Takata Air-Bag Recalls Could Expand to Seven More Companies

Letters to auto makers including Tesla from U.S. regulators say scope of recalls may expand Faulty Takata air-bag inflaters have been linked to eight deaths world-wide  Source: Associated Press, September 28, 2015 – Seven more companies including electric-car maker Tesla Motors Inc. could be facing recalls because they use air-bag inflaters made by Takata Corp., according to letters they received…

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New Lawsuit – the First in Georgia – Filed Today Against Takata for Injuries From Exploding Airbag

Orlando, FL – (June 2, 2015) – The Didier Law Firm filed a civil lawsuit today on behalf of 29-year-old Christian Sprouse who sustained injuries to her neck and eye after the airbag in her 2004 Honda Civic exploded upon deployment in a minor accident on April 21st, 2015.  Ms. Sprouse received a recall notice…

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Takata Finally Acknowledges Airbag Defect; NHTSA Expands Airbag Recall to Nearly 34 Million Vehicles

NHTSA today announced that is has expanded its recall of cars with Takata airbags to 33.8 million vehicles across 11 auto manufacturers.  Takata has also finally agreed to declare them defective, and has entered into an agreement that it will cooperate fully with all NHTSA actions, testing of remedies, and notifications. “The admission made by…

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Almost Half Of U.S. Vehicles Aren’t Covered Under Existing Safety Regulations

Rules Haven’t Kept Pace With Aging U.S. Fleet Source – Bloomberg April 30, 2015 – Hundreds of crashes involving defective cars are going unreported each year because under U.S. safety rules automakers aren’t required to report suspicious accidents for models more than 10 years old. That’s worrisome, safety advocates say, because the average age of…

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Ford Expands Door-Latch Recall, Adds 156,000 Ford Fiesta, Fusion, Lincoln MKZ Models

Source: Car Connection May 4, 2015 – Back in March, Ford recalled more than 212,000 Ford Explorers from the 2011-2013 model years to replace faulty door latches that could spring open during a collision, increasing the risk of damage to occupants. Last month, perhaps in response to an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety…

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Honda Recalls More of the Same Model Vehicles – How Many More Are Still at Risk?

Honda Motor Corp. yet again expanded its recall of vehicles with defective Takata airbags, bringing the total Honda vehicles recalled to more than six million to date.  As the carmaker looks deeper into the manufacturing and tracking issues at the plant that produced the defective Takata airbag inflators, the recalls grow, leaving Honda owners wondering…

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NHTSA Would Get Stop-Sale Power Under U.S. Bill

Source: Automotive News- March 30, 2015 – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be able to order automakers to cease the sale of vehicles with dangerous safety defects under the Obama administration’s multiyear surface transportation funding bill sent to congress today. Under “imminent hazard authority,” NHTSA would have broad power to ground vehicles “in…

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Recall Fallout Hits Car-Parts Makers

Source:  Wall Street Journal January 13, 2015 – Car parts suppliers are stepping up quality control efforts and the traceability of their components in the wake of an unprecedented wave of auto-safety recalls and massive fines against manufacturers. Several are investing in new equipment to better automate defect-detection and assigning more employees to parts checks. Daicel Corp.,…

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Time To Rethink Auto Safety

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…

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