Product Liability Law Blog

It’s only Wednesday, and already three major auto manufacturers have announced recalls of their vehicles due to possible vehicle defects. Our auto products liability lawyers will continue to monitor these problems, and we ask that you contact us immediately for a free consultation if you believe that you or someone you love sustained injuries related to these issues.

On Monday, General Motors announced that it is recalling 1.3 million Pontiac and Chevrolet compact cars in the United States, Mexico, and Canada because the vehicles’ power steering motors might fail. Vehicles involved in the GM recall include:

• Chevrolet Cobalts, 2005 – 2010 models
• Pontiac Pursuit, 2005 and 2006 models
• Pontiac G5s, 2007 – 2010 models
• Pontiac G4’s, 2005 and 2006 models

General Motors says that although the problem is not making the vehicles less safe to drive, they can be harder to steer when the car is moving at speeds lower than 15 mph. Because the condition doesn’t usually develop until after the vehicle has been driven for 20,000 to 30,000 miles, older models will be repaired first.

On Tuesday, Nissan announced the global recall of 540,000 sport utility vehicles, minivans, and pickup trucks so that inaccurate fuel gauges and faulty brake pedal pins can be repaired. The recall over the brake pedal pins comes following three reports that braking ability was impended when these devices became partially disengaged. The 179,000 vehicles affected in the US include (2008 – 2010 models):

• Quest
• Titan
• Infiniti
• Armada

The automaker is recalling another 419,000 Nissan vehicles over an unrelated fuel-gauge problem that can result in inaccurate fuel readings. For example, the gas tank may be empty even though the gauge shows that the tank still contains gas. Autos affected include the (2005 – 2008 models):

• Titan
• Infiniti QX53
• Armada

Also recalled by Nissan (these vehicles were made between Jan- March 2006 and October 2007 – January 2008):

• Frontiers
• Xterras
• Pathfinders

Last, but not least, today Mazda announced that it is recalling 12,300 CX-9 crossover SUV’s because of the possibility that their electronically heated seats might overheat. This defect may damage the seat surface, drain the car battery, or cause a fire.

This Mazda recall really burns my ..., CNN, March 3, 2010

Nissan recall: Steps to take if your car is on the list, The Christian Science Monitor, March 3, 2010

GM Recalls 1.3 Million Cars: What's Behind All These Vehicle Recalls?, Daily Finance, March 2, 2010

GM to recall 1.3 million compacts for steering problem, Washington Post, March 1, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Recalls.gov

Continue reading "As General Motors Recalls 1.3 Million Vehicles, Nissan Recalls 540,000 Pickup Trucks and Minivans and Mazda Recalls 12,300 SUVs" »

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Posted In: Air Bags , Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability

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Toyota Motor Corp announced two separate recalls today. The first recall involves a global recall of 437,000 2010 Toyota hybrids—Prius, Lexus, and Sai—over issues with the vehicles’ anti-lock braking system. Last week, the automaker admitted that there was a problem with the software that controls the brake system. Approximately 125 Prius owners have filed complaints about the defect, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal probe into the matter.

In the US, the recall affects 133,000 Prius cars and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles. The fix involves updating the ABS software.

Toyota also announced the recall of 7,300 2010 Camrys over a brake defect. The NHTSA says that the problem involves a power steering hose that is too long and is at risk of wearing out the left rear brake tube by rubbing against it, potentially causing a brake fluid leak. This can make it harder for a motorist to stop the vehicle. The NHTSA says it is also looking into complaints it has received about the steering on some of Toyota's Corollas (2009 and 2010 models).

Also today, Honda says it is expanding a recall it issued in July 2009 because of a problem with the airbag inflator on some of its Accords, Civics, and Acura TLs. 2001 and 2002 Civics, Accords, CR-Vs, Odysseys, certain 2002 Acura TLs, and possibly one Acura CL and one Honda Pilot are affected. The automaker is recalling 433,000 vehicles globally. 379,000 of the autos are in the US.

