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CONSUMERS UNION

Killed by Takata; Denied Access by the NHTSA

October 24, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Two-thirds of the airbag recalls involve Honda vehicles.

Honda Accord.
This seventh generation Honda Accord is currently being recalled.

The news this week turned especially gruesome as the New York Times shared the account of a dying Florida woman lying in a hospital bed who appeared to have stab wounds in her neck. On further investigation, it was revealed that an airbag likely deployed, but also spewed forth pieces of metal shrapnel that eventually took her life.

Following the Times’ story the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) expanded its recall to include 7.8 million vehicles from 10 different manufacturers. Two-thirds of those recalls involve Honda models; every affected vehicle contains airbags furnished by Japanese parts supplier Takata.

NHTSA Website Goes Down

After issuing its announcement, the NHTSA’s website denied access to consumers seeking further information, specifically people attempting to verify whether their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) matched the latest recall. The search function was not working and was still experiencing problems through early Thursday. The NHTSA apologized for the downtime and also for supplying an earlier list that inaccurately included Nissan models not under recall. That list has since been updated and has been shared here.

Meanwhile, Takata and Honda are both facing a monumental public relations crisis as regulators confirm that the two companies had known about the airbag problem since 2004, what has resulted in two confirmed deaths and dozens of injuries. If confirmed, the Florida woman’s death would raise that toll to three.

2004 Ford Ranger.
The Takata recall also includes 2004 Ford Rangers

The Current Takata List

The NHTSA’s Takata recall list is current as of Oct. 23, 2014. The vehicles under recall are as follows:

BMW: 627,615 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2000 – 2005 BMW 3 Series Sedan
2000 – 2006 BMW 3 Series Coupe
2000 – 2005 BMW 3 Series Sports Wagon
2000 – 2006 BMW 3 Series Convertible
2001 – 2006 BMW M3 Coupe
2001 – 2006 BMW M3 Convertible

Chrysler: 371,309 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2008 Dodge Ram 1500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Ram 2500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 3500
2006 – 2008 Dodge Ram 4500
2008 – Dodge Ram 5500
2005 – 2008 Dodge Durango
2005 – 2008 Dodge Dakota
2005 – 2008 Chrysler 300
2007 – 2008 Chrysler Aspen

NHTSAFord: 58,669 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – Ford Ranger
2005 – 2006 Ford GT
2005 – 2007 Ford Mustang

General Motors: undetermined total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Pontiac Vibe
2005 – Saab 9-2X

Honda: 5,051,364 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2007 Honda Accord
2001 – 2002 Honda Accord
2001 – 2005 Honda Civic
2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V
2003 – 2011 Honda Element
2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey
2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot
2006 – Honda Ridgeline
2003 – 2006 Acura MDX
2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL
2005 – Acura RL

Mazda: 64,872 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2007 Mazda6
2006 – 2007 MazdaSpeed6
2004 – 2008 Mazda RX-8
2004 – 2005 Mazda MPV
2004 – Mazda B-Series Truck

Mitsubishi: 11,985 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2004 – 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
2006 – 2007 Mitsubishi Raider

Nissan: 694,626 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima
2001 – 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
2002 – 2004 Nissan Sentra
2001 – 2004 Infiniti I30/I35
2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4
2003 – 2005 Infiniti FX35/FX45

Subaru: 17,516 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2003 – 2005 Subaru Baja
2003 – 2005 Subaru Legacy
2003 – 2005 Subaru Outback
2004 – 2005 Subaru Impreza

Toyota: 877,000 total number of potentially affected vehicles
2002 – 2005 Lexus SC
2002 – 2005 Toyota Corolla
2003 – 2005 Toyota Corolla Matrix
2002 – 2005 Toyota Sequoia
2003 – 2005 Toyota Tundra

Immediate Service Pushed

The NHTSA is urging consumers to take immediate action and have their cars serviced. However, some manufacturers do not have enough parts on hand — it could take weeks or longer before repairs are made. In the meantime manufacturers, such as Toyota, have said that owners of affected models would be notified by first-class mail this week to return their vehicles to their dealer for repairs.

Under the recall Toyota says that it “will replace the front passenger airbag inflator with a newly manufactured one.” However, if a replacement part is not available, the dealer has been instructed to disable the airbag and install a hang tag on the glove box to serve as a warning that the front passenger seat should not be occupied until the repair has been made.

Toyota Corolla Recall.
Select ninth generation Toyota Corollas are under a recall

Consumers Union Weighs In

Not everyone is satisfied with the NHTSA’s handling of the recall. Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, urged the government to expand the recall to cover vehicles beyond its current geographic area.

In a letter to NHTSA, George Slover, senior policy counsel for Consumers Union, wrote, “The recalls were originally focused on vehicles registered in areas with ‘high absolute humidity,’ but the dangers could be far broader. We believe it is essential to ensure the widest possible public awareness of this hazard, and for NHTSA, automakers, and suppliers to provide consumers with prompt and effective means to address the hazard.”

