A reinvigorated NHTSA – called the lapdog of the auto industry during the Toyota hearings – along with automakers who know all too well aware of the large fines – civil and criminal – and lawsuits that derive from stonewalling safety defects has resulted in a seemingly unending list of safety recalls that occur almost daily.
The latest safety recalls from BMW, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes and Saturn are varied in nature but all could cause serious injuries or deaths.
BMW of North America is recalling 156,137 vehicles. Included are the 2010-2011 128i Coupe, 128i Convertible, 328i Sedan, 328i xDrive Sedan, 328i Coupe, 328i Convertible, 328i Sports Wagon, Z4 sDrive 30i, 2011-2012 135i Coupe, 135i Convertible, 335i Sedan, X5 xDrive 35i, X6 xDrive 35i, 2011 335i xDrive Sedan, 335i Coupe, 335i Convertible, 528i Sedan, 535i Sedan, 535i xDrive Sedan, X3 xDrive 28i, X3 xDrive 35i, 2010 X3 xDrive 30i, X5 xDrive 30i, 2012 640i Coupe, 640i Convertible, 2010-2012 535i Gran Turismo vehicles.
In these Bimmers, the bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment unit can loosen over time and may possibly break. This bummer can reduce power or stall the engine. Ultimately, this is going to be a gigantic global recall – AutoInformed bets – because the problem has also been reported in China.
GM is recalling 56,214 Saturn Aura sedans from the 2007-2008 model years with a four-speed automatic transmission (yes, only a four-speed) because transmission shift cable may fracture. If the cable brakes while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver will not be able to shift the lever to the “PARK” position, or remove the ignition key. If the Aura is not in the “PARK” position, there is a risk the Saturn will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime later, increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Honda is recalling 24,889 2014 Odyssey minivans because an electrical connector used to prevent air bag deployment before being installed into a vehicle may have been damaged during assembly of the passenger-side side curtain air bag. As a result, the passenger-side side curtain air bag may fail to deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury in a crash.
Mazda North America Operations (Mazda) is recalling 19,000 2014 Mazda6 vehicles because it is possible to fill the fuel tank beyond its rated capacity. Then, gasoline can flow into the charcoal canister (an evaporative emissions component) and leak from the canister’s external vent, increasing the risk of a fire.
Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 252,867 2008-2011 C300, C300 4Matic, C350, and C63 AMG cars because a poor electrical ground connection may result in the dimming or failure of the taillights. This clearly reduces the ability to warn other motorists of the driver’s intentions of stopping or turning, increasing the risk of a crash. This one too will be a huge global safety campaign.
NHTSA would have had more trouble collecting fines from Toyota than GM, since Toyota is self-financing. And Toyota didn’t a have GM-style problem.
Remember, these fines do nothing by themselves to enhance safety, and they reduce the automakers’ ability to operate, but NHTSA certainly can use the budget enhancement they represent.
In these days of “austerity,” as we rack up debt as if it is free, every agency needs to look for extra billions, wherever it can find them. The US taxpayers are always happy to have their pockets picked.
[Aside: Since GM knew the ignition switches could be pulled out of their detents by a heavy bunch of keys, why didn’t they just re-orient the switch, so a heavy bunch of keys would pull straight down in the “run” position, eliminating both the wear on the switches and the problem of the keychain’s weight pulling the switch to “off?”]