Tag Archives: NHTSA

Automobile Safety And Recalls

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Automobile accidents are the number one killer of Americans under the age of 34, with approximately 42,000 people killed every year. In addition to this, there is an estimated cost of $150 billion for medical costs, insurance and worker productivity, not to mention the emotional costs of being injured. By getting defective and unsafe vehicles off the road, these numbers should be greatly reduced.

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act now called 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301 gives the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the authority to set vehicle safety standards and to issue recalls for vehicles that have safety issues.

Since 1966,when the safety act first came into effect, more than 390 million cars, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds, as well as 46 million tires, 66 million pieces of motor vehicle equipment, and 42 million child safety seats have been recalled to correct safety defects.

In order to find safety problem, the NHTSA relies on auto manufactures, dealers, distributors, and consumers to notify them when there is a problem. The NHTSA is responsible for monitoring the manufacturer’s corrective action to ensure the recall is successfully completed.

Some examples of defects considered safety-related are:

  • Steering components that break suddenly causing partial or complete loss of vehicle control.
  • Problems with fuel system components, particularly in their susceptibility to crash damage, that result in leakage of fuel and possibly cause vehicle fires.
  • Accelerator controls that may break or stick.
  • Wheels that crack or break, resulting in loss of vehicle control.
  • Engine cooling fan blades that break unexpectedly causing injury to persons working on a vehicle.
  • Windshield wiper assemblies that fail to operate properly.
  • Seats and/or seat backs that fail unexpectedly during normal use.
  • Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle, causing potential loss of vehicle control or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.
  • Wiring system problems that result in a fire or loss of lighting.
  • Car ramps or jacks that may collapse and cause injury to someone working on a vehicle.
  • Air bags that deploy under conditions for which they are not intended to deploy.
  • Child safety seats that contain defective safety belts, buckles, or components that create a risk of injury, not only in a vehicle crash but also in non-operational safety of a motor vehicle.

If you think your vehicle or equipment may have a safety defect, you should report it to the NHTSA. If the agency receives similar reports from a number of people about the same product, an investigation will be started. In order to make it convenient for consumers to report any suspected safety defects to NHTSA, the agency offers three ways to file such complaints.

Vehicle Safety Hotline
NHTSA operates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone service to collect information from consumers on vehicle safety problems. You can call 1-888-327-4236 or 1-800-424-9393 toll free from anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to register complaints or receive recall information about a vehicle. The Hotline also has Spanish-speaking representatives and offers a dedicated number, 1-800-424-9153, for use by persons with hearing impairments.

When you call the Hotline to report a vehicle-related safety issue, you will be asked to provide certain critical information that agency technical staff needs to evaluate the problem. The information you provide is filed on a Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaire (VOQ), entered into the agency’s consumer-complaint database, and forwarded to NHTSA technical staff for evaluation.

VOQs filed through the Hotline will be mailed to you for verification of data. In addition, you will receive an explanation of how your report will be used, as well as a request for written authorization allowing NHTSA to provide your personal identifiers (e.g., name, address and telephone number) to the manufacturer of the alleged defective product you own. Note that you are not required to provide such authorization. However, sometimes sharing this information with the manufacturer can help facilitate the recall process.

Safercar.gov
You can also report a vehicle safety issue to NHTSA online at our vehicle safety Web site: www.safercar.gov. Select “File a Complaint” within the Defects and Recalls section of the home page. The information you submit via the Web site is recorded in VOQ format, entered into our consumer complaint database, and provided to our technical staff for evaluation.

When you fill out a VOQ online, you will be given the option of checking a box to authorize or not authorize the release of your personal identifiers to the manufacturer of the alleged defective product you own. Again, while you are not required to provide such authorization, doing so can sometimes help facilitate the recall process.

U.S. Mail
To report a safety complaint to NHTSA by mail, send your letter to:
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Defects Investigation (NVS-210)
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590

Toyota Could Face Fines For Unintended Acceleration

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Toyota could be receiving a $16.4 million fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for their delay in notifying authorities about problems with acceleration pedals. Additional fines for their handling of the recall and civil suits could add up to millions more. “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect drivers.”

Toyota said in a statement that it had not received formal notification from NHTSA about the fine, but that it has taken “a number of important steps to improve communications with regulators and customers on safety-related matters as part of strengthened overall commitment to quality assurance.” The steps include appointing a new chief quality officer.

Under federal law, Toyota has five days to agree to the fine or negotiate a different agreement with NHTSA. If it fails to reach an agreement, it can appeal the fine in federal court.

National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have come out with their long awaited national greenhouse gas emissions standards. These standard are expected to significantly increase the fuel economy of all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the United States.

Starting with 2012 models, automakers are required to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately five percent every year until the established fuel economy standards are met. NHTSA and EPA expect automobile manufacturers will meet these standards by more widespread adoption of conventional technologies that are already in commercial use, such as more efficient engines, transmissions, tires, aerodynamics, and materials, as well as improvements in air conditioning systems.

The new program is expected to:

  • Reduces carbon dioxide emissions by about 960 million metric tons over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated, equivalent to taking 50 million cars and light trucks off the road in 2030.
  • Conserves about 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles regulated.
  • Enables the average car buyer of a 2016 model year vehicle to enjoy a net savings of $3,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle, as upfront technology costs are offset by lower fuel costs.

