Category Archives: safety

Another Lawsuit Filed against Ford EcoBoost V6 Engines

Posted on 16 May 2013 by Ken Zino

The suit mirrors one filed in last February, alleging the same thing, asking for $500,000,000 million in damages. These legal matters are now looking like the beginnings of prolonged and image-damaging lawsuits about Ford’s claimed fuel economy breakthrough with the downsized EcoBoost engine. (Class Action Suit Filed Against F-150 EcoBoost Engines for Stalling) Continue reading →

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Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander Recalls for Rollaways Active

Posted on 13 May 2013 by Ken Zino

Chrysler Group recalls 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander SUVs because a transfer case electrical failure causes unintentional shifting of the transfer case into neutral position. Continue reading →

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Under Reporting of Cell Phone Crashes Rampant. New National Safety Council Research Shows NHTSA FARS Data is Garbage

Posted on 10 May 2013 by Ken Zino

A new study from the National Safety Council (NSC) shows that government statistics on the extent of the Distracted Driving problem are deeply flawed, defy common sense and severely underestimate the extent of the deadly public health epidemic that is killing untold thousands and injuring millions more. Continue reading →

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GM Recalls Buick and Chevrolet Hybrids for Fires

Posted on 7 May 2013 by Ken Zino

GM had previously performed a service action on the vehicles, contending there was no chance of fires. At least two fires subsequently occurred, and NHTSA inquires about a number of complaints prompted GM to reopen the defect investigation. Continue reading →

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BMW Joins the Global Takata Airbag Shrapnel Recall

Posted on 7 May 2013 by Ken Zino

BMW is recalling more than 42,000 2002-2003 3-Series cars because the Takata-made passenger side airbags when deployed can send metal fragments – shrapnel – into a car’s interior striking and potentially seriously injuring people. Continue reading →

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Toyota Motor Recalls FJ Cruiser SUVs for Illegal Lights

Posted on 6 May 2013 by Ken Zino

The Hella-made lamp assemblies include 55-watt bulbs and because of the power of the bulbs and the mounting angle, the combination of upper beam headlamps plus the auxiliary lamps is too bright, exceeding the maximum light output allowed. Continue reading →

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Honda Recalls Fit Sport for OverSteer

Posted on 29 April 2013 by Ken Zino

Honda is recalling 44,000 Fit Sport models because the electronic stability control can cause oversteer thereby increasing the risk of spinning out or crashing. The latest recall was prompted by NHTSA testing, which showed excessive yaw rates both time the tests were conducted on Dunlap tires. Computer programming is the cause of the safety problem. Continue reading →

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Subaru Recalls Forester for Pedal Interference

Posted on 29 April 2013 by Ken Zino

Subaru is recalling more than 10,000 2014 model Forester vehicles because the carpeted floor mats were not manufactured properly and can interfere with the gas, accelerator, brake or clutch pedals. Continue reading →

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U.S. DOT Publishes Distracted Driving Guidelines

Posted on 23 April 2013 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Department of Transportation finally released today distracted driving guidelines in an attempt to “encourage automobile manufacturers” to limit the distraction risk connected to electronic devices built into their vehicles, such as communications, entertainment and navigation devices. These are of course among the most profitable and sought after accessories in new cars and trucks. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, distracted driving, news analysis, safety | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, cell phones, distracted driving, dot, Ken Zino, nhtsa | Leave a comment

Honda Recalls CR-V, Odyssey and Acura RDX Models

Posted on 22 April 2013 by Ken Zino

American Honda is recalling more than 204,000 model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey and 2013 Acura RDX vehicles because of a defective gearshift lever. Continue reading →

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Nissan Stops Sales, Recalls Pathfinder and Infiniti JX Trucks

Posted on 22 April 2013 by Ken Zino

Nissan is recalling more than 19,000 model year 2013 Pathfinder and Infiniti JX vehicles mad in Smyrna, Tennessee because the brakes can fail. Continue reading →

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FAA Approves Boeing 787 Battery System Design Changes

Posted on 19 April 2013 by Ken Zino

The Federal Aviation Administration today approved Boeing’s design changes for modifications to the 787 Dreamliner battery system. The agency claimed that this would address risks at the battery cell level, the battery level and the aircraft level. Previously the FAA had approved the current battery system design, which conspicuously failed on at least two low-time Dreamliner aircraft. Continue reading →

Posted in aviation, electric vehicles, news, safety | Tagged 787, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Dreamliner, faa, Ken Zino, ntsb | Leave a comment

North Carolina Man Charged in Odometer Fraud Scheme

Posted on 12 April 2013 by Ken Zino

The United States charged Francis Marimo, of Raleigh, NC with two counts of odometer tampering, according to the Department of Justice statement released today. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina on 10 April 2013, alleging that from 2008 through 2012, Marimo fraudulently caused odometers in used motor vehicles to be altered to reflect false, low mileages. Continue reading →

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Takata Airbag Recall on 3.3 Million BMW, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota Cars

Posted on 11 April 2013 by Ken Zino

While an airbag is a safety device, its explosion if not properly controlled can be deadly. Japanese supplier Takata is recalling more than 3 million vehicles globally because its airbags when deployed can send metal fragments – shrapnel – into a car’s interior striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants. Continue reading →

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Toyota Recalls Corolla, Sequoia, Tundra, Lexus SC 430 Airbags