Since the 1980’s, the NHTSA has been allowing a type of recall which lets automobile manufacturers restrict notices and repairs to a few states rather than making them nation wide. These “Regional Recalls” are usually due to the defect becoming a problem because of environmental conditions such as hot and cold climates or because of corrosion caused by road salt used in certain areas. Regional recalls can save automakers money, but consumer advocates have complained for years that because people are moving more frequently and driving in many different conditions, affected vehicles can be missed. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Center for Auto Safety
Honda Airbag Problems Continue
The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) is pushing for a civil penalty against Honda Motor Co. for an airbag defect linked to two deaths and almost twenty injuries. The recall which now involves a total of over 2.7 million vehicles, first started in 2008, and has been expanded several times. According to the report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the airbag could deploy with too much pressure sending metal fragments that could injure occupants in the vehicle. According to the CAS, Honda failed to disclose what they knew about the recall, which resulted injuries that should have been prevented. The vehicles involved in this recall include:
- 2001-2002 Honda Accord
- 2001-2002 Honda Civic
- 2002 Honda Odyssey
- 2002-2003 Honda CR-V
- 2002-2003 Acura TL
- 2003 Acura CL Coupe
- 2003 Honda Pilot
Owners wanting more information about the recall can go to http://owners.honda.com/recalls or call (800) 999-1009; Acura owners can go to http://owners.acura.com/recalls or call (800) 382-2238.
NHTSA Withheld Data Showing Risks of Distracted Driving
According to the New York Times, Federal agency researchers were going to do a study starting in 2003. They were going to study 10,000 drivers over a period of time to determine the risks by cell phone use in vehicles. But the study was never official because there was pressure about upsetting Congress. The former head of NHTSA said it was suggested that they only gather the data and withhold the research.
Hundreds of pages from the research are being made public today for the first time due to two consumer groups, Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen.
The researchers estimated in 2002 that cell phones used by drivers caused about 955 fatalities and 240,000 accidents that year.
People say that by not publishing the findings, lives have been lost and the problem that we are looking at could be as bad as drunk driving!
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