The Danger of Keyless-Ignition Systems

The technology is convenient (if sometimes annoying), but it means drivers need to be more attentive to whether their engines are running.

Are all the electronics in your car a good thing? When it comes to safety features such as anti-lock brakes and stability-control systems, the answer is yes. Convenience features like touchscreens, however, can add distraction and, at worst, can be dangerous. It's difficult to know where to draw the line, but the New York Times suggests in a recent story that keyless-ignition systems pose an overlooked risk because sometimes, the driver fails to switch the car off or doesn't realize it's still running. It's a follow-up to a larger investigation citing the dangers that can happen when you don't have to physically turn off a key to be sure your car is shut down.

Keyless ignition is popular and rapidly becoming a standard feature because it's convenient. The driver can leave the key fob in a pocket or purse, never worrying about locking the keys in the car. Because it communicates wirelessly with the car's computer, a keyless system is more secure than an old-fashioned key where the number of combinations are a physical constraint. And with fewer moving parts than an ignition tumbler, keyless ignition can be less expensive for the automaker to produce.

General Motors adopted push-button ignition across all its cars after its major ignition switch recall. With no key to turn, there's far less danger of shutting off a car while in motion, whether accidentally or due to a faulty part (the latter being the major factor for GM). read more »

2019 Mazda3 Already Under Recall In the United States

The all-new Mazda3 is in hot waters over the lug nuts. “A manufacturing process error” is to blame, resulting in a gap between the hub bolt and hub flange.

Mazda North American Operations explains that the gap can cause loosening of the lug nuts despite the fact they were tightened to the correct specification. In extreme cases, a wheel might fall off the vehicle, resulting in a high-speed crash. As such, no fewer than 25,003 examples of the breed are under recall. read more »

Dual-clutch gearbox complaints haunt Ford

The Ford Focus and Fiesta are fading away in the U.S., but the headaches caused by the small cars' PowerShift dual-clutch transmissions live on.

Ford Motor Co. never conquered the long-term reliability problems on the gearboxes that thousands of customers complained would shudder, jerk and hesitate.

Although engineers helped solve some early glitches with software updates and redesigned parts, Ford issued more than 20 technical service bulletins related to the transmissions, which were code-named DPS6. In 2014, Ford extended the transmissions' warranty by two years and 40,000 miles.

Litigation over the transmissions remains unresolved. Ford reached a settlement in 2017 for a class-action lawsuit covering 1.9 million owners, but the settlement is being challenged in a federal court in California on the grounds that not enough owners would be compensated. A separate mass-tort case involving thousands of customers is pending in Michigan. read more »