Recalls

Consumers Sue Over Limited Car Recalls

 

By Christopher Jensen, Plain Dealer Auto Editor

Thursday, March 11, 2004

Two consumer groups sued the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Wednesday, claiming the public is endangered while automakers save money because the federal agency allows \"regional\" recalls of defective vehicles. In a regional recall an automaker is allowed to limit repairs to the region in which a problem is most likely to occur instead of repairing all vehicles nationwide.

Consumer Groups Sue Over Car Recall Limits

By DANNY HAKIM

March 11, 2004

Two consumer groups sued the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday over the practice of allowing automakers to limit car recalls to specific states.

Is a Recall by Any Other Name Still a Recall?

New York Times, October 22, 2003

by Cheryl Jensen

Ford: Truck Buyers Stuck with Lemon Diesel

Despite early woes, sales are strong

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / August 25, 2003

Safety Firebrand Refuses to Relent

Fired employee battles Chrysler in courtroom

 

DETROIT — Paul Sheridan sifted through the pile of police reports, depositions and legal briefs, and stopped at the autopsy photographs of Nancy Lou Whitt.

He had seen dozens of autopsies in more than 100 product-liability lawsuits. But the Whitt case shocked him.

Dealers Caught in Warranty War

Insurer’s problems force tough choices

By Donna Harris

Automotive News / June 30, 2003

Five thousand dealers who sold service contracts under the financially troubled Smart Choice program may have to choose between two evils – pay off hefty repair claims themselves, or tell angry customers to slug it out with insurers.

Either way, some dealers could lose.

Consumer Groups Attack NHTSA Safety Defects Policies

Center for Auto Safety
Public Citizen
Consumer Federation of America
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

April 22, 2003

Dr. Jeffrey Runge, Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
400 7th Street SW
Washington DC 20590

Dear Dr. Runge:

Is Your Car As Good As You Think It Is?

Jonathan Fahey
Forbes.com

The BMW X5, the sleek $50,000 sport utility, and the Ford Focus, the humble-but-nimble $15,000 compact, have more in common than one might think: Not only are they universally loved by drivers, but they are also two of the most-recalled models in automotive history.

Geographic Recalls in the News

 

Some automakers think regional recalls sufficient; consumer advocates disagree

06/19/02

Christopher Jensen
Plain Dealer Auto Editor

Consumer groups are demanding that the government prohibit regional automotive safety recalls, a practice they say puts motorists’ lives at risk while saving automakers money.

In a regional recall, the automaker limits the repairs to cars in states where the problem is most likely to occur, rather than carrying out the safety program nationwide.

Letter to Dr. Runge: The Temporal Recall Problem

 

June 21, 2002


Dr. Jeffrey Runge, Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
400 7th Street SW
Washington DC 20590

Dear Dr. Runge: