The federal government and Ford Motor are investigating partial engine failures on some 725,000 recent-model vehicles that could cut engine power, often at highway speed.

Affected: 2009 through 2011 models of Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs and Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford report nearly 1,500 complaints that appear related to the problem; three crashes were involved and one person was hurt. No deaths have been reported.

The faulty parts were made by Delphi, NHTSA says. Delphi and Ford issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) in 2009 describing to dealers how to fix the problem.

But NHTSA continued getting complaints, including on 2010 and 2011 models, and "the complaints show an apparent increasing trend," the agency says.

Last month, reports of nine fires prompted Ford to recall some 2013 Escapes and Fusions.   More than 89,000 SUVs were recalled in total. 

This is the fourth recall of the new Escape and the second for the Fusion.  The recall deals with overheating in the two models.  The problem occurs when coolant doesn’t flow through the radiator to be cooled and in this case, is occurring due to a valve not opening correctly.  This calve controls the flow of coolant to the radiator and was not opening at the right time.  

A software change in the computer that controls the valve should be available at Ford dealers next week and, according to Ford, will fix the problem.

On Friday, September 28^th, General Motors disclosed in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was recalling five of its vehicle models produced from 2007 through 2009: the Chevrolet Cobalt (2007-2009), Chevrolet Equinox (2007), Pontiac G5 (2007-2009), Pontiac Torrent (2007) and Saturn Ion (2007).The affected models were originally sold or registered in seven states, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. The recall stems from the concern that these particular vehicles "have a condition in which the plastic supply or return port on the fuel pump module may crack, which could cause a fuel leak." The potential for the fuel leak to incite a fire prompted GM to issue the recall of more than 40,000 of its vehicles.

The automaker expressed that it will notify vehicle owners of the recall, and that the fuel pump modules in question will be replaced by GM dealers at no cost to the owners.

Since June, GM has been plagued by vehicle defects necessitating national recalls. In September, the vehicle manufacturer recalled more than 426,000 sedans in the U.S. due to transmission problems. The sedan recall came on the heels of a June recall of more than 400,000 Chevrolet Cruzes afflicted with engine issues.

It has been reported that numerous drivers of Volkswagen Beetles have been experiencing transmission failure or malfunction. Transmission failure manifests itself in two ways, both equally dangerous: it can either involuntarily lurch a car forward into traffic or it can cause the car to break down in the middle of traffic. One adverse report detailed a driver who was stopped a red light when her car shot forward into the intersection. The potentially dangerous effects of these malfunctions are becoming increasingly alarming.

What makes matters more difficult are reports that Volkswagen will not cover the cost of repair for faulty transmissions. When initially made aware of the defective transmission, Volkswagen offered to extend the warranty to cover the valve body of the transmission. However, reports suggest that this warranty is of little use to drivers because it does not cover damage to the transmission as a result of the defective valve body, which can cost up to thousands of dollars to fix. Thus, Volkswagen’s warranty covers one aspect of the failing transmission but fails to incorporate effects of this failure that result in significant damages.

The product liability attorneys at Arias Ozzello & Gignac are currently investigating claims of faulty transmissions in the Volkswagen Beetles. If you or someone you know drives a Volkswagen Beetle and has experienced transmission defects or malfunction, contact us today to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages. 

On January 20, 2012, Kia announced a recall of 146,000 vehicles for faulty airbags that may not deploy in the event of a collision. Kia reports that in most cases the driver would be warned of the airbag defect by a warning light, and that it has not heard of any injuries related to the damaged product.

The recall includes the Optima sedan from 2006-2008 and the Rondo wagon from 2007-2008. This recall came not long after Hyundai, the parent company of Kia, recalled 205,000 vehicles for a similar problem. The defect in the airbag comes from the clock spring, a component found in the steering wheel. Over time, the clock spring assembly may wear and become damaged or defective as a result. According to Kia, this damaged clock spring may prevent the airbag from deploying in a crash.

Even though Kia has reported that no serious injuries have occurred, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that this defect could pose a serious safety risk to those involved. The NHTSA and Kia’s objective is to get the cars back to the dealership for repair before any serious injuries occur. The recall is expected to begin in March.

For California product liability class action lawyers, it's almost like a revisit to the Ford Pinto exploding gas tank crisis of the 70s.  This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would soon begin investigating thousands of Grand Jeep Cherokees for a possible defective gas tank design that could increase the risks of a fire and explosion.

The NHTSA investigation has been triggered by efforts by consumer safety group, Center for Auto Safety.  The group has called on the NHTSA to investigate whether the gas tank design in the Grand Jeep Cherokee - below the rear bumper and behind the rear axle-could cause a fuel leak if it is involved in a rear end collision.  The group also wants the NHTSA to determine whether the plastic tank could puncture during a rollover because of a lack of protective shielding for it.  The group also has concerns about whether the neck of the tank could wear off.  According to the Center for Auto Safety, the design and placement of the gas tank in the Grand Jeep Cherokee is “terrible” and increases the risks of a gas tank explosion during impact.

