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Category Archives: safety
Hyundai Fire Recalls – Palisade, Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, Kona; Kia Soul, Sportage, Seltos
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The recall also includes 2023 Kia Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat, according to the require recalls documents released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Owners of the ~98,000 defective vehicles are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Continue reading
Kia Hybrid Fire Recalls on Niro and Niro Plug-ins
Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire. More than ~121,000 Kia hybrids are affected. Illumination of the HEV warning light is an indicator.
Kia will instruct dealers to inspect the HCA and replace, if necessary. Kia will also install a new HCA fuse with one of a higher capacity to mitigate the potential risk of fire caused by an electrical short circuit. Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred. Continue reading
Parts Maker Sinister Diesel to Pay $1 Million After Guilty Plea
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced in the criminal case by US District Court Judge John A. Mendez for the Eastern District of California on 14 November 2023. Although Sinister Diesel agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine under its plea agreement, the company faces – for each count – a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense. Its sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of all applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. Continue reading
Posted in environment, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, public health
Tagged Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, clean air act, conspiracy to defraud the United States, Death of the diesel, emission control defeat devices, epa, Ken Zino, Sinister Diesel, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, US District Court Judge John A. Mendez, US Justice Department
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Tesla Safety Recalls for Safety Systems and Seat Belts
Tesla is recalling 2023 Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. The forward-facing camera may be misaligned, causing some of the active safety features such as emergency braking, forward collision warning, and lane assist to become unavailable without alerting the driver. Tesla is also recalling 2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles. The front-row seat belts may not be connected properly to the pretensioner anchors, which can cause the seat belts to detach. Continue reading
Toyota and Lexus Recalling Numerous Vehicles for Bad Airbags
Toyota is recalling model year 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles because of potentially defective airbags. Continue reading
Posted in manufacturing, quality, recalls
Tagged American Furukawa, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, fmvss 208, Ken Zino, NHTSA 23V480
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Consumer Rights Nil in New Autonomous Vehicle Bills?
The Center for Auto Safety says one of the proposals, the SELF DRIVE Act, “neglects to include any consumer protections that prevent the use of binding arbitration clauses in contracts involving autonomous vehicles.” As is common in Washington the legislation is misleadingly named. However, there is a need to explore the issue as there are arguments on many aspects of technology and systems that can save lives and reduce traffic congestion even though AutoInformed remains skeptical about the ability of politicians to do so with a regard for We the People as opposed to We the Congress who are paid large sums by corporate interests. Continue reading
Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, autonomous cars, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, litigation, mobility company, news analysis, public health, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, AV Bill of Rights, Bob Latta, Center for Auto Safety, Debbie Dingell, Ken Zino, SELF DRIVE Act
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Repair Shop Owner Sentenced to Prison for False Tax Return
In 2011, Ferrari used business funds to pay for personal items, including gambling on horse races. Ferrari concealed this diversion of business income by not disclosing it to his return preparer, thus causing the preparation and filing of a false corporate tax return. Furthermore, Ferrari did not pay employment taxes in the amount of $291,600 based on an unreported cash payroll, according to court documents. Continue reading
Ford, Chrysler and BMW Top 2023 Recall List
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released today the latest safety defect recall list by manufacturer for the 2023 year-to-date. Ford Motor Company with 31 recalls of more than 4,100,000 vehicles – 15% of all recalls – clearly led the list. Chrysler (aka FCA) with 27 recalls of more than 1.7 million vehicles (13%) was second. BMW was third with 19 recalls of 157,000 vehicles (9%). Forest River and Navistar rounded out the terrible top five. Continue reading
NHTSA – Do Not Drive Recalled 2003 Dodge Rams
“The older a defective Takata air bag inflator gets, the more dangerous it becomes. Please, get your air bag replaced now for your sake, and for the sake of those who love you,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “Don’t put yourself or someone you love at risk of dying or being seriously injured because of a defective, recalled Takata air bag. These repairs are absolutely free and could save your life.” Continue reading
Toyota Auto Insurance Now in Colorado, Georgia, Oregon
“We’re excited to continue our rollout of Toyota Auto Insurance, expanding our reach to even more customers,” said Rob Spencer, Toyota Insurance President. “We look forward to offering our customers in Colorado, Georgia and Oregon exceptional value and top-tier service to enhance their Toyota ownership experience.” Continue reading
Ford Recalls 2019-2020 Fusion PHEVs for Fires
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 2019-2020 Fusion Plug In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles because the battery energy control module (BECM) may become damaged resulting in sudden loss of power or fires This is according to the National Highway Traffic Safety … Continue reading
IIHS – Small Crew Cab Pickups Flunk Crash Tests
Most small pickups fall short when it comes to protecting passengers seated in the rear, according to the latest crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released today. None of the five small crew cab pickups IIHS evaluated has a good rating. The Nissan Frontier is rated acceptable. The Ford Ranger earns a marginal rating, and the Chevrolet Colorado, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma are all rated poor. The ratings only apply to the crew cab versions. Continue reading
Connected Car by Verizon for BMW Begins in US
Verizon Business has started Connected Car by Verizon an in-car connectivity service for some BMW models in the US. The subscription plan has voice, data, unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity for $20 per month. Continue reading
Team Rubicon Disaster Relief Program Announced
It’s a timely announcement as there are clearly a growing number of communities across the United States that are impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires – clear evidence of the pernicious effects of Global Warming from the use of fossil fuels, which Ford Motor and the rest of the entire industry are now addressing with awakened products. Continue reading
Apple Software Veteran Peter Stern Joins Ford Motor
Ford and other former members of the old-style auto blacksmithing business – cast it, stamp it, weld it, machine it and put it together – has been confronted with the need to cost effectively deal with so-called connected vehicles. The traditional way of pitting suppliers against one another and buying at lowest cost has failed since the software of the many individual computer modules on current vehicles isn’t always compatible with other computerized systems – creating in effect an electronic Tower of Babble. Continue reading →