AutoNation eases recall policy over Takata airbags; Vehicles will be released to auctions amid parts shortage

Source: Automotive News (April 25, 2016) – AutoNation is changing one of the key tenets of its policy not to sell any vehicle with an open recall. The retailer now will allow some recalled vehicles to go to wholesale auction if lack of replacement parts causes lengthy repair times. With a lack of replacement parts creating…

NHTSA Launches Safety Campaign

Source:  Tire Business / January 23, 2016 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a public awareness campaign aimed at improving consumer response to tire and vehicle safety recalls. The campaign—titled “Safe Cars Save Lives”—urges consumers to check for open recalls at least twice a year and to get their recalled vehicles fixed…

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…

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…

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…

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…