Issues
Fiat Chrysler Tells US It Missed Deadlines in 5 Recalls
by Tom Krisher
June 4, 2015
Fiat Chrysler has admitted that it missed legal deadlines to notify customers in five safety recalls, a pattern that could bring a fine from U.S. safety regulators.
But the company, in documents posted Thursday, said it’s taking steps to improve recall completion and notification rates and shouldn’t be subjected to a July 2 public hearing on its safety performance scheduled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Trucks and Buses to Get Electronic Stability Control
by Christopher Jensen
June 3, 2015
Citing a desire to make large trucks and buses safer, federal regulators said on Wednesday that they would require new vehicles to have electronic stability controls to help drivers maintain control during a skid.
“Electronic stability control is a remarkable safety success story, a technology innovation that is already saving lives in passenger cars and light trucks,” the secretary of transportation, Anthony Foxx, said in a statement.
CAS Statement on H.R. 1181, Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2015
Statement on H.R. 1181, Vehicle Safety Improvement Act of 2015
Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director
June 2, 2015
NHTSA prepares to reorganize its senior ranks
Ryan Beene
Automotive News
June 1, 2015
WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will soon have some fresh faces in key recall positions as part of an agency reorganization intended to streamline its management structure.
According to sources here and job openings posted on the U.S Department of Transportation’s website, the agency is preparing the reorganization to follow the retirement or departure of three key officials who have overseen recalls at the agency.
Safety Chief Rosekind Shifts Defective Car Oversight into Overdrive
by David Morgan
5/25/15
The U.S. auto safety watchdog, long criticized as toothless and slow, is showing both bark and bite under its new boss – a testimony to his credentials as a safety expert and a hardening of the administration’s policy after a wave of deadly defects.
NHTSA’s Rosekind lays down the law, and the industry is rattled
Ryan Beene Twitter
Automotive News
May 24, 2015 – 12:01 am ET
WASHINGTON — As the newly appointed head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind vowed in January to work closely with the auto industry to promote safety — and to hammer companies that stepped out of line.
Five months into his tenure, Rosekind is delivering on that pledge. In a rapid-fire series of actions last week, his agency:
FTC Will Keep Consumer Product Warranty Rules in Current Form with Some Modifications
FTC Will Keep Consumer Product Warranty Rules in Current Form with Some Modifications
Takata airbags: About 1.5 million vehicles listed in Canada
The absolute number of recalls in Canada in connection with Takata airbags is unclear, but a Transport Canada site listing recalls from automakers adds up to more than 1.5 million vehicles.
House panel won’t approve NHTSA defect budget boost
Washington — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration chief Mark Rosekind on Tuesday sounded the alarm after a House panel approved a spending bill that doesn’t boost the agency’s budget to investigate auto safety defects.
Last week, a Republican-led House appropriations subcommittee approved a spending bill that doesn’t adopt the Obama administration’s request to triple NHTSA’s defect budget and double staffing. It essentially held the agency’s budget at the current level.