Beyond disabling airbags, Consumers Union has asked the NHTSA whether regulators were looking at other options such as providing loaner cars to owners or vouchers for rental cars. CU also pointed out that the recall process for the defective inflators began more than 18 months ago and asked the agency to explain what it was doing to ensure that car manufacturers, Takata and potential other suppliers were manufacturing and supplying “safe replacement parts for all cars that need them.”

Tens of Millions of Recalls

This year will go down as the year of the recall as more than 50 million vehicles have bee recalled to date. GM has recalled about half that many as it battles its own PR crisis. Even so, the automaker reported net income of $1.4 billion for the third quarter.


See Also — Recall Roundup: October 2014

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: AIRBAG, BMW, CONSUMERS UNION, Dodge Ram, FORD RANGER, HONDA, Honda Civic, MITSUBISHI LANCER, NHTSA, Nissan Pathfinder, RECALL, SUBARU LEGACY, TAKATA, THE NEW YORK TIMES, Toyota Corolla, VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

Auto Reliability: Audi, Volvo & GMC Move Up Says Consumer Reports

October 29, 2013 by admin 1 Comment

The Japanese automotive brands have long held the attention of Consumer Reports (CR), the independent magazine owned by the non-profit Consumers Union of Yonkers, NY. In its latest annual auto reliability rankings Toyota, Lexus and Acura garnered the top three spots. But, this year Audi, Volvo and GMC moved into its top-10 brand listings, loosening the chokehold on the top rankings that the Japanese makes have had over the past decade.

Acura RLX auto reliability is above average.

Annual Auto Reliability Report

CR released its 2013 Annual Auto Reliability report at a press conference on Monday before the Automotive Press Association in Detroit. Audi moved up four spots as three of its models — the A6 sedan, Allroad wagon and Q7 sport utility vehicle — scored “much better than average” reliability. The all-new 2014 Subaru Forester SUV received the top reliability score among all models while the Ford C-Max Energi received its worst score. The full report appears in CR’s December issue that goes on sale on Nov. 5, 2013.

The Volvo brand moved up six spots since the last survey to finish in the No. 7 position. GMC finished in the No. 9 position, up three spots. Mazda took fifth place, one of seven Japanese brands to crack the top 10. All Mazda models received an average or better reliability score; the same could be said for Toyota and Infiniti. Only Lexus and Acura fielded above-average reliability scores across their entire model lines.

Infotainment System Problems

CR continues to find fault with touch-screen infotainments systems, however. It found that many systems are buggy and are prone to screen freezing and response lag. Some systems do not recognize voice commands or may reject a cell phone or an MP3 player. Such systems were the top compliant consumers mentioned among the 17 problem areas it surveys.

Auto reliability survey: 2013.

Infotainment systems continue to perform poorly in CR surveys.

Both hybrids and pure electric vehicles have been performing well in recent auto reliability surveys. This year CR found that the Honda CR-Z, Toyota’s Prius and Prius C, and the Lexus ES 300h were the top hybrid models. Among electric vehicles, the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S did very well. Two hybrids from Ford, the C-Max and Fusion, finished below average.

Only one Ford model, the F-150, received CR’s “recommendation” rating. Seven models finished average while two-thirds of the 34 tested Ford and Lincoln models received below average rankings. CR cited both the MyFord Touch infotainment system and EcoBoost V-6 engine as reliability issues that pulled down the scores of multiple Ford Motor Company models.

Chrysler, Kia and Hyundai

Chrysler’s star model is the 300C, scoring above average in the latest survey. In 2012, CR called the Chrysler 300C its most troublesome vehicle. Two Jeep models, the Compass and Patriot, didn’t score as well as they had in recent years, while the Jeep Grand Cherokee also “has fallen well below average reliability.”

Chrysler 300C auto reliability.

The Chrysler 300C may be one the most improved models.

 

In recent years, the Korean car manufacturers have been making great strides and appeared ready to challenge the Japanese leaders in reliability. Kia is ranked ahead of Hyundai, but still finished in the middle of all brands surveyed. Hyundai, however, fell to 21st place. Cracking the top 10 may take some time especially as other non-Japanese brands continue to improve.

German Manufacturers Scored

Mercedes-Benz and BMW, unlike Audi, are outside of the top 10, but both German brands have models that offer average or better than average reliability. A few problems remain, however, with CR citing the diesel-powered M-Class and the 335i and turbocharged X6 six cylinder as “problem children.” CR also called Volkswagen’s Beetle GTI and Touareg “trouble prone” and said that all three Mini models surveyed made a “very poor showing.”

Consumer Reports’ surveys have influenced the buying decisions of consumers for generations. Its findings and tests have caused manufacturers to recalibrate substandard products and find ways to improved technologies that are difficult to use or what are perceived as buggy.


See Also — Infotainment Systems Take a Beating in Latest Consumer Reports Survey

Filed Under: Automotive News Tagged With: ACURA, auto reliability, CONSUMER REPORTS, CONSUMERS UNION, INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMS, Lexus, Toyota

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