We’ve been following a tragedy involving the deaths of a family potentially linked to faulty Lexus floor mats. Now, the LATimes writes that a federal report has found that there exists a potential defect in the design of the car’s gas pedal. The debacle also involves an earlier recall, a serious government-issued warning, and 11 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigations. Last month, the Toyota Motor Corporation finally agreed to issue a massive recall—its largest ever—of nearly four million of its vehicles following the deaths of the off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and members of his family.

The fatal crash involved Saylor (45); his wife, Cleofe (45); Mahala, their 13-year-old daughter; and Chris Lastrella (38), their brother-in-law; all four perished, said Detroit News previously. Details of the chilling accident that prompted the NHTSA to investigate the crash include the 2009 Lexus plummeting over an embankment and bursting into flames. The family was able to contact a 911 operator, saying they were unable to stop the ES 350; Lastrella advised the operator that the Lexus had no brakes. Most poignantly, the 911 tape, recently made public, included the family asking one another to pray at the recording’s end, just before their deaths, said Detroit News. (more…)

About 3,900 Classic Buggies manufactured by Bad Boy Enterprises LLC, of Natchez, Mississippi have been recalled the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), just announced. The off-road utility vehicles were recalled due to crash hazard.

The Bad Boy Classic Buggies can accelerate without warning, posing a risk of injury to the user and/or bystander. To date, Bad Boy Enterprises has received 32 reports of unexpected acceleration, including reports of injuries such as a fractured toe, a rotator cuff injury, and sore muscles. (more…)

Ford Motor Co. is recalling another 4.5 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control switch that can cause a fire. According to CNN.com, this Ford recall is the eighth since 1999 involving the defective cruise control switch. So far, a total of 16 million vehicles have been affected.

The Ford vehicles involved in this recall include: (more…)

Toyota Motor Corp. has officially recalled nearly four million of its vehicles. The recall, said Detroit News, is being issued following a number of accidents and serious incidents—one involving the deaths of a California state trooper and three members of his family—over allegedly faulty floor mats. This is the second time since 2007 that Toyota has issued a recall over floor mats.

Including the California fatalities, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) received 100 complaints that involve 17 crashes and five deaths, said Detroit News. One-third of those incidents involved the Lexus ES 350, the Free Press said previously. But, Toyota argues it “has not determined that the vehicles … contain a safety-related defect,” quoted Detroit News, but agreed to initiate its largest United States recall saying it was “willing to identify this campaign as a safety recall,” according to a quote from a letter the car giant wrote to the NHTSA. (more…)

Toyota shocked businesses and consumers with a recent announcement it made regarding the death of a family in a fatal accident that led to a massive vehicle recall. Freep.com reported that the president of Toyota Motor Corporation—Akio Toyoda—who is also the grandson of Toyota’s founder, publicly apologized for the family’s death in a crash that was likely the result of faulty floor mats.

Toyoda said, quoted Freep.com, that Toyota is “grasping for salvation.” The recall of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles is the automaker’s largest in United States history and is being conducted to remove floor mats, said the Detroit Free Press last week. It is believed the floor mats jammed the car’s accelerator, which led to the fatal crash that killed a California family. Lexus is the automaker’s luxury brand. (more…)

Toyota is poised to recall 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because of defective floor mats. According to the Detroit Free Press, the recall will be the automaker’s largest ever U.S. safety recall.

Earlier this month, we reported that Toyota had advised its Lexus and Toyota dealers to inspect the installation of floor mats in certain vehicles. The warning was issued following a fatal accident in San Diego, California that may have occurred when a floor mat in a Lexus ES 350 sedan was caught in the vehicle’s gas pedal, leading to an unintended acceleration. The accident killed a California state trooper and three of his family members. (more…)

Mitsubishi just announced a recall of 531 of its 2010 Endeavor vehicles over concerns that the vehicles’ front seat-mounted airbags might not correctly deploy in the event of a side impact crash, reported Edmunds, citing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“The retainer bracket used for the seat-mounted side airbag frames on both the driver and front passenger seats may not have been properly welded,” said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem, quoted Edmunds. “If this condition exists, the front seat-mounted airbags may not deploy correctly in a side impact crash, possibly resulting in injury to the seat occupant,” the NHTSA added. (more…)

Earlier last month we wrote that the Honda Motor Company expanded a previous recall from late last year and added nearly a half-million—about 440,000—cars that could contain a dangerous and deadly airbag defect. The BBC previously noted that Honda issued a similar recall this past November. The original recall was for less than 4,000 vehicles.

ABCLocal pointed out that the original recall involved 3,900 model year 2001 Honda Accords and Civics; this year’s expanded recall involved 440,000 vehicles that included model year 2002 Accords and Acura TL models. Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is trying to figure out if Honda delayed the total recall and is asking the automaker for details about the eight-month delay, said ABCLocal. Acura is Honda’s luxury brand vehicle. (more…)

Following a massive recall last week, Toyota is now recalling about 95,700 cars and crossover vehicles sold in the United States. The recall, reported JustAuto.com, was initiated after it was found that icing situations in cold temperatures could hinder vehicle braking systems.

The earlier recall was announced by the car maker for almost 690,000 vehicles that were built and sold in China by Toyota’s joint ventures in that country, said JustAuto.com. (more…)

The Honda Motor Company just announced that it expanded a previous recall from late last year and is now adding nearly a half-million—about 440,000—cars that could contain a dangerous and deadly airbag defect, CNN Money reported.

The affected Honda models include the 2001-2002 Honda Accord, the 2001 Civic, and the 2002-2003 Acura TL. According to CNN Money, the potential airbag defect has resulted in six injuries and one death, citing Chris Naughton, Honda spokesman. Acura is Honda’s luxury brand automobile, the Associated Press (AP) pointed out. (more…)