Used-car buyers should heed recalls

More than 80,000 used vehicles in Ohio that were advertised for sale online last year had open recalls, which can pose safety risks to both auto buyers and motorists with whom they share the road, according to a recent study.

Repairing recalled parts is essential to the performance, safety and resale value of used vehicles. But about 2.7 million used vehicles across the country that were placed for sale on the Internet in 2011 had open recalls, according to a study by Carfax, a Virginia-based company that provides vehicle-history data.

Many sellers do not divulge that their vehicles require repairs, and many buyers do not know their purchases have defects. Auto experts said consumers should do their homework whenever they buy a used vehicle to determine whether it needs repairs at a dealer.

“People need to realize these are safety issues,” said Chris Basso, public relations manager with Carfax. “By not getting them fixed, you are putting your family and other people who you are on the road with at-risk.”

In Ohio last year, about 83,000 cars with open recalls were available for sale online, according to Carfax; that was up from 50,000 cars in 2009.

Vehicles sold online represent only a portion of all used vehicles on the market.

The online listings are “just the tip of the iceberg,” he said.

Basso said many used car dealers and individual sellers do not disclose the fact that their vehicles have defects.

[If you've been involved in an accident due in part to a manufacturer's defect, contact The Cole Legal Group]

Auto sellers have no legal obligation to divulge unfixed recall issues, and it is not against the law to sell vehicles with defects, Basso said.

But auto manufacturers go to considerable lengths to tell car owners of recalls, he said, because defective parts can cause vehicles to malfunction or they can lead to costly damage.

Auto makers fix recall problems for free, so there are no reasons — financial or otherwise — for ignoring the warnings, Basso said.

After buying used vehicles, consumers should contact the closest local dealer that sells their brand of car or truck to determine if there are any recall issues they need to resolve, said Jim Mitchell, executive director of the Ohio Independent Auto Dealer’s Association.

“Just give them the (vehicle identification number) to see if there are any open recalls,” Mitchell said. “If there are, get them fixed, because it is to their benefit and safety to do so.”

Owners can research recalls online at websites such as carfax.com and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s site, nhtsa.gov.

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source: Dayton Daily News (Frolik, 6/3)

Car Brake Overrides Proposed in U.S. After Toyota Recalls

Auto-safety regulators proposed requiring cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. to have so- called brake override features to stop a vehicle when drivers press both the brake and accelerator.

Today’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposal follows record recalls in 2009 and 2010 by Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) for defects that may cause unintended acceleration.

Texas Manufacturer's Defect Lawyer [click to read more]

“America’s drivers should feel confident that any time they get behind the wheel they can easily maintain control of their vehicles -- especially in the event of an emergency,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “By updating our safety standards, we’re helping give drivers peace of mind that their brakes will work even if the gas pedal is stuck down while the driver is trying to brake.”

The rule, which would update an existing auto-safety regulation, would cost “close to zero” because most carmakers already meet the requirement, according to the agency.

“We’re glad they’re doing it and we’re glad it’s uniform so all vehicles will be required to have an override,” Henry Jasny, vice president and general counsel for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, based in Washington, said in an interview. “The population of vehicles without it has grown smaller since the Toyota sudden acceleration issue came out several years ago. But there are no performance standards for it.”

Runaway Lexus

The agency developed the proposed rule and a recommendation issued in December to standardize keyless ignitions to let drivers turn off cars faster after a driver and family members died in a 2009 crash of a runaway Lexus ES-350 that didn’t have a brake-override feature.

NHTSA, in the proposal, said it’s received “thousands” of complaints about unintended acceleration since 2000, with some involving stuck accelerator pedals that brake override technology used in vehicles with electronic throttle controls would be designed to counter.

The systems are designed to cut power to the engine when the throttle and brake are pressed simultaneously, which can occur with a jammed accelerator or a driver accidentally slamming on the wrong pedal.

Reduced Sales

Toyota, based in Toyota City, Japan, said in November 2009 it would install a brake-override system on some of its vehicles after drivers reported unintended acceleration and its sales fell 26 percent in the first 10 months of that year.

By February 2010, before U.S. congressional hearings into Toyota recalls, the company had said it would put brake override systems on all new models beginning in 2011 and would retrofit seven existing models with software fixes.

“We are currently reviewing the NHTSA notice of proposed rulemaking in detail but are proud that with the 2011 model year, Toyota was the first full-line automaker to make brake override systems standard across all model lines,” Brian Lyons, a U.S.-based Toyota spokesman, said in an e-mail.

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source: Bloomberg (Keane, 4/12)