New data affecting defective Takata air bag inflators in certain 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles, has found a high risk of ruptures during air bag deployment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are asking the media and public to ensure that vehicles in this population are found and fixed before they cause injuries or fatalities. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, there is a 50% higher chance that these air bag inflators could rupture in a crash. Owners should stop driving their vehicles and have the airbags replace immediately. Continue reading
Category Archives: NHTSA
Recall Rental Law Protects Drivers From Safety Defects
On December 4, 2015 President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. No. 114-94) into law. Although the federal act focuses primarily on maintaining infrastructure, a major provision within the regulations includes rules affecting automobile rental companies. The legislation was championed by the family of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, sisters who died in a rental vehicle that was under a safety recall that had not been repaired.
Beginning June 1, 2016, any company or dealer with fleets greater than 35 will be prohibited from renting vehicles with recalls until the problem has been fixed. Although the bill passed with the support of the rental car industry and the input of the American Car Rental Association, smaller independent companies question how the bill will affect their business. Often, automakers will announce a recall without a timeline for repairs or parts, leaving some fleets with cars parked for a potentially long time. Continue reading
Rupturing Takata Airbag Claims Another Victim
A 17-year-old driver of a 2002 Honda Civic was killed last month after her Takata air bag ruptured during a rear-end crash. This is the 10th known U.S. death in addition to over 100 people that have been injured when their Takata airbags exploded with too much force. Continue reading
NHTSA “Safe Cars Save Lives” Campaign Urges Drivers To Fix Recalls
The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a new public awareness campaign this week called “Safe Cars Save Lives”. The program is focusing on ways to encourage drivers to regularly check for open recalls and to get them fixed as soon as possible. According to NHTSA statistics, last year there were close to 900 recalls affecting 51 million vehicles nationwide, with an average 25 percent of recalls left unrepaired. Continue reading
Autonomous Driving In California
The relationship between vehicles and drivers’ are changing as automobile manufacturers work to develop autonomous driving technology. Research and testing have created new possibilities that could improve highway safety, be less harmful to the environment, offer better mobility, and create new economic opportunities. Continue reading
NHTSA Accelerates Takata Airbag Repairs
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into exploding Takata airbags has found that the manufacturer violated the Motor Vehicle Safety Act as well as the Federal regulations implementing the Act. The NHTSA have imposed one of the largest civil penalties in NHTSA history and have ordered all 12 vehicle manufacturers to accelerate repairs, prioritizing recalls so the vehicles experiencing the greatest safety risk will be fixed first. Continue reading
Lawmakers Want All Takata Airbags Recalled
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ed Markey are pushing for a complete recall of Takata airbags as the NHTSA open an investigation into an airbag rupture involving a 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan in Missouri. Previously, the problem has occurred in older vehicles in areas of high humidity, but the most recent exploding airbag did not occur in one of the regions originally designated as high humidity and involved a newer vehicle, not currently subject to the recall. Continue reading
NHTSA Fines Fiat Chrysler For Recall Deficiencies
Fiat Chrysler will pay up to $105 million in penalties and fines, and will buy back almost half a million recalled vehicles after an NHTSA investigation found the automobile manufacturer violated auto safety regulations. The fines include a $70 million cash payment, an agreement that Fiat Chrysler will spend $20 million improving its recall process and an additional $15 million payable if the automaker is found to have committed any further violations. Continue reading
