Issues

Ambulances not repaired years after safety recalls

November 18, 2019

“You don’t want a recalled ambulance picking you up,’’ said Jason Levine, executive director for the Center for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C., which has pushed to have safety recall information be available to the public. “You want something that’s been in prime condition and maintained.” EMS companies in metro Atlanta have been operating dozens of…

The Car Book Blog: Leasing vs. Buying

November 15, 2019

‘I’m paying for a deathtrap!’ Used cars sold in Tampa Bay with unrepaired safety recalls

November 9, 2019

“These aren’t cosmetic issues,” Levine said. “These aren’t for rusting paint or where you don’t like the way the car looks. These are safety issues…The manufacturers that make vehicles that require recalls, that have these defects or violate federal law, they’re on the hook,” Levine said. “They’re the ones who need to be getting those…

Feds investigating popular SUV for unexpectedly braking by itself

November 8, 2019

“We started seeing people saying it was braking for no apparent reason, and that’s really scary and potentially very dangerous,” said Center for Automotive Safety executive director Jason Levine. “We told them this needs to be investigated and there probably needs to be a recall here because this vehicle is braking when it shouldn’t be.”…

Uber’s self-driving cars had a major flaw: They weren’t programmed to stop for jaywalkers

November 7, 2019

“Even the most junior human driver knows to expect that people sometimes walk outside of crosswalks,” said Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. “When we have public road testing that has programming that essentially chooses to ignore the realities of how people interact with public infrastructure,…

Mercedes-Benz Slow to Fix Recalled Takata Airbags

November 6, 2019

“Mercedes unfortunately, is on the bottom end of success in replacing these defective airbags. That’s a pretty low figure for any of the manufacturers but particularly for a luxury manufacturer like Mercedes,” said Jason Levine, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety. “By comparison Honda recalled 17 million airbags and they have repaired over…

Toyota and Subaru Face Class-Action Lawsuit Over FR-S, BRZ Valve Spring Recall Fiasco

November 5, 2019

Back in March, The Drive broke the story about dozens of 2013 Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ owners who reported experiencing catastrophic engine failure shortly after a valve spring recall repair largely due to the fact that—full disclosure—I was one of those owners. Now, Toyota and Subaru are facing a class-action lawsuit that claims the…

Federal regulators look into possible defect in Tesla batteries

November 4, 2019

To watch the story on Good Morning America, click here.

The Car Book Blog: Understanding Crash Ratings

November 1, 2019

Customers want to know why $760M settlement doesn't include Kia Souls

October 30, 2019

“We were surely disappointed to see that it wasn’t included in the settlement,” said Jason Levine, who runs The Center for Auto Safety in Washington, D.C. “Our hope would be, whether in this settlement or some other legal remedy, those who own souls will be made whole, financially, speaking.” WAXHAW, N.C. – For more than a year,…