Nearly a million cars, trucks and SUVs are being recalled by General Motors today because their heated windshield washer system poses a fire hazard.  General Motors says it  is aware of three fires caused by this problem, but no injuries have been reported so far.

The fluid heating system is a popular option on many of General Motor’s large cars and SUVs.  It is used in cold weather to heat windshield washer fluid before spraying it onto the windshield, where it can melt ice and frost on the windshield. (more…)

BMW—the world’s largest premium car maker—is recalling approximately 150,000 of its vehicles in North America, it said this week.  The recall has been put in place to correct a possible airbag defect.  Apparently, the defect may prevent the front passenger airbag from opening in a crash.

The BMW recall involves the front passenger airbag seat sensor mat in some of BMW’s 2004 through 2006 model year vehicles, reported a company spokesman in Munich.  U.S. traffic safety regulators had referred to 200,000 such vehicles as having airbag problems and some reports are quoting the 200,000 figure.  Regarding the difference of 50,000 vehicles, the spokesman said that those vehicles had already received the new mats that now function properly.  “It is definitely only a problem for the U.S. and Canadian markets,” the spokesman added, noting those two countries required sensors to detect if a baby seat or a grown person was occupying the passenger seat. (more…)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), with SunL Group Inc. of Irving, Texas and American Honda Motor Co. Inc., of Torrance, California has issued a voluntary recall on a number of All-terrain Vehicles (ATV).

SunL is recalling about 144 SLA90 Youth ATVs because the ATVs lack front brakes, a manual fuel shut-off, and padding to cover sharp edges on the handlebar assembly and have been sold without a tire pressure gauge or adequate flag pole bracket. These safety defects could lead to drivers losing control of the ATVs, which poses the risk of serious injuries or death.  The ATVs were made in China and sold through SunL dealers nationwide and Internet retailers during May 2005-March 2007 for $400-$500.  Consumers are to immediately stop using these ATVs and contact SunL to receive a full refund at (866) 355-0497 (9 a.m.-6 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday) or at www.sunl.com.  The SLA90 ATVs are intended for children 12-15 years of age and come in red, blue, yellow, green and in camo pink, brown, green, and blue. The word “Sunl” is on the front side of the ATV and recalled units bear one of the following Vehicle Identification Numbers: (more…)

Many Americans—especially teens and adolescents who are not able to drive—are finding that the use of golf carts as an alternative means of transportation is convenient and cost effective.  But, the increase in use is also pointing to an increase in the number of golf cart related injuries, say researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Injury Sciences.

“Golf carts are becoming a popular way to get around in some neighborhoods, particularly for adolescents and teenagers who cannot yet drive a car. A lot of people perceive golf carts as little more than toys, but our findings suggest they can be quite dangerous, especially when used on public roads,” Gerald McGwin, associate director of the Center for Injury Sciences and a professor of epidemiology, said.  McGwin and colleagues reported that there were over 48,255 golf cart-related injuries between 2002-2005, with the highest injury rates were among males ages 10 to 19 and males over age 80; fractures and head traumas were among the most common injuries.  The study was published in June’s The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection and Critical Care. (more…)

Kawasaki Motor Corp. and KYMKO USA have each recalled defective ATVs (all terrain vehicles) because of throttle issues.  Consumers who have one of the defective ATVs should stop using them until appropriate repairs can be made.

Kawasaki is recalling about 6,000 2008 Model Year KFX 50 and KFX 90 Youth ATVs.  The affected models are green or white with black trim. The model name is located on either side below the handlebars. The recalled ATVs were sold at  Kawasaki dealerships nationwide from August 2007 through June 2008 for about $1,750 (KFX 50) and $2,200 (KFX 90). (more…)

Arctic Cat has recalled Youth Model ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) because of a defective speed controller.  The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) says consumers should stop using the defective ATVs immediately until they have been repaired.

ATVs can be very dangerous vehicles, even in the best of circumstances. According to data collected by the CPSC, ATVs 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 these vehicles sent 146,600 people to hospital emergency rooms that same year. 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. In its annual report released in February, the CPSC said Pennsylvania has had the highest number of reported ATV deaths since 1982, followed by California, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. Every state had at least one death attributed to ATVs. (more…)

Polaris is expanding an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) recall for a fourth time because a defective part may overheat and cause a fire. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), Polaris has received six more reports of the part - called an Electronic Control Modules (ECM) - malfunctioning. Two of those malfunctions resulted in fires.

The original Polaris ATV recall was announced in May 2005. At that time, Polaris recalled more than 14,000 ATVs with defective ECMs. The recall involved Polaris 2004.5 ‘Sportsman 500,’ 2005 ‘Sportsman 400,’ ‘Sportsman 500,’ ‘Sportsman 600,’ ‘Sportsman 700,’ and 2005 ‘Scrambler 500′ ATVs. The recall was prompted by 26 reports of the ECM overheating. (more…)

Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 650,000 vehicles because of a defective power break assist hose.  According to Ford, the hoses on some of its F-150 and Mark LT trucks has a defect that may making braking difficult. There have been reports of 11 minor accidents caused by the brake hose issue, but no injuries.

The Ford recall covers 2005 and 2006 F-150 and Mark LT trucks equipped with the 5.4-liter three-valve engine, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website.  The brake hose may swell over time causing the hose to become detached from the intake manifold, NHTSA reported. As a result the agency warned, applying the brakes could require increased pressure on the brake pedal.  More than 600,000 of the recalled trucks are in the U.S. and roughly 50,000 are in Canada. Another 1,500 pickups are in other countries. (more…)

Honda ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) have been recalled because of a defect that could cause them to lose steering control.  The steering defect, which affects about 1,400 Model Year 2008 Honda TRX500 ATVs, has not resulted in any reported injuries.

ATVs can be very dangerous vehicles, even in the best of circumstances. According to data collected by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), ATVs 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 these vehicles sent 146,600 people to hospital emergency rooms that same year.   .  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. In its annual report released in February, the CPSC said Pennsylvania has had the highest number of reported ATV deaths since 1982, followed by California, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky. Every state had at least one death attributed to ATVs. (more…)

Toyota is recalling around 90,000 Highlander Sport Utility Vehicles because of defective safety belts that can interfere with the proper operation of rear facing child safety seats. This is the latest quality issue to beset Toyota, which faces at least one lawsuit involving another type of seatbelt, as well as a whistleblower lawsuit charging the company covered up safety issues.

According the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this latest recall involves 90,000 model year 2008 Highlander and Highlander hybrid sport utility vehicles. The NHTSA discovered during compliance testing that the locking mechanism on the Highlander seat belts cannot secure properly when certain rear-facing child safety seats are used, which could cause the child seats to move. However, the NHTSA said the belt would still lock securely during an accident. (more…)