Every day developments in the area of product safety occur. Whether it be recalls, the launch of defect investigations by NHTSA, or national or regional news about advancements in automotive safety technologies, news and information in this area is constantly changing.
To assist consumers and attorneys, some of the more notable developments are noted herein for easy reference. If you have any questions about any of these topics or desire more information do not hesitate to call us.
Source: Los Angeles Times January 29, 2015 – Honda Motor Co. said another death could be linked to faulty airbags in its vehicles. The automaker said Thursday it is looking into a crash of a 2002 Honda Accord on Jan. 18, in Houston. The driver’s side airbag inflator in the car may have ruptured, sending…
Source: Automotive News January 26, 2015 – I am looking forward to seeing how new Administrator Mark Rosekind reshapes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He has spent a great deal of time at the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates transportation accidents, primarily involving aircraft. Rosekind’s background raises the potential for big change. The…
Source: Washington Post Federal authorities levied a record $70 million fine on Honda Motor Co. on Thursday for its failure to report more than 1,700 deaths and injuries in its vehicles. “Today’s announcement sends a very clear message to the entire industry that manufacturers have responsibility for the complete and timely reporting of this critical…
The Takata exploding airbag defect has elevated to crisis level and now it has come to light that both Honda and Takata had knowledge of this defect for a decade, and yet recalled vehicles are still on the road even today. As investigation into the defect continues, it is apparent that Honda may have under-reported…
GM has recalled 2.6 million vehicles since February because of a faulty ignition switch that may allow the key to unintentionally move or switch to the “accessory” or “off” position, turning off the engine and most of the electrical components on the vehicle. The recall includes Chevy Cobalts and HHRs, Pontiac G5s, Pursuits and Solstices…
U.S. auto safety regulators have decided not to open a formal investigation into the Oct. 2 fire that damaged a Tesla electric car near Seattle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday there’s no indication at this time that the fire was caused by a safety defect or that there was any violation of…
Writing in Forbes in September, 1958, John D. Williams, a mathematician at the RAND Corporation, suggested the U.S. was getting a little carried away with its interest in auto safety. “I am sure that there is, in effect, a desirable level of automobile accidents — desirable, that is, from a broad point of view; in…
New systems come as company lags rivals on old-school features Toyota Motor Corp. is forging ahead on advanced safety systems, even as it falls behind rivals on more mundane crash-protection technology. A week after receiving only marginal ratings in a critical new crash test for its Corolla small car, Toyota outlined plans to introduce by…
The big, black Mercedes-Benz is going 70 on the 101 Freeway making minor steering adjustments to hold the lane. I have taken my hands off the steering wheel. A computer is driving. After maybe 10 seconds, the steering wheel icon on the dash turns bright red, as if to say: Dude! Hands back at 10…
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 780,000 crossovers and hybrid sedans for a second time to fix looseness on rear-suspension lower arms that could cause the threads to rust and wear out, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall covers 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrids and 2006-11 Toyota RAV4 crossovers. The original recall…