SUV’s Have Always Posed A Rollover Risk

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The sport utility vehicle (SUV) has been popular with consumers since it first rolled off the assembly line. It offers the versatility of a mini van and pickup all in one rugged and luxurious package. The problem with the SUV, is that it has a tenancy to roll over during extreme maneuvers.

Over 12,00 people have been killed in SUV rollovers in the last two decades. The problem has been around since its birth, but gained publicity in 2000 when Congress began a series of hearings focused on the Ford Explorer and faulty Firestone tires. The problem, however, came before 2000. The first big selling SUV, the Bronco II, was killing and injuring people more than any other SUV on the road. The problem could have been reduced by lowering the vehicle’s center of gravity and widening its wheel base, but company executives felt the fix would be too costly and that the improvements would not make much of a difference. Also, consumers who actually use their vehicles for off roading appreciated the extra clearance the SUV provided.

After decades of controversy and thousands of deaths due to SUV rollovers, automakers are changing their ways. In 2003, 15 domestic and foreign based automakers agreed that by late 2009, all SUV’S and light trucks would be built lower to the ground or built with an energy-absorbing beam. Studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that the number of side-impact SUV accident deaths decreased by nearly half when automakers brought in these changes. According to experts, a safety standard has not been so effective in saving lives since the inclusion of airbags in new vehicles.

Today, vehicles have many different safety features. Seat belts, ABS, airbags, stability control, traction control…, all make our vehicles safer to drive, but also gives us a false sense of security. Ultimately, driving safety is in the hands of the driver and no technology can help us when making unsafe decisions behind the wheel.

Lexus GX 460 Rollover Risk

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Toyota will temporarily stop the sales of their 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, after Consumer Reports magazine recommended consumers do not buy the vehicle due to a rollover risk. Consumer Reports said that “when pushed to its limits, the rear of the Lexus GX slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the vehicle’s electronic stability-control system was able to regain control.

“We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue.” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president. “At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales.” He said that Toyota was confident that the GX meets safety standards and that the automaker’s engineering teams were testing the GX using Consumer Reports’ parameters to see whether they could also detect the problem.

The government advises drivers of the vehicle to use caution, and avoid excessive speed and aggressive maneuvering in order to maintain control of their vehicles,” said Julia Piscitelli, a spokeswoman for a division of the Transportation Department.

Honda Recall For Brakes

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Honda will be recalling about 343,000 2007-2008 Odyssey and 68,000 2007-2008 Element vehicles in order to modify the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) modulator. Complaints of “soft” or low brake pedals over time has led Honda to encourage all owners to take their vehicle to their dealer as soon as they receive notification from Honda starting at the end of April.

Some VSA modulators were assembled in a manner that could allow air intrusion, making it possible for air to enter the modulator during the VSA self-check mode. While only a small amount of air can enter the system during each check, over a period of months or years, the air will accumulate and can result in the “soft brake pedal” or “low brake pedal” condition. Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, all possible units are recalled to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly.

NHTSA Investigate GM Brake Failure

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening up an investigation into corroded brake lines in Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks and SUVs after receiving over 100 complaints from consumers. The problem could affect 6 million vehicles from 1999 through 2003 and has been blamed for three crashes, none of which injuries were sustained. The NHTSA suspects that the problem comes from vehicles driving in snowy northern states where salt is used for icy conditions.

GM spokesman Alan Adler said the company is aware of the issue and is working with NHTSA to look at possible causes and consequences of the alleged defect.

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

GM On Facebook And Twitter

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If you have been complaining about your GM vehicle on Twitter or Facebook, don’t be surprised if you actually get a response form GM offering to help you with your problems. In order to be more proactive in dealing with customers, GM is hiring customer service agents to monitor social networking websites looking for people who are not satisfied with their GM vehicles.

Because social networks connect people at low cost, businesses can use it to expand their contacts, act as a customer relationship management tool and advertise products and services around the world. Companies no longer need to spend countless hours developing new methods of customer service. Instead, customers can post messages, complaints, stories, and other sources of information about companies. With this data, companies can act quickly to trace, correct, and learn from mistakes.

Auto Industry Seeing Imprpovements?

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General Motors Co. said Tuesday that they plan to pay off their government loans this year, five years ahead of schedule. They say that production and sales have increased in the beginning of 2010 and repaying government loans has been a top priority. The government’s autos task force set a repayment deadline of 2015, but GM has already paid back $2.4 billion and plans to pay the rest by June. The money is expected to come from public stocks which will be offered when the markets and the company are ready.

But GM may have some competition. Ford Motor Co., which didn’t take government aid, reported a $2.7 billion profit for 2009, outselling GM in February for the first time in over a century. Toyota Motor Corp. came close to outselling GM last month when it used heavy incentives to lure buyers after a series of safety recalls.

Things are also on the mend at Chrysler Group LLC, which also went into bankruptcy protection last year and is now managed by Fiat SpA. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said last week that the automaker has $5 billion in cash on hand and expects to break even this year.

But the improvements in the auto industry has come with sacrifices. Auto manufactures were forced to downsize by stopping production or selling off some brands, closing down dealerships and laying off thousands of employees.

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.