Category Archives: safety

Virginia Man Jailed for Selling Counterfeit GM Diagnostic Equipment

Posted on 11 January 2013 by Ken Zino

A Virginia man was sentenced today in federal court to serve one year and one day in prison for selling counterfeit General Motors automotive diagnostic equipment used by mechanics to identify problems with GM vehicles. Continue reading →

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FAA to Review Boeing 787 Design and Production

Posted on 11 January 2013 by Ken Zino

A series of mishaps on the Boeing 787 including, engine oil leaks, cracked windshields and a fire has prompted the FAA to promise a comprehensive review of the design, manufacture and assembly of the so-called Dreamliner. The 787 designation was the date of an elaborate unveiling during July of 2007, with the first flights planned for that August. The twin-engine composite aircraft had several production delays before finally entering service years late. Continue reading →

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Ex Ford EVP David Thursfield Sentenced to Jail over Divorce

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Ken Zino

David Thursfield, a former executive vice president of Ford Motor Company and then a top Cerberus executive, has been sentenced to two years in jail in Great Britain for allegedly hiding assets during a contentious divorce settlement in 2005. Continue reading →

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GM Recalls 2013 Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC SUVs for Rollaways

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Ken Zino

GM is recalling certain 55,000 2013 SUVs for rollaways because the vehicle can shift out of “Park” by itself because of a defective steering column. Continue reading →

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Highway Deaths at Lowest Level in 60 years

Posted on 6 January 2013 by Ken Zino

“Even as we celebrate the progress we’ve made in recent years, we must remain focused on addressing the safety issues that are continuing to claim more than 30,000 lives each year,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, whose agency apparently did not eliminate any regulations during 2012 is spite of plunging highway deaths. Continue reading →

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Subaru Recalls 634,000 Legacy, Outback and Tribeca Models for Fires

Posted on 5 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Subaru is recalling 634,000 Legacy, Outback and Tribeca models because the “puddle lights” in the running boards of the crossover SUVs can short, melt and possibly start a fire. Continue reading →

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Transocean Pleads Guilty in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Criminal and Civil Fines Set at a Record $1.4 Billion by Department of Justice

Posted on 3 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Transocean Deepwater, the operator of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, will plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and pay a total of $1.4 billion in civil and criminal fines for its conduct during the largest oil spill in U.S. history. Continue reading →

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GM Recalls Colorado and Canyon Pickups for Missing Hood Latch

Posted on 2 January 2013 by Ken Zino

GM is recalling more than 118,000 model year 2010-2012 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks because they may be missing the secondary hood latch. As a result, the hood can open unexpectedly during driving and block the driver’s view of the road. Continue reading →

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Alaskan Contractor to Serve Time for Dumping Hazardous Waste

Posted on 2 January 2013 by Ken Zino

The former owner of a road and parking lot painting and striping business in Anchorage, Alaska will serve time in prison for dumping hazardous waste. William Duran Vizzerra, Jr., 43, was sentenced by Chief Judge Ralph R. Beistline to 15 months in prison. The court also ordered Vizzerra to pay $395,319 in restitution to two victims. Continue reading →

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Toyota Settles Lawsuits for $1.1 Billion and Will Modify Millions of Vehicles with Electronically Controlled Gas Pedals to Stop Runaways

Posted on 27 December 2012 by Ken Zino

In an engineering lapse of monumental consequences that included several deaths, the computer programming on affected vehicles when confronted with both brake and accelerator inputs did not favor the brake input for its electronic engine controls. Such over-ride software is in widespread use at other automakers. Continue reading →

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Toyota to Pay Record $17.35 Million for Lexus Safety Cover-Up

Posted on 18 December 2012 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that Toyota Motor Corporation would pay $17.35 million, the maximum fine, in response to the agency’s assertion that the automaker once again failed to report a safety defect to the federal government in a timely manner. Continue reading →

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Less Expensive Chevrolet Cruze Airbag Earns 5 Stars from NHTSA

Posted on 18 December 2012 by Ken Zino

The 2013 Chevrolet Cruze using a groundbreaking single inflator airbag has been rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at a maximum 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score. The development is potentially significant for car buyers because the 2013 Cruze model switched to a less expensive, more compact and lighter airbag design from Takata. Continue reading →

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Another Ford Recall – 2013 Fusion Models have Hazy Headlights

Posted on 10 December 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor is recalling 2013 Fusion sedans because of defective headlights. Due to a faulty manufacturing process affecting more than 19,000 of the Mexican-built sedans, the headlights can become hazy in use, reducing the brightness of the low-beam lamp. Continue reading →

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Richmond Towing Company Takes Car and Driver Home for $50

Posted on 6 December 2012 by Ken Zino

Seibert’s Towing a Richmond Virginia firm, is running a new “Toast’d Tow” program that returns drivers and their cars home for just $50 between 10pm and 4am. Toast’d Tow operates seven nights a week, giving holiday revelers another option for getting home safely – car included. Delivery of drivers and vehicles outside the city limits incurs an additional $1.50 per mile charge. Continue reading →

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International Auto Fraud Ring Busted in Four Countries

Posted on 6 December 2012 by Ken Zino

Law enforcement officials in Romania, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Canada arrested six Romanian nationals today for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated multimillion-dollar auto fraud scheme. The U.S. Department of Justice said the defendants were responsible for saturating Internet marketplace websites including eBay, Cars.com, AutoTrader.com and CycleTrader.com with detailed advertisements for cars, motorcycles, boats and other high-value items generally priced in the $10,000 to $45,000 range. Unbeknownst to the buyers, however, the merchandise did not exist. Continue reading →

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