Long Beach Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Defects

Floor Mats Recalled by Toyota

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 15:18:28 GMT

Toyota has received complaints that some of their vehicles may be accelerating unintentionally and they are now issuing a recall for floor mats. The recall covers placemats in certain Camry and Lexus models. Owners of all Toyota models are urged by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make sure their floor mats are installed correctly.

As the Free Press first reported last month, NHTSA had opened an investigation into the floor mats after amassing 40 reports of unintended acceleration in 2007 Lexus ES 350 sedans, including eight crashes and 12 injuries.
Since then, NHTSA has received complaints from owners of other Toyota models about the problem.

The NHTSA has also received complaints about the Tacoma pickup truck and the RAV 4. The recall is for 55,000 floor mats. Toyota will be offering a free replacement floor mat.

If you would like to read more about product recalls, please visit InjuryBoard's Product Recall Information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Chrysler Recalls Two Vehicles

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:51:29 GMT

Chrysler announced that it is recalling 80,000 vehicles due to an automobile defect. The recall involves the 2007 Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Nitro. There have been 180 complaints to Chrysler regarding the problem which involves the engine stalling.

Chrysler officials say the recall is necessary to reprogram a power module that delivers electrical power to the instrument panel and the engine.
They say the power interruption could lead to a short engine stall.

The NHTSA has been investigating the problem. Chrysler will repair the vehicles at no charge to the owners. More information about the recall can be found at www.chrysler.com.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Ford Recalls Escape SUV

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:02:51 GMT

The Ford Motor Company announced that it is recalling over 500,000 Escape SUVs. The recall has to do with corrosion on the anti-lock connectors. They have received concerns from car owners about engine fires.

No accidents or injuries have been reported so far.
When you take your Escape to the dealer, they'll inspect it for corrosion and replace connectors if necessary. The recall doesn't apply to Escape hybrids.

More information can be found on the Ford website here: http://www.ford.com/en/vehicles/owners/recalls/default.htm You can see if your SUV is involved in the recall. Please contact Ford or your dealership for more information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Expensive Cars Not Exempt From Recalls

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 19:53:02 GMT

Recalls affect the auto industry the same as any other. Buying an expensive, luxury car is not an assurance that you will not be buying a car that will be recalled though.

Most recalls are preemptive, initiated by auto makers for flaws that could potentially have disastrous consequences. Though the recalls affecting the largest number of vehicles tend to involve midrange and economy cars and trucks, there were also some notable luxury recalls last year.
Toyota, which suffered a number of attention-getting recalls last year, called back 367,594 of its Lexus RX line of luxury SUVs because loose clips in the driver's side forward center console could allow carpet to slip and interfere with the accelerator pedal. The company also recalled 28,947 Lexus IS and GS sedans for seat-belt issues.

It is important to research any car thoroughly before buying it. Look into the history of a car model and brand if buying a new or used vehicle. Keep researching even after you have purchased to make sure your car is not recalled.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

533,000 Toyota Trucks Recalled for Failed Ball Joints

Christina Cole — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 00:23:08 GMT

Toyota Motor Company is recalling 533,000 trucks and SUVs because of possible steering and suspension problems that are caused by faulty ball joints.

The recall marks a sudden shift in policy for the Japanese carmaker after they repeatedly denied consumer complaints about ball joint problems and failures in the Tundra and Sequoia.

The recall includes 2004 to 2007 model year Sequoia full size sport utility vehicles and 2004 to 2006 Tundra pickups sold in the United States.

A ball joint located in the front suspension may wear out and cause the vehicle to be difficult if not impossible to steer sometimes.

The defect may be the cause of 11 accidents resulting in six injuries, reports Toyota.

In 2006, Toyota reduced the number of their recalls substantially but recalls also declined throughout the auto industry in 2006. An estimated 10.8 million vehicles were recalled last year, industry-wide; compared to 17.9 million recalled cars and trucks in 2005.

The ball joint recall follows a Toyota settlement in a class action lawsuit filed over sludge that was building in the engines of millions of vehicles, requiring the engine to be repaired or replaces. There are believed to be as many as 3 to 4 million vehicles involved.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole