Category Archives: safety

NHTSA Prompts Toyota Power Window Switch Recall for Fires

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. will recall 2.5 million vehicles – 7.5 million units worldwide – because a defective power window switch can cause fires. The latest Toyota safety problem was discovered by NHTSA earlier this year after it opened an investigation about an unusual number of consumer complaints – 32 – alleging a burning electric window switch on the driver’s side door. Toyota and NHTSA have known of the problem for years. Continue reading

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NHTSA Says Chinese Counterfeit Air Bags are a Safety Problem

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration – NHTSA – has published a consumer safety advisory to warn vehicle owners and repair shops about the dangers of counterfeit Chinese air bags. NHTSA said it has become “aware” of a problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags for use as replacement parts in vehicles that have been involved in a crash. Continue reading

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U.S. Motorcycle Thefts Decrease to One Every 11 Minutes

The National Insurance Crime Bureau today said that motorcycle thefts were down 6% in 2011 from their 2010 total. This means 46,667 motorcycles reported stolen in 2011 compared with 49,791 in 2010. The theft rate, which sounds low, actually averages to one motorcycle theft every 11 minutes. Continue reading

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New “Eco Friendly” Refrigerant Can Burn in Accidents Says Mercedes

Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. Environmentalists have forced the use of a new air conditioning refrigerant in Europe, saying it is better at cutting down on global warming, but it turns a out that the latest concoction from DuPont or Honeywell can go up in flames during an accident. Continue reading

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NHTSA Prompts Recall of Dodge Ram Pickups for Axle Lockups

The Office of Defects Investigation at NHTSA opened an investigation this past July into complaints alleging rear differential failures resulting in rear wheel lock-up on Dodge pickup trucks,. Chrysler has now decided to recall 44,300 Dodge Dakota and Ram 1500 models. Continue reading

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Honda Adds to Previous Recalls of CR-V Crossovers for Fires

Honda is recalling 500,000 CR-V models globally because an electric window switch can melt and cause an interior fire. This is in addition to a Honda recall in March for the same problem on other CR-V and Pilot models. At least five fires have been reported. In the U.S., the latest quality gaff covers model year 2002-2006 CR-V passenger vehicles manufactured from February 2002, through July 2006, potentially have the defective driver-side power window switch that may fail or melt.

Honda is experiencing something similar to Toyota’s well-publicized quality meltdown, but so far it hasn’t hurt new vehicle sales at either.
Continue reading

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Firing of BMW Salesperson for Facebook Photos Upheld

The National Labor Relations Board has found that the firing of a BMW salesperson for photos and comments posted to his Facebook page did not violate federal labor law, because the activity was not protected. Continue reading

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Honda Expands Acura TL Fire Recall to add 573,000 Accord Cars

Honda is expanding an Acura recall for defective power steering hoses that can cause fires to a combined total of more than 625,000 vehicles, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration filing revealed today. This is an additional recall since the initial Acura one last May. Affected are 2007-2008 Acura TL and now – far more numerous – 2003-2007 Accord V6-powered cars. Honda in Japan eventually decided to recall the Accords after a fire was reported by a U.S. dealer in early June. However, parts are not yet available for Accord owners. They will have to wait until early 2013 because replacement parts for Accord V6 vehicles are different from the parts for the recalled Acura TL models. The supplier was not identified. Continue reading

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BP Fined Again, this time for Oil Spill Violations in Maryland

EPA alleged that BP Products violated federal regulations requiring oil storage facilities to conduct drills and exercises to respond to oil spills. The civil penalty is EPA’s highest to date for violations of oil drills and exercises requirements where there was no discharge of oil. BP, of course, was responsible for dumping 5 billion gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico after a blowout on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 men. A former BP worker is under indictment for the disaster in an ongoing investigation that has thus far not reached executive levels. Continue reading

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Fraud Charges Filed in Gulf Oil Cleanup Employment Scam

A 22-count federal indictment was unsealed in New Orleans charging Connie M. Knight, 46, with impersonating a federal employee in order to get people to pay her for fraudulent hazardous waste safety training after the BP Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill. Continue reading

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NHTSA Prompts GM Recall of Chevrolet, Saturn and Pontiac Cars

An engineering analysis started more than a year ago by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now forced the recall of more than 426,000 General Motors passenger cars sold under the Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn brands. Continue reading

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Distracted Drivers and Vehicle Design Briefing offered by CAR

The automotive electronics evolution has seen increasing emphasis on connected vehicle systems, driver assistance systems, and infotainment systems. Given the potential for these systems to cause huge drops in customer satisfaction, as Ford Motor learned with its My Touch and My Sync systems, it is not surprising that auto companies are now hiring people with experience in human factors engineering, human-machine interface, and mobile device technology. The latest briefing is one of a series CAR offers on relevant topics of interest to industry professionals. Continue reading

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Ford Stops Sales of Edge Because of Fuel Leak Recall

Ford Motor Company is stopping the sale of 2012 Edge models because a fuel line can leak and potentially cause a fire in the Canadian-built vehicle. Since replacement parts are not available, owner letters should be mailed the week of 24 September 2012, the Dearborn-based automaker said in the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls 2013 Escape for Engine Fires, the Third Recall So Far

This is the third major recall on the best-selling Ford crossover SUV, which received a redesign for the 2013 model year, its first major revision since its 2001 model year debut. Ford did not publicize the recall, which became public because of a required legal filing with the Department of Transportation. Continue reading

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Ex Cop Gets Prison Sentence for Robbing I-65 Motorists

A former Alabama police officer has been sentenced to prison for stealing money and property from motorists. The latter day highwayman, Jessie Alan Fuller, 25, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 37 months in prison and two years supervised release. Continue reading

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