Articles Tagged with Defective Products

With the number of recalls being initiated this year, it is expected that mechanical items such as tires, brakes and acceleration systems could be recalled for adjustments or replacements. It would not be expected that the glass that allows  drivers to see could also lead to their undoing.

According to a recent ABC News.com report, there has been an increasing incidence of sunroofs shattering unexpectedly. Some sunroofs have failed while a driver is heading down the freeway. Others have broken while the driver is at a stop sign. Because the reasons for failure have been so varied, and not necessarily because of an object hitting the glass, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation. 

The NHTSA has indicated that it would be reviewing incidents involving Kia Sorrentos. The Administration indicates that it has received nearly 400 complaints of sunroofs spontaneously cracking and breaking. As of this report, neither the car company nor federal regulators have learned of the specific reasons behind this problem. A recall has not yet been issued, and no major injuries or deaths have been reported.

If there is one thing, besides your engine, that it is wise to maintain during the summer driving season, it is your tires. Often overlooked, tires provide the ability for cars to maneuver around hazards and stay on the road in inclement weather. For the most part, tires are fairly reliable. But when they are compromised, either because of excessive wear or design defects, the results can be catastrophic.

This is likely the reason behind the recall of nearly 90,000 tires manufactured by Hercules Tire & Rubber Company. The recall was initiated after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was informed that the Hercules tires were similar to another tire that was recalled last fall because of problems with tread separation. 

As such, the Ohio-based company agreed to recall their tires, specifically 15 and 16 inch models, so that the potentially defective tires can be replaced with updated models that do not have the separation issue. The recall is scheduled to start in August.

Makeup advertisements are supposed to be alluring. They are designed to give the consumer the impression that they will become just as beautiful as the people they see on the screen. This is where lighting angles and clever wording becomes important in the commercial or the magazine ad.

Because of this, it is not surprising that many advertisements are not telling  the truth about what their products can do. As a matter of fact, a new study published in the Journal of Global Fashion Marketing found that fewer than 20 percent of all claims made in cosmetics advertisements are actually true. 

Researchers reviewed more than 275 advertisements in popular fashion magazines, including Vogue, Glamour and Marie Claire that featured makeup products, nail polishes and fragrances that included phrases such as “clinically proven” or “dermatologically tested.”

If it seems like we are picking on Fiat Chrysler in our last few posts, we certainly are not. However, the embattled automaker has been in the news for its many failures to correct mechanical and structural issues that have led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to levy a record fine against the company.

But that is not the only thing keeping Fiat Chrysler in the news. In a prior post we highlighted the potential danger of automobiles being hacked by unauthorized users. While this may seem highly unlikely and more like science fiction, a recent article published by tech magazine Wired, suggests that being hacked could actually happen.

Essentially, the article highlighted how hackers took control of a Jeep Cherokee while a person was driving. They were able to slow the car down and bring it to a stop, and then sending it into a ravine despite the driver’s pleas and attempts to prevent it.

While it may seem like there are fewer recalls this year compared to 2014, it is arguable that the final number will eclipse last year’s record. Part of this may be attributable to new technology that is being introduced, and not necessarily perfected for many uses. Also, the number of fines levied against automakers for failing to issue recalls could be a strong deterrent against complacency in correcting defects.

For those unfamiliar with the new trend of assessing fines against automakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued some of its heaviest fines over the last year. For example, General Motors was forced to pay a $35 million fine for its failure to address the ignition switch problem that led to millions of vehicles being recalled. Similarly, Honda was assessed a $70 million fine for its failure to inform consumers about the dangers of airbags manufactured by Takata. 

The latest fine assessed to Fiat Chrysler is the largest by far; $105 million. The announcement comes on the heels of a rare public hearing where the NHTSA detailed a litany of the company’s shortfalls in alerting consumers of recalls, failing to correct mechanical hazards in a timely manner and even failing to find solutions for existing problems; often leaving consumers left with no answers and no options.

Much has been said about the Takata airbag recall. It has been reported that nearly one in seven vehicles on the road in the United States could be potentially affected. This translates into more than 30 million cars, trucks and vans across the country. In light of the debate over who would be responsible for injuries stemming from potentially defective airbags, not much has been said about what makes them dangerous.

A recent article published in The Atlantic does a great job of describing this, and we will highlight it through this post. 

Essentially, the danger, and suspected defect can be traced to the chemical compound used to inflate the airbags that are supposed to protect a driver in the event of a crash. Prior to 2001, airbags were inflated by using tetrazole; but in 2002 Takata changed the compound to ammonium nitrate. Takata reportedly defended this change by saying it was “safe and effective for use in airbag inflators when properly engineered and manufactured.”

Having a SUV with an automatic lift gate is a tremendous luxury. Being able to open the back door with just a push of a button is a welcome convenience when you have your hands full. But while we have written in a number of our posts that the recalls will keep coming for automobiles, the latest recall from General Motors is a testament to that foresight.

GM recently announced that it would be recalling more than 700,000 SUVs with power lift gates, citing problems that can lead to the gates falling unexpectedly. According to a recent ABC News.com report, the company indicated that it reported 56 injuries due to this defect. 

The problem is ostensibly based on dirt that can get into the gas struts that hold up the rear gates. This could cause the struts to wear down and eventually fail. Apparently there is software that could detect these problems that is prevented from doing so.

It’s no secret that several automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo along with Google are racing to develop self-driving vehicles (or at least extended autonomous features) in a push to eliminate some of the common accidents that occur because of human error. After all, a self-driving car ostensibly will not give in to road rage, will not drive while under the influence of alcohol, and will not disobey speed limits because the driver is late.

With all of these potential benefits that a computer could bring, there is still a concern that self-driving cars could be susceptible to human error. According to a recent InsuranceJournal.com report, there have been several accidents during the testing of such cars. 

For instance, a Volvo employee who was demonstrating a car that was supposed to detect pedestrians (and brake automatically) accidentally drove into a group of observers. The video footage of the accident made its way onto YouTube, and has been viewed more than four million times. Also, accidents have occurred with Google’s vehicle, essentially because the autonomous system did not take into account how human drivers sometimes “bend” traffic rules so that they could avoid accidents.

One of the great things about the summer is being able get outside and enjoy the great outdoors. There are countless lakes and river recreation areas for people to do just that. Especially with the harsh winters in our region, it behooves people to enjoy the summer time. However, the hot summer weather could leave people vulnerable to burns.

Indeed, there are a number of safety steps that should be taken to avoid burns from grills and fires (for cooking) however, the possibility for sunburns should not be overlooked. With that, this post will focus on what people should do if they are sunburned.

Take sun exposure seriously – Believe it or not, a person can become sunburned in as little as 15 minutes. So it is important to take exposure to the sun very seriously. This means that sunscreen is a must; especially given how sunburns can occur even on a cloudy day.

If there is one thing that people look forward to during the summer months, it is the good old fashioned backyard barbeque. Whether you are into steaks, burgers, bratwurst or chicken, the taste of freshly grilled meat (and veggies) can’t be beat.

For all that is good about grilled food, it could come with hazards. After all, certain foods must be cooked fully to avoid the potential for contracting food borne diseases such as salmonella. Also, for those who use gas grills, paying attention to how much is already present before lighting the grill is important. You certainly don’t want to subject yourself to severe burns emanating from a flash fire. 

But the story of a Connecticut woman reminds us of dangers that can come about even if you are prudent about cleaning your grill. The woman had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a  steel bristle that had come off of a cleaning brush and made its way into a hamburger that she ate.