Is your recalled vehicle still safe to drive?

Only in rare circumstances, usually when the risk to your safety is high, will an automaker recommend not driving your vehicle at all

Airbags are back in the news, with Honda announcing yet another round of recalls to replace defective Takata inflators. If there’s one thing consistent with recalls, it’s the fact that required parts are almost always in short supply. Another common situation is when Transport Canada or the U.S. NHTSA publicizes campaigns long before dealerships receive any notifications on repairs and required parts.

This latter frustration — on the part of both consumers and dealers — often stems from government mandates to notify the public as soon as the problem is identified, even if a repair strategy hasn’t been developed. But if your vehicle is the subject of a recall, should you be driving it? read more »

Ferraris Recalled for Fire Risk

Not even exclusive, extremely expensive Ferraris are immune to government-induced recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a recall for certain Ferrari models. Apparently some can catch on fire, an issue that some have accused the storied Italian brand of not fully addressing for years. Considering people still clamor for the cars, those accusations don’t seem to have dented the brand’s image.

This time around, the issue is faulty fuel vapor separators, something you’ll find in modern evaporative systems. That’s not a really sexy or exciting part of a vehicle, until your prized car suddenly burns to the ground. According to the NHTSA recall, some separators could crack and leak fuel, which then hits hot parts and ignites.

You might be surprised at this list of Ferraris recalled: 2017 LaFerrari Aperta, 2018-2019 488 GTB, 488 Spider, 488 Pista, GTC4Lusso, GTC4Lusso T, and 812 Superfast. It’s especially shocking to see the LaFerrari Aperta on the list, considering it’s worth millions, since that would be one horrendous insurance claim. In total there are about 2,150 vehicles in the United States included in this recall, all of which can be fixed free of charge at a Ferrari dealer, or you risk an unexpected barbecue. read more »

Will Boeing Face U.S. Criminal Charges for 737 Max Crashes?

‘Deadly Defect’

U.S. investigators are probably looking for any false statements or material omissions by Boeing officials, such as misrepresenting to pilots how the aircraft operated and whether there were internal documents backing that up, according to former federal prosecutors.

The government could bring fraud charges if it determines the company lied to authorities or tried to cover up concerns about the aircraft’s systems, the former prosecutors said.

GM agreed in September 2017 to pay $900 million to settle a criminal probe, admitting that it failed to disclose to regulators a defective ignition switch that had been linked to at least 124 deaths. The company was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy for its scheme to hide a “deadly safety defect” from regulators. GM entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. To date, no individuals have been prosecuted.

Toyota agreed to pay $1.2 billion in 2014 to end a criminal investigation into sticky gas pedals and shifting floor mats linked to sudden, unintended acceleration. The U.S. charged Toyota with wire fraud, alleging the company misled consumers and federal regulators about the problem. The company entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, admitting responsibility. No individuals were charged. read more »