The car manufacturer says there has been 12 incidents reported involving problems with the airbag inflator. Although all of them took place prior to the original recall, Honda says it wants to make sure that all vehicles with this particular defect are examined.

It was less than two weeks ago that Honda announced a global recall of 646,000 Fit, Jazz, and City (2007 and 2008) models over a power window switch-related fire hazard. 141,000 Fits sold in the US were included in the recall. Two Fits reportedly caught fire while seven others overheated.

Our auto products liability lawyers have helped many car accident victims and their families obtain personal injury and wrongful death recovery from negligent automakers.

Honda recalls 438,000 cars for airbag hazard, CNN Money, February 10, 2010

Toyota Corolla Complaints Being Reviewed By U.S. (Update2), BusinessWeek, February 9, 2010

3rd UPDATE: Toyota To Recall 437,000 Hybrids As Prius Concerns Add To Woes, The Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2010

Honda recalls 646,000 Fits for fire hazard, CNN, January 29, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Motor Corporation

Honda

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading "Big Day for Auto Recalls: Toyota Recalls 437,000 Lexus and Prius and More than 7,300 Camrys while Honda Expands Previous Airbag Inflator—Related Recall with Another 437,000 Vehicles" »

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Posted In: Air Bags , Auto Recalls , Brake Defects , Toyota Safety Issues , WIndows

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that car manufacturers recalled 16.4 million vehicles last year. While there were less recall campaigns overall—492 recall campaigns in 2009 compared to 684 campaigns in 2008, automakers recalled 6 million more autos last year.

Toyota led the car manufacturer list with most vehicles recalled. The car manufacturer’s reputation for passenger safety took a beating after four people were killed when its floor mat on the driver's side jammed a 2009 Lexus ES 350’s gas pedal, causing the vehicle to accelerate to over 100 mph before crashing. Following the fatal car wreck, the Toyota announced a recall involving 4.26 million vehicles—its largest recall ever—to fix acceleration problems. In total, Toyota announced 9 campaigns and recalled 4.87 million autos last year.

Among the other automakers that recalled vehicles in 2009:

• Ford Motor Co.: 8 campaigns that recalled 4.5 million vehicles.

• General Motors Co.: 16 campaigns and 2.2 million autos recalled.

• Honda Motor Co.: 4 campaigns and 454,000 motor vehicles. Honda was the only auto manufacturer to see a drop in the number of vehicles it recalled in 2009 compared to the year before. The car manufacturer recalled 797,000 autos in 2008.

• Chrysler Group LLC: 15 campaigns and 59,000 vehicles.

• Nissan Motor Co.’s Kia Unit: 8 campaigns and 1.3 million autos.

• Volkswagen AG: 8 campaigns and 100,000 recalled autos.

While recalling a vehicle to fix a particular defect is a positive step toward preventing injuries and deaths, car manufacturers should not be designing, making, and selling vehicles that have any type of vehicle defect to begin with. Auto defects are not minor glitches that can be easily fixed. There are lives at stake whenever someone gets in a car that can potentially malfunction because a specific part was defective or poorly manufactured.

Do NOT be intimidated by a giant car manufacturer when it comes to pursuing an auto products liability claim for personal injury or death. Our auto products liability lawyers represents clients who were seriously injured or lost loved ones in car accidents because of structural defects, faulty engines, a seat back defects, a poorly designed seat belts, weak vehicle roofs, defective tires, faulty airbags, or other flawed vehicle parts.

Auto recalls surge in '09, NHTSA says, Detroit News, January 12, 2010

Recalls, NHTSA

Related Web Resources:
Auto Recalls, Justia
Consumer Reports

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Posted In: 15-Passenger Vans , Air Bags , Automotive Product Liability , Floor Mats , Roof Crush , Seat Back Defects , Seat Belts , Sport Utility Vehicle Rollovers , Tires , Toyota Safety Issues , WIndows

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American Honda Motor Company says it is adding another 440,000 Honda autos to a recall it announced last November over a possible defect in the vehicles’ airbag inflation systems. 2001 Civics, 2001-2002 Accords, and 2002-2003 Acura TL’s are included in this expanded recall, but not all autos from these model years are part of the recall.

