over Hybrid Patents

Paice filed the infringement lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia in February 2012 after unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a licensing agreement on its patents. Continue reading

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NHTSA Whacks Chrysler with Record $105m Safety Penalty

In an unusual Sunday release, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced yesterday that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles acknowledged violations of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act’s requirements to repair vehicles with safety defects. Continue reading

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CFPB Scoffs at NADA FOIA Request on Auto Lending

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, aka CFPB, has rejected a Freedom of Information Act – FOIA – request by the National Automobile Dealers Association to release a memorandum that NADA alleges shows that the agency is seeking to exercise jurisdiction over auto dealers financing, which is prohibited under the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, also called Dodd-Frank. Continue reading

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NHTSA Blasts FCA Recalls – Big Fines, Maybe Criminal Charges Coming for Italian Automaker? Litigation Ongoing.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, aka ODI, has outlined problems associated with 23 different Fiat Chrysler recalls involving millions of vehicles. These recalls are for serious safety defects and “non-compliances.” Including recalls for fuel systems that can catch fire in rear crashes, defective ignition switches that can disable a vehicle’s air bags and defective air bags that can unexpectedly explode. These defects have caused deaths and serious injuries. Continue reading

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NASCAR Disavows Racist Confederate Flag

“To do that, we are asking our fans and partners to join us in a renewed effort to create an all-inclusive, even more welcoming atmosphere for all who attend our events. This will include the request to refrain from displaying the Confederate Flag at our facilities and NASCAR events. Continue reading

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More Ford, Subaru and Lexus Safety Recalls

There are now more safety recalls coming from Ford Motor, Subaru of America and Toyota Motor because of defective antilock brakes and pre-collision systems, power steering that suddenly fails and potential vehicle fires as major makers – some with excellent quality records – continue to struggle with supplier procedures and a newly vigilant NHTSA. Continue reading

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445,000 Takata Airbag Inflators Recalled – Mazda6 and RX8

In the event of a crash with deployment of the driver’s frontal air bag, the inflator send metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death. Continue reading

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NHTSA Changing after Flubbing GM Ignition Switch Recall

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today released two internal reports from the Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aka NHTSA, that outline the changes NHTSA has adopted or will make in the wake of its embarrassing delayed handling of what became the deadly General Motors ignition switch recall. Continue reading

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Takata Takedown – NHTSA to Direct Airbag Inflator Recall

The Takata inflators were made with a propellant that can degrade over time and has led to ruptures that have been blamed for at least six deaths worldwide. This expands the number of vehicles to be recalled for defective Takata inflators to nearly 34 million. Continue reading

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Honda, Toyota, Nissan Expand Takata Airbag Recalls Yet Again

NHTSA is fining Takata $14,000 a day for what it says is Takata’s slow response to the deadly problem. Former NHTSA Acting Administrator David Kelly is now serving as project manager for ten automakers that have hired Orbital ATK to conduct independent testing on Takata airbag inflators. Continue reading

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Recall Mania Continues. Newly Revealed Safety Defects at Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Jeep, Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen

Safety defect recalls are now active for Audi, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Nissan, and Volkswagen in what has become an ongoing industry wide scramble since NHTSA – embarrassed by its lack of regulatory oversight on the Toyota unintended acceleration and GM ignition switch debacles – started enforcing U.S. safety regulations and assessing fines and penalties on automakers. Continue reading

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Honda Expands Takata Airbag Recall Again to 5.5 Million

This is the first time 2008 Pilot models will be repaired because the Takata airbag inflators release shrapnel into passenger compartments. Continue reading

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Renewable Biodiesel Fuel Scam from Washakie in Utah

During 2010, Washakie issued more than 7.2 million Renewable Identification Numbers, aka RINs, and reported to EPA that it produced biodiesel associated with those RINs at its Plymouth, Utah refinery. During that time, Washakie did not produce any biodiesel at the Plymouth facility. Continue reading

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