Category Archives: safety

IIHS – Drivers More Likely To Use Phones While Speeding

Posted on 28 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Drivers are more likely to use their phones while speeding, a tendency that increases crash risk by combining two dangerous behaviors, according to a new study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.* “Until now, safety experts believed … Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Recalls for Brakes, Wheel Loss, Rollaways, Fires

Posted on 27 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~150,000 vehicles for a variety of safety defects involving brake failures wheels coming off, fires and rollaways. The largest recall involves  model year 2024-2026 Ranger pickup trucks. The sun visor or headliner wiring from a supplier (Versigent) can cause a fire inside the cab.

“A short in the power takeout for the right or left sun visor assembly may create heat or spark, resulting in fire in the A-pillar area. When a damaged wire creates a short to ground, heat or spark at this short may also cause smoke, burn, melt or fire. A driver may experience flickering or inoperative sun visor mirror lights and overhead console lights prior to a smoking, melting or fire event,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Canada and U.S to Co-Host Global Vehicle Safety Conference

Posted on 22 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“Canada is proud to welcome the global road safety community to Toronto for Enhanced Safety of Vehicles 2026. By bringing together researchers, regulators, and industry leaders, we are fostering innovation and cooperation that will shape the next generation of vehicle safety and strengthen our collective efforts to make roads safer around the world,” said the Honorable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and Leader of the government in the House of Commons. Continue reading →

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Airbag Malware – Honda Recalls ~440,000 Odyssey Vans

Posted on 15 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“The SRS ECU deployment threshold margin calibration was too sensitive to under-body impacts, which could cause the side curtain or side airbags to deploy unexpectedly when subjected to strong impacts caused by potholes, speed bumps, or debris on the road, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. As of 2 April 2026, there have been 25 reports of injury and no reports of death related to this issue from 24 January 2017 until today. Continue reading →

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Stellantis N.V. Securities Fraud Lawsuit Announced

Posted on 8 April 2026 by Ken Zino

The Rosen Law Firm, which bills itself as a global investor rights law firm, today announced a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of common stock on the New York Stock Exchange of Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA) between 26 February 2025 and 5 February 2026, inclusive (the so-called “Class Period”). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Recalls 2025 Jetta and Taos Vehicles for IP failures

Posted on 6 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“When the ignition is switched on, the instrument cluster may read incorrect or corrupt Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) data required for proper system initialization. If invalid data is detected, the software discards the data and applies default configuration values. However, the instrument cluster and the immobilizer system are not designed to operate using these default values, which can result in the instrument cluster failing to function as intended. Software revisions introduced over time significantly increased NVM access and data traffic within the instrument cluster, thereby increasing the likelihood of NVM-related errors,” Volkswagen said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz USA 2026 Model-Year Air Bag Recall

Posted on 6 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“The passenger air bag fabric may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag not to deploy as intended.,” Mercedes said in the required safety defect filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Continue reading →

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Lucid Gravity SUV 2025-26 Model-Year Recall for Seat Belts

Posted on 6 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“During testing for an unrelated issue, Lucid observed that the 2nd row lap belt anchor bracket did not hold under load for the FMVSS-required time or did not reach the required load. Lucid determined that the outboard lap belt anchor bracket weld was shorter than specified and not in the correct location due to an alteration in the manufacturing process made by the seat manufacturer, Camaco, without notice to or approval by Lucid,” Lucid said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Park Outside! Nissan Leaf Battery Fire Recall

Posted on 6 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Nissan North America is recalling 51 2026 model-year LEAF vehicles. The high voltage battery may have internal damage that can cause a short circuit within the lithium ion battery module.

“Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and should not charge their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the battery modules or the battery, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed 17April 2026,” Nissan said in the mandatory Safety Defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Lexus 2022-24 Model-Year Front Passenger Airbag Recall

Posted on 6 April 2026 by Ken Zino

The front passenger seat in the subject vehicles is secured to a seat frame, which is equipped with a stopper and has an Occupant Classification System (OCS) that provides input to the Supplemental Restraint System to determine the deployment strategy of the front passenger airbag system, depending on the occupant load. Due to a manufacturing error during a specific production period at a certain supplier’s plant [Toyota Boshoku Corporation – AutoCrat], some vehicles may have an insufficient clearance between the seat frame and the stopper when taking into account normal production variation. If there is insufficient clearance, interference can occur between the seat frame and the stopper if the seat height is adjusted to certain positions, depending on the occupant load applied,” Toyota said in the required safety defect recall filing (49 CFR § 573) made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Posted on 3 April 2026 by Ken Zino

“No one should ever get hurt or lose their life because of a text or a phone call,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “By keeping our eyes on the road and our hands on the wheel, we all have the power and responsibility to make our roads safe for everyone. The National Safety Council calls on every driver to travel distraction free – doing so will save lives.” Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls for Diesel Pumps, Seat Belts, Rearview Cameras

Posted on 30 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is conducting recalls for more than 252,000 vehicles for a variety of safety defects including electrical system programming management and manufacturing assembly errors. The largest involves the loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems, including pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring on model year 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. Continue reading →

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IIHS – 63 Vehicles Earn 2026 Top Safety Pick Awards

Posted on 24 March 2026 by Ken Zino

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety* today said that with new more stringent imperatives 63 vehicles qualify for the IIHS awards thus far. That is up from 48 at the same time last year. Of the winners, 45 earn a … Continue reading →

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California Ballot Scheme Limiting Robocar Liability Criticized

Posted on 19 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Uber announced today a partnership to put 50,000 Rivian Robotaxis on the road, including in San Francisco, the site of the Cruise AV crash with a pedestrian and Fire Truck. This comes as powerful corporate and legal interests are embattled in a fight over an upcoming California ballot initiative in November limiting victims’ medical recovery in all accident cases. Opponents claim it will prevent the seriously injured from finding contingency fee attorneys, making it difficult to sue robocar operators, manufacturers, or any reckless driver or automaker.

“This is a naked power grab by Uber to remove liability for its robotaxis and accelerate their rollout without accountability when their robotaxis harm or kill pedestrians and other drivers,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit that issued a report, “License To Kill: How Uber’s Rush To Close Courthouse Doors And Roll Out Robocars Threatens Public Safety.” Continue reading →

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Sudden Power Loss – Ford Motor Recall Parade Persists

Posted on 16 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~48,000 model year 2025 Ranger, Mustang, Maverick,  and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power. Affected vehicles are equipped with suspect Korean-made EGR valves installed in the 2.0-liter Gas, and 2.0-liter Hybrid Engines.

“Customers may initially experience weak acceleration, engine vibration, a no start condition, or a check engine light,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Ford is operating under a consent order from NHTSA because of its previous handing of recalls Continue reading →

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