No End in Sight: Vehicle Recalls Across the Board

The disturbing trend of vehicle recalls in the United States continues as more automakers reveal what they know about the cars they build.

Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) began to recall vehicles it knew to possess a defective ignition switch. GM had known for years about the deadly flaw. In recent years, Toyota Motor also came under intense regulatory and media scrutiny because of fatal defects it concealed that affected certain model Toyota cars.

The actions of Toyota and criminal charges it faced set the stage for the outrage that accompanies every new revelation about what GM knew. Already fined millions of dollars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM recently entered into a Consent Decree giving the government oversight of its safety practices.

Perhaps hoping to avoid the same fate as GM and Toyota, other automakers now make frequent news through recalls that include:

• In late March, Nissan recalled more than one million vehicles in Canada and the United States for a defect that could cause airbag failure. In April, Nissan recalled 2014 Leaf model cars for missing welds that could cause frame failure during a collision.
• Early May brought notice of a recall from Ford for defects in airbags and door handles.
• By late May, Suzuki recalled more than 184,000 small cars manufactured for the company by GM. There are defects in steering columns that could ignite a fire.
• In early July, Subaru recalled more than 660,000 vehicles, including SUVs, due to break lines rusting and leaking fluid.

Foreign or made in America, defective cars are driving up the death rate. If you suffer serious injury due to a defective vehicle in New York, you may be able to recover monetary damages for your loss or injuries with the help of a knowledgeable attorney.