The NHTSA is not making any commitments at this point in time.  The agency says it has not found any additional instances of gas tank fires in rear end collisions involving the Grand Jeep Cherokees, compared to other sports utility vehicles.  However, the agency has reports of 44 accidents involving the Grand Jeep Cherokee since 1992.  These accidents have ended in 55 deaths.  In all of these accidents, fire was listed as the most harmful factor.  Out of these accidents, at least 10 crashes and three deaths were associated with rear ender collisions.

The Jeep Cherokees in the investigation includes models manufactured between 1993 and 2004.  An estimated 3 million vehicles are involved in the investigation.

If you own a Honda and your side airbags have deployed without being in an accident, we would like to talk to you.

In another major victory, a Senate committee has passed an auto safety bill that would force automakers to meet new safety standards, and impose far stricter penalties on companies that fail to report auto defects immediately to federal authorities. The bill also includes enhanced powers for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an often embattled agency that has found itself at a loss to be able to announce recalls quickly, and keep Americans safe.

Class action attorneys have been monitoring the bill as it finally heads towards becoming law. The process was set in motion because of the massive recalls involving Toyota vehicles last year, and an international scandal related to a sudden acceleration problem in the Japanese-made vehicles. A national outcry over dozens of deaths involving acceleration in these cars, and the fact that the NHTSA did little to recall the cars, have helped push the bill forward. Last month, the new auto safety bill cleared a House committee. Lawmakers are pushing for the bill to be cleared before the 4th of July.

This is the most wide-reaching auto safety bill in years. It addresses a wide variety of problems that lawmakers and class action attorneys have been concerned about. Under the provisions of the bill, not only will the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have greater powers to announce a recall, but will also have the power to impose higher penalties on automakers for failing to speed up a recall. Earlier this year, Toyota was slapped with a laughable fine of a maximum of $16.4 million. Under the bill, the maximum penalties that can be levied on automakers will be spiked to $300 million.

Automakers will also be required to equip their cars with black box data recorders and brake override systems. The NHTSA is expected to benefit from an expanded budget of $280 million from the current $140 million.

It’s now the turn of Ford Motor Company to face increased heat over several reported incidents of stuck accelerator pedals in its Fusion vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it has begun a preliminary investigation into reports of gas pedal entrapment by floor mats. Approximately 249,301 units of Fusion vehicles are included in the investigation.

The agency says it has received at least three verified complaints, alleging that the accelerator pedals in the Ford Fusion vehicles became trapped by unsecured all-weather floor mats. All Fusion cars of the current model year are included in the investigation.

In April, Dan Edmunds of Edmunds.com reported one such incident while he was driving his Fusion. He noticed that the gas pedal became stuck for a period of 3 to 4 seconds while he was driving. Edmonds then conducted experimental testing, and found the same results. He posted the results on his website. In Edmonds case, the all weather floor mats had been stacked on the standard mats.

For now, the agency is asking consumers not to place the all weather floor mats on the standard mats, but to remove the standard mats first. Ford Motor Company says it does not recommend stacking of floor mats under any circumstances.

The complaints that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received have not involved any accidents, injuries or fatalities. But after the Toyota fiasco when California class action lawyers, the media and the public lambasted the agency for its failure to take action after the initial reports of the stuck gas pedals, the agency is taking no chances.

It was known even at the peak of the Toyota pedal crisis that the Japanese automaker was not the only company whose vehicles had problems with sticking gas pedals. General Motors and Chrysler vehicles too have also been linked to the sudden unintended acceleration problem, although these have not resulted in deaths in the same manner that the Toyota problem has. They've also been very few injuries, linked to stuck accelerator pedals in vehicles by other companies.

It took thousands of recalled vehicles, hundreds of class action lawsuits and dozens of headlines, but lawmakers in Washington finally are interested in tougher safety standards for automobiles. Last Thursday, Congress set in motion legislation that could make the lives of car company CEOs very uncomfortable.

The last time Congress addressed safety issues with automobiles was 10 years ago when Ford Explorers were equipped with exploding Firestone tires. The much-chronicled fall from grace for popular car maker Toyota is seen as today's call to action for Congress members. Toyota’s faulty accelerator pedals, along with the plethora of high-profile lawsuits that came hand-in-hand with the recalls, have made automobile safety a hot-button issue in Washington. Hoping to give voters some peace of mind while picking up some extra votes for themselves along the way, Congress is fast-tracking legislation in hopes of stopping another Toyota -like catastrophe.

A pair of bills prepared by Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV are expected to serve as the general framework for Washington’s proposed safety overhaul of the auto business. Among the proposals on the table are the enforcement of "black box" technology installment in new vehicles. Black boxes, like the ones used in airplanes, tell investigators what went wrong mechanically. Mandatory black boxes, lawmakers say, would force car companies to take accountability for the products they market to consumers. Congress also has suggested that car companies be required to install brake override systems. Also proposed are rapid recalls that would push car makers to take faulty vehicles off the road immediately to prevent further injury. Finally, Congress has proposed slapping manufacturers with steep fines for safety issues.

The House and the Senate are expected to reach decisions on definitive legislation in a series of hearings focused on car safety later this month.