Category: Auto Defects

A new Consumer Reports study shows that about one in six Uber and Lyft vehicles have not been repaired for vehicle safety recalls. For example, Consumer Reports noted that among tens of thousands of Uber and Lyft vehicles registered to operate in New York City, there is a 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS with eight safety recalls that haven’t been addressed, ranging from a potential to seatbelt detachment to engine failure. …Read the rest »

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report confirming that Tesla’s self-driving feature, also known as Autopilot, was active when a fatal car crash occurred March 1 between a Tesla Model 3 and a semi truck in Florida. The report, which included an image of the Tesla with its roof sheared off, confirms that the Autopilot feature was active when the crash happened and that the driver’s hands were not on the steering wheel for eight seconds before impact. The NTSB has said it will continue this investigation and look into factors such as the driver’s action and highway conditions because giving a final determination of probable cause. …Read the rest »

More than 100 postal vehicle fires have been reported – but the distinctive mail carriers have yet to be recalled. The antiquated Grumman LLVs that are used by the U.S. Postal Service are reportedly bursting into flames at an alarming rate. According to a report on CNET.com, there have been more than 120 reports of these ubiquitous white USPS mail vans catching fire. …Read the rest »

Ford has issued an auto defect recall for about 270,000 Fusions and 2,760 Rangers in North America because they could have transmission issues that can cause them to roll away and cause injuries. The fault could cause the cars to start moving without warning when the driver thinks it is in park. According to the …Read the rest »

The surviving family of a Stanislaus County deputy and a service officer are suing Ford and auto dealers alleging that they were killed in a fiery car accident that was triggered by carbon monoxide poisoning. According to a KCRA news report, Deputy Sheriff Jason Garner and Stanislaus County community service Officer Raschel Johnson were responding to a burglary call on May 13, 2017, when their vehicle left the roadway. …Read the rest »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking at older Mazda crossovers that were recalled for faulty Takata airbags that may now have defective side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. According to a report on Car and Driver, NHTSA says it knows of at least two instances in which the head-protecting side curtain airbags on CX-9 models have deployed randomly without a crash while the vehicles were moving. …Read the rest »

A Tesla Model S Sedan caught fire in a San Francisco garage around midnight May 3. According to a report on Business Insider, firefighters say they saw smoke near the vehicle’s rear right tire although the vehicle was not charging at the time. The fire was extinguished and the vehicle was removed from the garage. No one was injured. A Tesla representative said the automaker had not received any indication that the fire was caused by issues with the vehicle. …Read the rest »

General Motors is recalling nearly 325,000 of its heavy-duty pickup trucks because a defective engine block heater cord may fail, increasing the risk of the fire. According to Consumer Reports, the automaker is recalling 2017 to 2019 Chevy Silverado 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty trucks. Also included in the recall are 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 4500, 5500 and 6500 commercial trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said only trucks equipped with 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engines and optional engine block heaters are affected. …Read the rest »

After a number of deaths and injuries as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning and rollaways involving vehicles with keyless ignitions, advocates and victims’ families are demanding more stringent safety standards for automakers. According to a WPRI news report, at least 34 people have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning because they left the ignition on without knowing it. Safety advocates say the problem is with the marketing as well. Automakers tell consumers the fob is the key. But, it doesn’t in any way act like a key because it doesn’t shut the car down …Read the rest »

Toyota is set to recall about 43,000 Yaris models to replace defective sensors that may prevent the cars’ side-impact airbags from deploying during a crash. According to Car Complaints, the automaker will also separately recall 240 Sienna minivans to address a welding flaw that might also prevent the vans’ airbags from going off. The larger recall affects 2015 through 2017 Toyota Yaris hatchbacks. …Read the rest »