Toyota recall

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Law Office of D. Hardison Wood

79 reports dating back to 2007 has prompted Toyota to initiate a recall of 550,00 cars for a steering problem.

The latest recall is due to the possibility that the outer ring of the engine's crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise or a warning signal to light up, the company's U.S. sales unit said in a press release. If the problem isn't corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley, making it suddenly more difficult to turn the steering wheel.

In the US the recall affects 238,000 Toyota cars, including 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna, and Solara and the '04 Avalon and '06 Highlander HV. It affects 137,00 Lexus vehicles including '04 and '05 ES330 RX330 and the '06 RX400h. Read more here

As it stands now, Toyota is still fighting numerous lawsuits from the sudden acceleration issues it has faced over the past couple years.
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Hyundai recall

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Law Office of D. Hardison Wood

Hyundai is recalling over 139,000 Sonata sedans

because of a manufacturing defect that could cause drivers to lose steering control.

The recall affects 2011 models built between Dec. 11, 2009 and Sept. 10, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted on its website Sunday.(article)

An investigation had been opened in August. In February, Hyundai had recalled about 47,000 Sonatas because of faulty front door latches.

Hyundai now joins other major auto makers, namely Toyota and Nissan, who have been forced to recall their vehicles because defects have rendered their product not crashworthy.

If you have been a victim of a product defect and have suffered personal injuries contact the Law Office of D. Hardison Wood at 919.233.0520.
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Explorer Rollover Deaths

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Law Office of D. Hardison Wood

According to an article we recently read, a new report, Ford Explorers in Fatal, Tire-related Crashes: Before and After the Firestone Recall, written by Randy and Alice Whitfield, discussed the finding that approximately 65% of  501 deaths occurred after the Bridgestone-Firestone Wildnerness ATX tire recall - which is what was blamed for 173 Explorer rollover deaths in 2000.  Apparently for two years following the recall, there was a decline in Explorer rollover deaths. However, after those initial two years, the death toll started to rise again. One could possibly conclude that a long-term solution to the tires and rollover related deaths has not yet been achieved.  One might also question, is there a deeper vehicle related issue.

Continuing to look at the tires is important, but also it may be important to look toward the steering mechanisms in the SUV, especially those in tire failure situations.

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