Other autos under scrutiny for safety issues, not just Toyota
02-03-10, 04:13 AM
#1
Other autos under scrutiny for safety issues, not just Toyota
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...mplaints_N.htm
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY
Toyota has been in the spotlight for recalling millions of U.S. vehicles for gas pedals that might stick open for different reasons, but government safety officials also have taken action recently against several other automakers for a variety of critical safety issues that also involve large numbers of vehicles.
Government scrutiny probably will get even more intense because of the Toyota recalls and because regulators have faced criticism for not being aggressive enough in those recalls.
"From this point on, they're going to be under increasing pressure to make sure these issues are caught as early as possible," says Jesse Toprak, auto industry analyst at TrueCar.com, which tracks the auto business.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "is going to be partly blamed for the Toyota recall, whether that's right or wrong," he says.
What's more, the industry might be vulnerable to tighter scrutiny, because "in their cost-cutting efforts, automakers might be sacrificing some of their own quality controls," Toprak says.
NHTSA records show that since Jan. 13, it has begun investigating these cars and trucks for potentially serious safety flaws:
•Chevrolet Cobalt, 2005 to 2009:. Power steering could fail in as many as 905,000 vehicles, leaving them with steering that needs a lot more effort to operate.
NHTSA says it opened a preliminary evaluation, the lowest-level probe in its three-step process, which can end with a recall, because of 1,132 complaints, including 11 accidents and one injury.
By contrast, Toyota based its Jan. 21 recall of 2.3 million cars and trucks for sticking throttles on a handful of reports of gas pedals that didn't return to idle promptly when drivers let off the gas.
NHTSA says the complaints involve Cobalts with electric power steering. The feature is becoming common as a fuel-economy tactic. It takes less engine power — thus less fuel — to generate current for electric steering than to run a pump for conventional hydraulic power steering.
GM spokesman Alan Adler says the automaker is cooperating with the government. He emphasized that a preliminary evaluation is only a first step in the process, and most preliminary evaluations by NHTSA don't wind up as recalls.
•Ford F-150 pickups, 2004 to 2006. More than 1.5 million are the subject of an engineering analysis — the second of the three steps that could lead to a recall — because of 225 reports that steering wheel air bags popped out for no apparent reason, injuring 66 people. Two said they were knocked out.
"We will cooperate fully with the government on this investigation, but it's too early to speculate on an outcome," Ford Motor said in a statement.
NHTSA says Ford reported that it changed the design of internal parts of the steering wheel, starting with 2007 models, to fix a short-circuit that appeared to have caused the problem, and says its probe is to "ascertain the impact of this defect condition."
•Ford Escape and nearly identical Mazda Tribute, 2001 to 2004: Mechanics made incorrect repairs, or none at all, to some of the 541,841 vehicles involved in a previous brake-related recall to fix a condition involving faulty anti-lock brake connections that could cause fires.
NHTSA says it has "at least 86" reports of apparently similar fires in vehicles covered by the earlier, 2007 recall and says its investigation showed that the vehicles apparently had not even been inspected, as required in that recall. NHTSA says Ford reported that in those cases, factory-installed wrapping over the wires involved had not been removed, as would have been necessary for mechanics to inspect the connections as part of the 2007 recall.
Ford, however, contends that not all the reports actually involved fires. Some cases, the automaker says, were what NHTSA labels "non-fire thermal events," in which something under the hood overheated and damaged components, but nothing caught fire.
NHTSA says it opened an engineering analysis to see if the initial 2007 recall was effective.
By James R. Healey, USA TODAY
Toyota has been in the spotlight for recalling millions of U.S. vehicles for gas pedals that might stick open for different reasons, but government safety officials also have taken action recently against several other automakers for a variety of critical safety issues that also involve large numbers of vehicles.
Government scrutiny probably will get even more intense because of the Toyota recalls and because regulators have faced criticism for not being aggressive enough in those recalls.
"From this point on, they're going to be under increasing pressure to make sure these issues are caught as early as possible," says Jesse Toprak, auto industry analyst at TrueCar.com, which tracks the auto business.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "is going to be partly blamed for the Toyota recall, whether that's right or wrong," he says.
What's more, the industry might be vulnerable to tighter scrutiny, because "in their cost-cutting efforts, automakers might be sacrificing some of their own quality controls," Toprak says.
NHTSA records show that since Jan. 13, it has begun investigating these cars and trucks for potentially serious safety flaws:
•Chevrolet Cobalt, 2005 to 2009:. Power steering could fail in as many as 905,000 vehicles, leaving them with steering that needs a lot more effort to operate.
NHTSA says it opened a preliminary evaluation, the lowest-level probe in its three-step process, which can end with a recall, because of 1,132 complaints, including 11 accidents and one injury.
By contrast, Toyota based its Jan. 21 recall of 2.3 million cars and trucks for sticking throttles on a handful of reports of gas pedals that didn't return to idle promptly when drivers let off the gas.
NHTSA says the complaints involve Cobalts with electric power steering. The feature is becoming common as a fuel-economy tactic. It takes less engine power — thus less fuel — to generate current for electric steering than to run a pump for conventional hydraulic power steering.
