Issues
European Vehicles Exceed Standard for U.S. Car Roofs
Detroit automakers insist the existing rule is adequate
At a demonstration in Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo rolled an XC-90 SUV in 2002. With a roof made from high-strength Boron steel, the XC-90 rolled more than three times. There was minor cosmetic damage to the roof, but no significant intrusion into the occupants’ safety cage.
Lawsuit Targets Ford SuperCab Roof
Brandy Baker / The Detroit News
Tony Alaniz says his older brother, Paul, who was killed in a rollover accident, was not a reckless driver. Alaniz is standing near the spot where his brother’s body was found.
Jury links vehicle’s roof design to ejection
Seat Belts Not Enough to Save Lives in Rollovers
Man’s death mirrors thousands each year
Noyes family photo
Clyde "Ray" Noyes of Nebraska died when the roof of his pickup crushed in a rollover accident.
Dodge Ram Information
Dodge Ram Information
Ford Stonewalls on Evidence, Judges Say
Ford has dragged its feet, misled plaintiffs and lied in a number of lawsuits, jurists in those cases contend. The automaker calls the incidents ‘honest mistakes.’
By Myron Levin, Los Angeles Times
Tough” is a word that Ford Motor Co. likes to use in marketing its popular pickup trucks, as in “Built Ford Tough.” The term could also be applied to Ford’s take-no-prisoners style in defending itself against product liability suits.
Volswagen – All Models
February 2001
Dear Volkswagen Owner:
Thank you for contacting the Center for Auto Safety (CAS)
about your VW. CAS has received numerous complaints from consumers on
stalling, premature brake wear, engine
and transmission failures, defective
heater cores, and unintended acceleration.
VW Must Face Up to a Sooty Little Problem with its Diesel Engines
By Christopher Jensen
Plain Dealer Auto Editor
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Volkswagen has a big decision coming up that could have a huge effect on how favorably American consumers see the German automaker and diesels.
To its credit, Volkswagen has been offering diesels in the United States for years. That has allowed driving enthusiasts to enjoy its entertaining 1.9-liter TDI four-cylinder while getting as much as 38 miles per gallon in the city and 46 mpg on the highway, according to the Environmental Protection Agency estimate.
Again, NHTSA Probes Sudden Acceleration – March 22, 2004
By Harry Stoffer
Automotive News / March 22, 2004
Ford Ordered to Test Cop Car Safety Add-On
March 17, 2004
BY JENNIFER DIXON
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
An Illinois judge has ordered Ford Motor Co. to conduct a crash test on plastic trunk packs that were offered in Crown Victoria police cars to protect gas tanks from rupturing in high-impact rear crashes.
Consumer Groups Challenge the Use of Regional Safety Recalls
By CHERYL JENSEN
If two consumer groups prevail in their suit against the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorists could feel more confident that safety defects possibly affecting their vehicles are not falling into a geographical black hole.