Although the standards can be met with conventional technologies, EPA and NHTSA also expect that some manufacturers may choose to pursue more advanced fuel-saving technologies like clean diesel engines, hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles.

Improved Crash Testing

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Under the governments new Car Assessment Program automobile crash tests will be receiving lower grades even though auto manufactures have improved crash protection on their vehicles. This is due to the addition of a side impact test and safer injury criteria for the existing front and side impact tests. The system is being revised to deal with “grade inflation”. So many vehicles now receive five star ratings that the safety conscious consumer has little help in choosing the vehicle that will protect them best.

The scoring system takes effect in 2011 with the new models and is sure to cause confusion amongst dealers and consumers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will conduct an extensive public education campaign to educate everyone on the changes. “The newly overhauled five-star rating system significantly raises the bar on safety,” Ron Medford, acting deputy director of NHTSA, said.

2009 Was A Year Of High Auto Recalls

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced 2009 as the highest for auto recalls since 2005. Although the number of campaigns was the lowest in five years, the number of automobiles recalled in each campaign was high. 2008 brought about 10.5 million vehicles recalled in 684 campaigns while there were 16.4 million vehicles recalled in 2009 in 492 campaigns. Only Honda reported a decline in recalled vehicles in 2009.

Below is a list of how the recalls were distributed amongst auto makers in 2009:

  • The leader with nine campaigns adding up to 4.26 million vehicles recalled was the automaker Toyota and their unintended acceleration problems. This is the first time a Japanese automaker has led the industry total.
  • Ford recalled 4.5 million vehicles in eight campaigns. The largest being a defective cruise control switch which was linked to vehicle fires.
  • General Motors had 2.2 million vehicles recalled in 16 campaigns. The possibility of engine fires in passenger sedans accounted for 1.5 million vehicles recalled.
  • Chrysler had 15 campaigns, recalling almost 600,000 vehicles. Chrysler’s popular minivans the Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan accounted for over 350,000 of these recalls for defective crash sensors.
  • Honda had four campaigns recalling 454,000 vehicles. Almost all these vehicles were recalled due to an airbag defect.
  • Nissan Motor Co. had six campaigns, recalling 706,000 vehicles in 2009. Almost 550,000 of these recalls were due to a brake pedal pin becoming partially disengaged causing a loss of normal braking power.
  • Hyundai Motor Co. and its Kia unit recalled 1.3 million vehicles in eight campaigns. Over 530,000 recalls were due to a malfunctioning stop lamp switch that could prevent the brake lights from illuminating or cause them to stay lit after the brakes were released.
  • Volkswagen had eights campaigns and 100,000 vehicles recalled. Almost 17,000 sport-utility vehicles were recalled to fix a software program that could lead to passenger air bag failure.

GM Power Steering Recall

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General Motors announced Monday that they will be recalling 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac Compact cars for power steering problems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began an investigation into the problem on Jan. 27 after getting 1,100 complaints of cars loosing power steering assist. The complaints included 14 crashes and one injury.

The auto maker said the vehicles are still safe to drive and never totally lose their steering, but consumers will notice harder steering when traveling under 15 mph. Shutting the vehicle off and then restarting will usually restore the power steering. The auto maker will start with older models first because the problem usually takes 20,000 to 30,000 miles of driving for the condition to develop.

The recall covers:

  • 2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts
  • 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s
  • 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuits
  • 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4s

Toyota Congressional Hearing. Day Two.

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On day two of the Toyota Congressional hearing, the focus was on the president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, and transportation secretary, Raymond LaHood. Both men spent hours in front of the Committee answering questions about Toyota’s recall for unintended acceleration.

Ray LaHood appeared alone, saying that he was taking full responsibility for his department’s actions in how this case was handled. When asked whether the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had treated Toyota the same an auto manufacturer who received government bailout money, Mr. LaHood replied, “Absolutely, there is not a cozy relationship. In the past three years, we’ve recalled 23 million cars.”

Akio Toyoda appeared with the company’s chief operating officer for North America, Yoshimi Inaba. When asked, Mr. Inaba said that Toyota was aware of issues with sticking pedals in Britain and Ireland in late 2008. By August 2009, Toyota began a production change on cars sold in Europe that was completed by January, weeks before it recalled millions of vehicles in the United States.“We did not hide it,” Mr. Inaba said. “But it was not properly shared.

During Toyoda’s testimony, he assured lawmakers that the company was doing whatever they could to deal with the recalls and that they are placing a priority to make quality vehicles. When criticizes by a committee representative about not showing enough remorse, Toyota replied with, “I extend my condolences from the deepest part of my heart.”

Toyota Suspends Sales And Production Of Eight Models

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Toyota Motor Company will temporarily stop selling and building eight models for the U.S. market as it tries to resolve a problem with faulty gas pedals. Toyota said the stoppage includes:

-2009-2010 RAV4
-2009-2010 Corolla
-2007-2010 Camry
-2009-2010 Matrix
-2005-2010 Avalon
-2010 Highlander
-2007-2010 Tundra
-2008-2010 Sequoia

After recalling 3.8 million vehicles in September over concerns that accelerator pedals could get stuck in floor mats and this months recalled of another 2.3 million vehicles, a total of 1.7 million vehicles were in both recalls. This “stop sale” and the two recalls threaten Toyota’s reputation as an automaker focused on manufacturing safe and high-quality vehicles.