GM spokesman Alan Adler says the automaker is cooperating with the government. He emphasized that a preliminary evaluation is only a first step in the process, and most preliminary evaluations by NHTSA don't wind up as recalls.
•Ford F-150 pickups, 2004 to 2006. More than 1.5 million are the subject of an engineering analysis — the second of the three steps that could lead to a recall — because of 225 reports that steering wheel air bags popped out for no apparent reason, injuring 66 people. Two said they were knocked out.
"We will cooperate fully with the government on this investigation, but it's too early to speculate on an outcome," Ford Motor said in a statement.
NHTSA says Ford reported that it changed the design of internal parts of the steering wheel, starting with 2007 models, to fix a short-circuit that appeared to have caused the problem, and says its probe is to "ascertain the impact of this defect condition."
•Ford Escape and nearly identical Mazda Tribute, 2001 to 2004: Mechanics made incorrect repairs, or none at all, to some of the 541,841 vehicles involved in a previous brake-related recall to fix a condition involving faulty anti-lock brake connections that could cause fires.
NHTSA says it has "at least 86" reports of apparently similar fires in vehicles covered by the earlier, 2007 recall and says its investigation showed that the vehicles apparently had not even been inspected, as required in that recall. NHTSA says Ford reported that in those cases, factory-installed wrapping over the wires involved had not been removed, as would have been necessary for mechanics to inspect the connections as part of the 2007 recall.
Ford, however, contends that not all the reports actually involved fires. Some cases, the automaker says, were what NHTSA labels "non-fire thermal events," in which something under the hood overheated and damaged components, but nothing caught fire.
NHTSA says it opened an engineering analysis to see if the initial 2007 recall was effective.
Last edited by Joeb427; 02-03-10 at 04:16 AM.
02-03-10, 04:27 AM
#2
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These are very unlikely to turn into a big media scandal like what has happened with Toyota. NHTSA recalls happen all the time with people barely noticing, except in Toyota's case the media put huge focus and attention on it, and also due to the fact that Toyota stopped sales of many key models.
02-03-10, 04:33 AM
#3
These are very unlikely to turn into a big media scandal like what has happened with Toyota. NHTSA recalls happen all the time with people barely noticing, except in Toyota's case the media put huge focus and attention on it, and also due to the fact that Toyota stopped sales of many key models.
Ya think!
Just pointing out other vehicles are being shown to have issues.
Tough to trump 4 million vehicle recall and a company stopping the sale of 8 of their models.
02-03-10, 04:43 AM
#4
- Toyota gas pedal recall - sales stopped under issue fixed... Less than dozen reports, no accidents. Recall done as issue was found, before it was fixed.
- Cobalt - 1,132 complaints, including 11 accidents and one injury. Issue fixed in production, no recall.
- Ford F-150 pickups, 2004 to 2006. 1.5m cars. 225 reports that steering wheel air bags popped out for no apparent reason, injuring 66 people. Issue fixed. Not recalled.
-Ford Escape and nearly identical Mazda Tribute, 2001 to 2004: Mechanics made incorrect repairs, or none at all, to some of the 541,841 vehicles prevously recalled. At least 86 other fires reported after the recall of 2007.
And US govt blames Toyota for slow response?
02-03-10, 04:51 AM
#5
Lets put it into perspective...
- Toyota gas pedal recall - sales stopped under issue fixed... Less than dozen reports, no accidents. Recall done as issue was found, before it was fixed.
- Cobalt - 1,132 complaints, including 11 accidents and one injury. Issue fixed in production, no recall.
- Ford F-150 pickups, 2004 to 2006. 1.5m cars. 225 reports that steering wheel air bags popped out for no apparent reason, injuring 66 people. Issue fixed. Not recalled.
-Ford Escape and nearly identical Mazda Tribute, 2001 to 2004: Mechanics made incorrect repairs, or none at all, to some of the 541,841 vehicles prevously recalled. At least 86 other fires reported after the recall of 2007.
And US govt blames Toyota for slow response?
- Toyota gas pedal recall - sales stopped under issue fixed... Less than dozen reports, no accidents. Recall done as issue was found, before it was fixed.
- Cobalt - 1,132 complaints, including 11 accidents and one injury. Issue fixed in production, no recall.
- Ford F-150 pickups, 2004 to 2006. 1.5m cars. 225 reports that steering wheel air bags popped out for no apparent reason, injuring 66 people. Issue fixed. Not recalled.
-Ford Escape and nearly identical Mazda Tribute, 2001 to 2004: Mechanics made incorrect repairs, or none at all, to some of the 541,841 vehicles prevously recalled. At least 86 other fires reported after the recall of 2007.
And US govt blames Toyota for slow response?
There will be article after article for a long time to keep Toyota down.
02-03-10, 06:22 AM
#6
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Indeed it is, but Ford and GM years ago had massive recalls years ago and the media never really put that much focus on them.
02-03-10, 07:58 AM
#7
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02-03-10, 11:49 AM
#9
^yup. people just want some ammo against super reliable japanese cars. journalists love this sort of thing. all news reports are usually about shocking people. murders, scandals, disasters, terrorism.
they do occasionally have some sort of uplifting piece.
they do occasionally have some sort of uplifting piece.
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