Issues
Should all recalls trigger free loaners for owners?
WASHINGTON — Is Honda’s aggressive response to the Takata airbag crisis a special remedy for uniquely challenging circumstances or a template for the industry to follow? That’s the question at the heart of a debate over whether consumers deserve access to free loaner vehicles when their own vehicles are under recall for a safety defect.…
Another Tampa Bay driver reports their KIA went up in flames while parked
Debra Hinebaugh couldn’t believe the car she had not driven in two days burst into flames. She grabbed a hose and started putting it out, but it took the fire department to douse the flames. Debra and her husband say the 2007 Sedona only had 60,000 miles on it and had just been serviced. They…
Shopping for a car? Don't forget to compare warranties
You’ve got a lot to think about aside from price when buying a new car. There’s fuel economy, safety features and reliability. One of the most overlooked aspects of car buying is comparing warranties. And since most of us keep our vehicles longer these days, a good warranty is more important than ever. “Warranties do…
Millions still haven't had airbags swapped out in Takata recall
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Despite numerous deaths and injuries, millions of drivers have not had their Takata airbags swapped out as part of the largest recall ever issued. Since 2008, more than 37 million vehicles, with 50 million airbags, have been subject to the Takata airbag recall. But only a fraction of car owners have acted,…
Buying a new car? Check the safety features
Today’s new cars are the safest ever. That’s due, in large part, to a number of hi-tech safety features, such as lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic warnings, blind spot monitors and adaptive cruise control. When you go shopping, you need to take the time to check which safety features are standard and which are optional, if…
Millions of recalled cars still may be on the road with unfixed issues
WASHINGTON — There are new questions about a tragic accident Indiana last month when a 24-year-old man died after pulling his 3-year-old daughter from a car that rolled into frigid pond. Now we’re learning that type of car had a recall for a defect that could cause it roll away, even if the driver put it in…
Parked car that rolled into Indy pond with 3-year-old inside had been recalled for brake issues
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.– A parked car that ended up rolling back into an Indianapolis pond last month while a 3-year-old girl was inside was on a motor vehicle recall list. The father of the child died after he jumped into the water to save her. “She said, ‘My daddy got me out of the water but…
FAST Act Recall Notification by Electronic Means
December 4, 2015 SEC. 24104. RECALL PROCESS. (a) Notification Improvement.– (1) In general.–Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe a final rule revising the regulations under section 577.7 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to include notification by electronic means in addition to notification…
Dad dies saving daughter from icy pond. The car had been recalled for a brake problem.
A gear shift isn’t supposed to just move out of park. Drivers must apply the brakes first. So the tragedy that unfolded March 25 in Indianapolis didn’t make sense. A parked car with a 3-year-old girl aboard rolled backward into an Indianapolis pond. Her father, 24-year-old Anthony Burgess, jumped into the frigid waters to save her. She survived. He…
In California vs. the EPA, it's the state that's fighting to protect the environment
President Trump and the auto industry are teaming up to roll back gas mileage and emissions rules that would deliver a new car fleet in 2025 averaging 36 mpg in real-world driving. Fortunately, California — and a dozen other states — insist we need to keep the tough standard, which is the biggest single step…