Ford Motor Company has announced a recall of some of its Super Duty pickup trucks because of a faulty gas tank.  Ford says that defective mounting on the tanks need to be strengthened to prevent a gasoline leak in a head-on crash.  Meanwhile, Ford says a massive recall of vehicles with faulty cruise control switches is nearly complete, but at least one consumer website says the switches are still a danger.

The Ford Super Duty truck pickup recall covers 65,000 2008 F-250 and F-350 trucks, Ford said in a letter posted on the Web site of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  Ford dealers will add a bracket to help secure the fuel tank, at no charge to motorists. Owners will be notified beginning in late May when the parts are  available.  Ford said the affected trucks are F-250 and F-350 4×4 models with a single set of rear wheels and a 156-inch wheel base. (more…)

Yamaha is recalling the Rhino ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) amid concerns that brakes on the Rhino ATV may fail. The recall, which covers about 7800 Rhino Side-by-Side ATVs, is just the latest safety issue to plague the Yamaha Rhino ATV, which some consider to be the most dangerous ATV on the market.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the brake caliper on the left front wheel of the recalled Yamaha Rhino ATVs could have been made incorrectly, resulting in brake fluid leaking. This can cause a loss of braking and control of the vehicle, posing a serious safety risk to the driver and passenger. The recall covers Model Year 2008 Rhino YXR450 and YXR700 Side-by-Side Vehicles sold at Yamaha dealers nationwide from October 2007 through March 2008 for between $8,300 and $12,000. Consumers with a recalled Rhino ATV should stop using them immediately and contact any authorized Yamaha Rhino dealer to schedule a free repair. The CPSC said registered owners were sent direct mail notification of this recall. (more…)

More Polaris ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) have been recalled today, following reports that the vehicles are prone to going out-of-control, posing an injury hazard to riders.  The latest Polaris ATV recall involves more than 11,000 Outlaw “IRS” ATVs.  This is the second Polaris ATV recall issued since mid-February.

According to the CPSC, the latest Polaris recall involves Outlaw “IRS” ATVs, model years 2006 through 2008. The model numbers infected are: 2006 Outlaw 500 “IRS”, 2007 Outlaw 500 “IRS”, 2007 Outlaw 525 “IRS”, and 2008 Outlaw 525 “IRS”.   The model name is printed on decals located on either side of the fuel tank. The recalled ATVs  were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide from January 2006 through January 2008 for between $6,900 and $7,400. (more…)

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) killed more than 500 people in 2006 and of those victims nearly 1 on in 5 was a child.  In addition to ATV deaths, accidents involving such popular vehicles as the Yamaha Rhino ATV sent 146,600 people to hospital emergency rooms that same year.  These statistics, from data on ATV accidents collected by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), point to the continuing dangers posed by these defective vehicles.

The CPSC’s ATV data are not surprising.  ATVs are infamous for causing serious accidents - especially rollover accidents. Such vehicles are three or four wheeled and are used for “off-roading” or riding in natural conditions. Many ATVs can go as fast as 55 MPH and can weigh as heavy as a quarter of a ton. Some 75% of the ATV accidents result in serious damage to the head or spinal cord of the accident victim. Head injuries are a major cause of serious life threatening or lifelong physical problems and ailments. Injury to the spinal cord can result in paralysis of the entire body for life. (more…)

Yamaha Rhino All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) rollover accidents have injured – and in some cases killed – hundreds of people. Some consumer advocates claim that flaws inherent in the design of the vehicles are responsible for Yamaha Rhino ATV accidents, as well as the resulting injuries and deaths. In 2007, Yamaha finally responded to the Rhino ATV safety issues by offering free modifications to make the vehicles safer, but the company stopped short of issuing a Rhino ATV recall.

ATVs are infamous for rollover accidents. Such vehicles are three or four wheeled and are used for “off-roading” or riding in natural conditions. Many ATVs can go as fast as 55 MPH and can weigh as heavy as a quarter of a ton. Some 75% of the ATV accidents result in serious damage to the head or spinal cord of the accident victim. Head injuries are a major cause of serious life threatening or lifelong physical problems and ailments. Injury to the spinal cord can result in paralysis of the entire body for life. (more…)

The Ford cruise control switch recall just won’t end.  Ford Motor Company has announced that it is recalling 225,000 vehicles due to faulty wiring in the cruise control mechanism.  All of the cars included in this recall have been subject to previous Ford cruise control switch recalls, but now, Ford is saying that the wiring used to fix the defective cruise control switches is itself faulty.

Since 1999, Ford has recalled more than 10 million vehicles because of a faulty cruise control switch that could cause a vehicle to erupt in flames even when it was turned off and parked. The Ford cruise control switch recalls have now covered every single car and truck built with this type of cruise control switch.  Since Ford first started using this particular type of cruise control switch in 1992, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has documented at least 600 fires attributed to the defective component. (more…)

Yet another Ford recall was announced last week for more than 1 million trucks, SUVs and vans.  Ford said it issued the recall because of a defect that could cause the engines of these vehicles to unexpectedly stall and lead to a possible crash.  According to Ford, there have been 14 reports of sudden accidents related to this defect.   This is the second massive Ford recall since August, when the company recalled millions of other vehicles because of a faulty cruise control switch.

The Ford recall encompasses 1.2 million trucks, SUVs and vans from the 1997-2003 model years with 7.3 liter diesel engines.   The recall includes Ford E-Series van, Excursion full-size sport utility vehicle, and F-450 Super Duty and F-550 Super Duty trucks.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the camshaft position sensor - an electrical component that helps regulate the fuel going into the engine- located on the engine could function intermittently and lead to an engine stall and potential crash.

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Volvo, a Swedish car company with a reputation for making some of the safest automobile on the road, issued a massive worldwide recall today for 56,000 cars.  Some of the vehicles have defective airbags, and others have a material fault that could lead to engine fires.

Most of the recalled Volvo cars where sold in the United States, German, Italy, Britain and Sweden. The airbag recall includes 18,000 Volvo V 70 and XC 70 models.  According to the company, there is a problem with the side airbag software system.  In the event of a collision with a small object, like a fence post, the airbags may not be deployed as quickly as they should be.   Volvo says the problem can be fixed by reprogramming the airbag system’s software, which takes about a half an hour.  The company is sending letters to Volvo owners with information on arranging for the software fix. Volvo said that owners of the recalled cars will receive the airbag software system upgrade free of charge.

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Toyota and General Motors have been named in a lawsuit that alleges that managers at a California auto plant ignored serious problems, including defective seatbelts and breaking systems,  found in cars rolling off the facility’s assembly line.  The plaintiff, a certified auditor at the plant, accuses her superiors of deleting or downgrading defects from her vehicle reports.  The Toyota and General Motors whistleblower lawsuit also claims that managers retaliated against the employee when she objected.

Toyota and General Motors jointly operate New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) in California.   Toyota and General Motors embarked on the NUMMI joint venture in 1984, and the California plant produces the Corolla subcompact, Tacoma pickup truck and the Pontiac vibe wagon.  Toyota and General Motors claim that safety is one of the “core values” at NUMMI.

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