NHTSA is seeking to have Ford expand its recall of F-150 pickup trucks which reportedly have airbags that may deploy when they are not needed.
The government's auto safety regulator wants Ford to recall more than the 144,000 trucks from model years 2005-06 that it agreed in February to fix.
Wes Sherwood, a Ford spokesman, confirmed the automaker is talking with NHTSA about whether the recall should be expanded. Some of the recalled trucks have air bags that may deploy when not needed, possibly injuring drivers or passengers. (Article)
Ford has recalled about 365,000 F-150 pick up trucks because of an issue with the interior door handles which may lead to the door opening during a crash.
Ford says the recall affects about 280,000 F-150s in the United States for the 2009 and 2010 model years, built from Jan. 18, 2008, through Nov. 30, 2009. The rest were sold in Canada and Mexico. Read More
Ford has announced that is it is recalling 400,000 Windstar models in "cold weather" states to resolve a bracket issue which could cause the vehicle to become unstable and the driver lose control.
Ford is recalling more than 400,000 Windstar minivans in cold-weather states to fix brackets and mounts which could separate from the vehicle's subframe and could cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle.
The recall involves 425,288 minivans from the 1999-2003 model years sold or registered in 22 states and the District of Columbia. (article)
Toyota has also issued a recall today involving over 1.7 million cars.
Toyota recalled nearly 1.7 million cars worldwide Wednesday for fuel leaks, the latest in a ballooning number of quality problems that could add another dent to its tarnished reputation in the crucial U.S. market.
In one of the problems announced Wednesday, an improper installation of a sensor to measure fuel pressure may cause the sensor to loosen as a result of engine vibration over time, and possibly cause fuel leakage, the company said. That problem also affects 280,000 Lexus cars sold abroad, 255,000 of them in North America and 10,000 in Europe. (article)
If you have suffered a personal injury due to a product defect or because of another's negligence, contact the Law Office of. D. Hardison Wood today! 919.233.0520
One of the obstacles victims of rollover accidents face is the stereotype that rollovers are inherently dangerous. This isn't usually, and certainly not always, the case. Rollovers tend to be very survivable, especially when compared to a high speed side impact collision or a head on collision. The forces at play are dissipated along several axes in a rollover, whereas in side impact and head on collisions, the forces tend to operate in straight lines and along one axis.
Not to say rollovers aren't deadly. There are approximately 10,000 deaths in the US alone per year due to rollovers. Most of these are single vehicle accidents. Roof crush and occupant ejection are the single biggest factors in these fatalities.
Occupant ejection is minimized by the use of safety belts equipped with pretensioners (these devices were first introduced in 1981). When searching for a new vehicle, especially an SUV or light truck, make sure to ask if its seat belts are equipped with pretensioners as these will decrease the likelihood of occupant ejection in a rollover event.
Roof crush, on the other hand, is not so easily fixed. Maintaining occupant survival space is the first goal of successful engineering, yet too many of today's SUVs do a lousy job of this. Look at this example of a simulated Ford Explorer rollover. They will roll it twice, not unlike what would happen if the vehicle rolled at highway speeds. Make sure you watch the full video. On the first roll, you'll see the passenger side leads, and maintains its survival space, while the driver's side already shows sign of deadly intrusion. On the second roll, you'll see there is no survival space left on the driver's side.
There is no way the driver walks away from this. On the flip, we'll show you another test where a rollover seems hardly violent at all.
This is the same test run on the Explorer, two rolls, but here on a Volvo XC 90. What the full video, and notice how survival space remains completely intact.
Both the driver and the passenger walk away from this. Thanks to Xprts LLC and CIR for making these tests publicly available. You can learn more about these tests, and how simple modifications can improve existing technology to save lives here.
Ford has issued a recall involving 2005-2008 Mustangs due to air bag non complaince issue.
Make / Models :
Model/Build Years:
FORD / MUSTANG
2005-2008
Recall Number:
08V082000
Summary:
FORD IS RECALLING 434,593 MY 2008 MUSTANG VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH ONE OF THE NECK INJURY REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, "OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION," FOR AN UNBELTED 5TH PERCENTILE FEMALE SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHILE IT IS IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION.
Consequence:
DURING AN AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, IF A SMALL FEMALE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS NOT WEARING THE SAFETY BELT, AND HAS THE SEAT IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, THERE MAY BE AN INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR A NECK INJURY.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT FEBRUARY 28, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332 OR THROUGH EMAIL TO WWW.OWNERCONNECTION.COM.
Notes:
FORD RECALL NO. 08C02. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
If you have a Ford please take note. The National Highway Safety Administration announced certain Ford vehicles pose a fire risk due to malfunctioning cruise controls.
WASHINGTON -- The National Highway Safety Administration today urged owners of more than 4 million unrepaired Ford Motor Co. vehicles that are at risk of fire because of a defective cruise control deactivation switch to "immediately" get it fixed.
The Detroit News reported Monday that Ford won't have an adequate supply of parts to repair trucks and vans until June.
Ford has urged owners to take vehicles into dealerships to get their cruise control deactivated as an interim fix until it has enough parts on hand to fix the cruise control.
Ford expanded its recall by 3.6 million vehicles last August, but NHTSA has continued to receive complaints of fires -- about 60 since then.
In a statement, NHTSA said: "Many dealers will perform this as a 'drive through' service so owners do not have to leave their vehicles at the dealership or schedule an appointment in advance. Failure to have the switch disconnected could lead to a vehicle fire at any time, whether or not the key is in the ignition, and whether or not owners use the cruise control system. The safety agency said the fire danger is present regardless of the age of the vehicle, and could even occur while the vehicle is parked and unattended."
Ford has had seven separate recalls since 1999 of a total of 9.6 million vehicles, including 220,000 vehicles re-recalled earlier this month.
Combined, the campaigns represent one of the largest recalls in U.S. history.
The $21 Texas Instruments switches were installed in 16 million Ford vehicles over a decade before the automaker stopped using them in 2002.
The switches have been linked to nearly 550 vehicle fires and 1,500 complaints. Ford faces more than 125 lawsuits around the country.
The switch is used to deactivate a vehicle's cruise control when a driver taps the brake pedal. Most of the suits allege fires began well after the vehicles were turned off.
In many cases, insurance companies initially paid for damage to homes in fires that the owners claim were sparked by Ford vehicles, and then the insurers sued Ford to try to recoup their losses.
Only a few cases involving the faulty switches have gone to trial, among them one in South Carolina. A jury in March 2007 awarded a couple $3.5 million, including $3 million in punitive damages over a house fire allegedly set by a 2000 Ford Expedition. That case is under appeal.
If you have been affected by such a product defect and would like to discuss your situation please contact our firm.
Ford recalls another 3.6 million vehicles due to engine fires resulting from faulty cruise controls. They had recalled 6 million back in 2005 for what appears to be the same defect. Apparently the issue is with vehicles primarily out of the Louisville plant.
More on this here. Just hope they got them all this time.
Hardison Wood, a North Carolina crashworthiness attorney, focuses his representation on child safety matters. He also fights for his clients in the fields of professional malpractice, police and prison misconduct and consumer protection. Hardison’s prior work experiences help set him...More...
