Category Archives: safety

SEC Charges Westport Fuels Systems and ex-CEO with Bribing a Chinese Government Official via a Private Equity Fund

According to the SEC’s order, beginning no later than 2016, Westport, acting through Gougarty and others, engaged in a scheme to bribe a Chinese government official to obtain business and a cash dividend payment by transferring shares of stock in Westport’s Chinese joint venture to a Chinese private equity fund in which the government official held a financial interest. Continue reading

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Autonomous Driving – Aptiv and Hyundai $4 Billion JV

Hyundai Motor Group affiliates — Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis — will collectively contribute $1.6 billion in cash at closing and $ 0.4 billion in vehicle engineering services, R&D resources, and access to intellectual property. Continue reading

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Death of the Diesel: Volkswagen Board Crisis as Three Chairman Indicted in Germany for Stock Market Manipulation

As a result, the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG hastily convened a meeting, claiming that it was unaware that the indictments were coming since it was allegedly cooperating in the investigation by the public prosecutor. It will also meet again tomorrow to discuss what is company threatening development. Continue reading

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Death of the Diesel: Daimler Guilty of Selling Dirty Diesels in Germany – Pays $957,000,000 Fine Rather than Litigate

The negligent violation of supervisory duties occurred on the department head level. It appears that the Daimler has refrained from taking a legal action challenging the fine notice because senior executives are not implicated. The public prosecutor’s administrative offense proceeding against Daimler AG is thereby fully concluded. This is not so at Volkswagen Group where senior executives were indicted today. Continue reading

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SEC Charges and Settles False Financial Disclosures Against Nissan, Former CEO Carlos Ghosn, Former Director Greg Kelly  

Critics no doubt will say the settlement is laughable given the amount of money involved. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls 311,907 Explorer SUVs for Dangerous Seat Frames

It took 31 reports of hand injuries before Ford acted on replacing the dangerous part. This is the seventh safety defect recall – thus far – on the 2017 model Explorer. Continue reading

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GM Finally Recalls 3,456,111 SUVS, Pickups for Bad Brakes

These vehicles are equipped with a secondary, hydraulic power brake assist system that activates to provide power brake assist if the vacuum drops, however, as calibrated the hydraulic brake boost assist is limited at lower speeds. Continue reading

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Data Show GM Automated Safety Systems Prevent Crashes

The GM active safety systems evaluated are addressing a wide range of common crashes that cause a large amount of injuries, property damage and cost to GM customers and society. Continue reading

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Chrysler Recalls More than 1.1 Million Ram Pickup Trucks for Unexpected Tailgate Openings While Driving

The safety defect stems from a tailgate actuator limiter tab that may fracture and cause the tailgate to unlatch and pop open. The unsafe trucks were assembled in Mexico and the U.S. with bad parts from ADAC Plastic in Saranac Michigan. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Deal on Bogus Gasoline Fuel Economy Ratings

The settlement in Volkswagen’s view removes the uncertainty of protracted litigation and does not include any admission of liability or wrongdoing by Volkswagen. AutoInformed thinks that VW is buying off lawyers in a case that is similar to  – if not identical – the calculated fraud of Dieselgate where it was flagrantly guilty. The Environmental Protection Agency has not agreed to the deal. Continue reading

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Ford Motor Recalls 652,000 Vehicles in North America

Ford Motor Company is issuing four safety recalls affecting 652,000 vehicles in North America. In a classic” bury the bad news” on the beginning of the Labor Day holiday, Ford in a release said affected vehicles have the possible lack of seat restraint in the event of a crash, loss of power-steering assist and leaking brake calipers. Continue reading

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Massive VW Keyless Recall on 36 Product lines, 679,027 Cars

Affected are 2015-2019 GTI, 2015-2016 and 2018-2019 Golf, 2012-2019 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2017-2019 Golf SportWagen and 2011-2018 Jetta vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, manual handbrake and keyless entry. Volkswagen has been aware of the problem since July of 2018, but was silent about the number of complaints, accidents, injuries or fatalities. Continue reading

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Toyota Recalls New Camry Models for Bad Airbags

Dealers have been instructed to comply with the law and stop selling affected cars in inventory.* Continue reading

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Ford Expands Fusion and Lincoln MKZ Seat Belt Recalls

Well, the bad old auto company practice of trying to put a “fence” around a recall – the smaller and cheaper the better – is well entrenched. The latest Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ seat-belt recall appears to be a good example, although the ongoing tardiness of NHTSA in posting relevant documents is also in play here. Continue reading

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Lidar for Robotic Apps – Velodyne Puck 32MR

Lidar is used in many industries, including automotive, trucking, UAV/drones, industrial, mapping, and others. Continue reading

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