Investigations News

U.S. Inquiries Over Safety Dragging On for Years – 2/22/13

By Christopher Jensen

Last year, owners of about 16.2 million cars and trucks received letters saying their vehicles had safety problems and were being recalled. But millions more were left in recall limbo because some of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigations into possible safety problems have been taking years longer than the agency’s self-imposed goal.

Auto safety concerns often stay secret – 2/22/13

Herman Ray Evans was killed when the tread separated on his 2001 Ford Explorer’s tire, the vehicle rolled over into the median and he was ejected, according to the Daphne, Ala,. police crash report.

Government Deepens Investigation of Saturn Ion for Steering Problem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a step closer to concluding that General Motors should have recalled 384,000 Saturn Ions in 2010 as part of a larger recall that covered one million Chevrolets and Pontiacs for a steering problem.

The agency posted a document on its Web site over the weekend saying that it upgraded its investigation into Saturn Ions from the 2004-7 model years as a result of heightened concern that a sudden loss of electric power steering could cause crashes.

Ford Minivans Investigated for Transmission Failure

By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has intensified its investigation into transmission failures on about 205,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004-2005 model years.

The agency began a preliminary evaluation in July, saying it had received 178 complaints from owners about transmission failure. Some cases resulted “in a sudden loss of vehicle propulsion.”

Woman Asks U.S. to Investigate Honda Accord Hybrid

A little more than five years after a crash killed Lalitha Seetharaman’s husband, Gautam, she is hoping the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be able to confirm her contention that her Honda Accord Hybrid’s brakes were responsible for his death.

To obtain that information, she is employing a little-used and little-known federal regulation that requires the safety agency to consider carrying out a defect investigation.