At least one death and six injuries are being linked to the airbag defect, which involves “airbag inflators that produce over-pressurization of the driver’s front airbag inflator mechanism” when the airbag deploys. This can cause a rupture in the inflator casing. Metal fragments might then go through the airbag cushion’s cloth material, possibly injuring or killing a vehicle occupant.

Car owners whose vehicles may be potentially affected by the recall will get a recall notice in the mail. Honda also has directed owners that have models mentioned to check the car maker’s Web site for more information (see link below).

While airbags are designed to keep people safe during a car accident, this isn’t always the case. One reason for this is that the increase in airbag manufacturing has led to an increase in injuries caused by defective air bag systems.

According to Safercar.gov, in the last 21 years, frontal air bags saved the lives of 25,782 people. However, in order to save people’s lives, the airbag has to deploy in the correct way at the correct time. In the last 12 years, over 4 million motor vehicles have been recalled because of possible air defects. There also have been numerous air bag-related complaints that did not necessarily warrant a recall but still may have caused injuries.

It can be frustrating to know that your loved one’s life might have been saved if only a particular airbag deployed correctly or did not pose another type of safety hazard that caused serious injury. Injuries caused by any vehicle defect can be grounds for an auto products liability lawsuit.

When an auto manufacturer makes a mistake by designing a defective airbag system and someone dies or gets hurt, it is time to see if the car maker can be held liable for products liability.

Honda adds 440,000 cars to recall over airbags, CNN.com, July 31, 2009

American Honda Expands Airbag Safety Recall, WSJ, July 31, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Honda

Defects and Recalls, Safercars.gov

Continue reading "Serious Airbag Defect Leads Honda to Recall 440,000 More Civics, Accords, and Acura TL’s" »

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Posted In: Air Bags , Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability

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General Motors has announced that it is recalling 79 of its 2009 Chevrolet Impalas because of an air bag issue. The auto manufacturer says that part of the front passenger-side air bag could break during deployment, potentially striking and injuring the passenger. This breakage could also prevent the air bag from fully inflating, thereby only partially protecting the passenger during a motor vehicle crash.

Side-Impact Air Bags (SABs)
Side-impact air bags are designed to protect an auto occupant’s chest and/or head during a motor vehicle collision.

Three Kinds of SABs:

Chest SABs: Located in the door or in the side of the car seat.
Head SABs: Located in the roof rail on top of the side windows.
Head/Chest SABs: Usually found in the side of the seat.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 60% of people who were killed in traffic collisions involving side-impact crashes sustained serious brain injuries. The NHTSA says that an additional 700 to 1,000 people would survive motor vehicle crashes each year if all autos in the US were made with head protection SABs.

It is important that all air bags in a vehicle are properly designed and installed, and that they work correctly. While air bags are designed to protect passengers from serious injuries or deaths, air bag defects and malfunctions have been known to lead to spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, chest injuries, head injuries, neck injuries, vision problems, hearing loss, internal injuries, amputated fingers, concussions, cuts and abrasions, burn injuries, and/or death.

Examples of air bag defects and malfunctions include sensor failure, improper tethering, improper inflation (in terms of speed deployment, the angle of deployment, and when deployment occurs), and failure to deploy.

GM Recalls 2009 Chevrolet Impala, Office of Defects Investigation

GM Recalls 2009 Chevrolet Impala for Airbag Problem, Edmunds.com, October 9, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Side-Impact Air Bags, SaferCars.gov

Air Bags, NHTSA

Continue reading "GM Recalls 79 Chevrolet Impalas Because of Potential Air Bag Malfunction" »

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Posted In: Air Bags , Auto Recalls

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Auto manufacturer BMW AG is recalling 200,000 SUVs and cars over concerns that the front passenger air bag may not deploy during a collision. BMW models affected by the recall include the:

• 2004-2006 5 Series
• 2006 3 Series
• 2004-2006 X3 SUV’s

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that small cracks could affect the seat detection mat and deactivate the air bags. This could also deactivate the air bag “on-off” light. An air-bag “on-off” switch lets the motorist deactivate the air bag feature when necessary.

Depending on the make and model of the vehicle and the year it was manufactured, air bags may be located in two areas of a vehicle:

Frontal Air Bags: Frontal air bags are designed to prevent vehicle occupants from hitting the steering wheel, the instrument panel, or the windshield so that they don't sustain even more serious injuries during a motor vehicle crash. These air bags usually cannot provide protection during side-impact crashes, rear-end collisions, and rollover accidents.

Side-Impact Air Bags: They are designed to protect your chest and head during an accident in which the side of the motor vehicle is impacted.

Types of Frontal Air Bags:

Depowered Air Bags: Air bags with a reduced inflation power to decrease the chances of an air bag-related injury.

Advanced Frontal Air Bags: are considered more effective than the previous generations of air bags when it comes to saving lives and reducing the chances of air bag related-injuries.

Air bags are an added and necessary protection to the safety belt. If you were injured in an auto crash because your air bag failed to deploy or malfunctioned in another way, our auto products liability law firm has the experience and knowledge to determine whether you have grounds to file a defective products case against the manufacturer.

German automaker BMW recalling 200,000 vehicles, AP, August 13, 2008

UPDATE: BMW Recalls 200K Vehicles In US Due To Airbag Issue, CNNMoney.com, August 13, 2008

Air Bag Safety, Safecar.gov

Related Web Resources:

Air Bags, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

What You Need to Know About Air Bags, NHTSA.gov

Continue reading "BMW AG Recalls 200,000 Cars and Sport Utility Vehicles Because Front Passenger Air Bags May Not Deploy " »

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Hyundai Motor Co. has announced the recall of 393,714 Sonata passenger cars so that it can fix the air bag system located in the front passenger seat. The recall affects 2006, 2007, and 2008 Sonatas.

Hyundai says it has received several reports that the passenger air bag system had shut off when there was a small adult in the seat because the system had misclassified the passenger as a child.

The air bag system is supposed to disable itself whenever it senses a child restraint system or a small child riding in the front passenger seat, but it is not supposed to shut down when there is an adult riding there.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that this incorrect classification could cause the right front air bag to fail to inflate during a serious accident, which could cause the adult passenger to sustain serious injuries or die.

Air Bags and Auto Accidents
During a car accident, it is important that an air bag inflate at the right time, in the proper way, and at the right speed to avoid serious injuries. An airbag that fails to deploy or deploys incorrectly during a serious auto crash can cause catastrophic injuries. A person that is not properly restrained may even die after being struck by an inflating air bag.

Air Bag Malfunctions Include:

• Failure to deploy
• Deploying at the wrong time
• Chemical burns from gas escaping the air bag
• Failure to replace a deployed air bag

Injuries that have been caused by air bags include:

• Neck injuries
• Head injuries, including decapitation
• Facial injuries
• Broken bones
• Eye injuries, including blindness
• Death

If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries or died because an air bag failed to deploy or deployed incorrectly, the victim or his or her family may be entitled to recover damages from the auto manufacturer or another liable party. One of our air bag injury lawyers can explore your legal options during your free consultation.

Hyundai Sonatas Recalled for Air Bag Failure, Consumer Affairs, April 16, 2008

What You Need to Know About Air Bags, NHTSA

Related Web Resources:

Airbag Safety

Air Bag Safety, Insurance Information Institute

Continue reading "Hyundai Motors Recalls 393,714 Sonata Cars Over Air Bag Failure" »

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