Earlier in April, NHTSA announced an investigation into a possible fire risk on the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze after two vehicles had been completely destroyed.

The initial investigation covered 177,000 vehicles from the 2011 model year, but NHTSA is now expanding the investigation to include the 2012 model year raising the total figure to 370,000 vehicles under investigation.

The total number of fires reported still remains at two, both incidents where the vehicle caught on fire while being driven and resulted in total losses. Fortunately in both incidents the driver and its passengers were able to escape the vehicle without injury.

We have however received quite a bit of attention on a previous post about Chevy Cruze fires, with one commenter even posting a video of his Cruze burning. It looks as though this is a serious issue, which has many cases that have gone unreported.

NHTSA will continue to investigate before reporting its findings to the government. It may take up to six months before a recall is issued, if NHTSA believes the Cruze does have a defect.

Early estimates of 2011 traffic fatalities have the figure at 32,310 people, the lowest since 1949 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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To further use technology to make our roadways safer, it was reported back in February that NHTSA wished to mandate vehicle-to-vehicle communication that could help reduce about 80 percent of today’s automotive-related crashes.

While speaking at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, David Strickland said NHTSA is currently working with automakers and other government agencies to expedite the use of vehicle-to-vehicle communication in hopes that more vehicles on the road will be equipped with the technology in the near future.

Over at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor, an ongoing study is testing the technology to help guide NHTSA’s next steps. Its focus is to find the right interface for vehicles to communicate through in order to keep them non-distracting so drivers can keep their eyes on the road.

“The next North Star is keeping the crash from ever happening in the first place,” Strickland said. “We are hard at work from a research standpoint at figuring out the systems that have promise … so that one day we may see deeper penetration in the fleet.”

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

A series of very public Li-ion defect related incidents have caused the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) decision to hold a meeting with automakers and battery suppliers with regards to the safety of the new technology.

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A new study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that most car accidents that occur because a driver mistakenly hits the gas pedal instead of the brakes involve older female drivers in parking lots.

Apparently, almost two-thirds of drivers involved in this type of accident were female, and occurred more frequently with drivers over the age of 76 and under the age of 20. But guys, you aren’t off the hook – when looking at all types of crashes, 60 percent of drivers involved are male.

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Following the rash of alleged self-accelerating cars, U.S. regulators are calling for all automakers to make throttle override mechanisms standard equipment in every light vehicle.

This issue came to light after Toyota’s unintended acceleration case, which spurred NHTSA to begin looking into override technology in 2010.

Essentially, the required system would ensure that the brake will overpower the gas pedal when the two are applied simultaneously and bring the car to a stop. A 60-day comment period will be held to gauge public reaction, at the end of which NHTSA will review the proposal again.

The new mechanisms will help drivers feel safer behind the wheel, which is of course one of consumers top concerns. ”America’s drivers should feel confident that anytime they get behind the wheel they can easily maintain control of their vehicles — especially in the event of an emergency,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Although many automakers have already taken a preemptive step and made this type of system available, the law would make it mandatory.

“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,” LaHood said.

You can see the full NHTSA proposal here.

Nothing is certain but death and taxes. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study which consisted of researcher Dr. Donald Redelmeier and colleague Christopher Yanell of the University of Toronto comparing the number of fatalities during each tax deadline day to the number of fatalities occurring on regular days. The statistics show that the number of fatal crashes taking place during tax deadline day was 6 percent higher than the control days.

Dr. Redelmeier says, “Tax Day is one of the few opportunities to study societal stress on a widespread basis because it’s synchronized and it’s recurrent throughout an enormously large community.”

A total of 19,541 individuals were killed in crashes during the 30 tax days and 60 control days. Sorting the numbers, Redelmeier’s study revealed that the 30 tax days accounted for 6,783 deaths, or an average of 226 fatalities per day. In comparison, the 60 control days accounted for 12,758 deaths, averaging 213 fatalities a day. Spread over 3 decades, fatalities on tax deadline day account for an additional 404 fatalities.

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Last month, NHTSA issued guidelines to establish criteria for reducing distraction from electronic devices installed by manufacturers while the vehicle is in motion, but those rules come with some surprising stipulations.

One of those strange recommendations said “dynamic, continuously moving maps are not recommended.” In other words, the navigation display that updates in real-time to show where you are, would just be static. NHTSA recommends that static or near-static maps for the purpose of driving directions are acceptable. But in a way, that essentially eliminates the usefulness of having an in-car sat nav. Imagine driving along using your navigation and not having an idea of how close or far away your turn is.

Another odd statement from NHTSA was that drivers cannot comprehend more than 30 characters of text at a quick glance. Therefore, its recommendation is that infotainment systems should display no more than 30 characters of text at any given time. Scrolling text is also unacceptable. To put that into perspective, it’s difficult to squeeze an entire song and artist title into 30 characters on a single screen display.

Now obviously we acknowledge in today’s world there are a lot more distractions in our vehicles that could hinder our ability to drive. But wouldn’t educating drivers more effectively be a smarter way of resolving the issues?

[Source: CNet]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it closed the investigations surrounding possible fires on the Volkswagen Passat and cracked cooling fans on various GM trucks without issuing a recall or fines to either automaker.

Originally the 2002-03 model year Passats were under investigation for possible ignition coil fires in July 2010 but things didn’t stop there. In January 2011, the investigation was upgraded to include 2001-07 VW Passat models with the four-cylinder, turbocharged engine. There were 135 unique fire engine reports attributed to the coil-on plugs, but after a thorough investigation there was no safety-related defect identified, so the investigation closed.

Unfortunately the investigation closure alone doesn’t ensure the absence of a defect. NHTSA will continue to monitor the issue to see if further action needs to be taken. None of the fires reached beyond the engine bay and no reports of crashes or injury were related to the 135 incidents.

GM on the other hand, got a thumbs-up after NHTSA looked into the cracked cooling fans on GMT-560 series of trucks. Those trucks span models from Chevrolet, GMC and Isuzu including the 4500 and 5000 medium-duty trucks. Even though NHTSA said that it “remains concerned about the potential for injury,” at the current time it can’t find the cause for the issue and that the complaints are “small and diminishing.”

Not exactly comforting, but we also know NHTSA would issue a recall if the organization saw fit to do so.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a preliminary investigation regarding approximately 360,000 units of Ford Taurus produced from 2005 through 2006.

According to 14 Taurus owners, the Ford Taurus has experienced incidents of stuck throttle due to cruise control cable detachment.

NHTSA revealed that most complaints described that the Taurus would experience, “engine speeds as high as approximately 4,000rpm after shifting into Park or Neutral”. Drivers noted that a shift into neutral or an engine shut off was necessary to effectively slow the vehicle down.

Although there are no reported accidents or injuries, one incident involved a Ford Taurus driver who allegedly went through a red light, partially crossing the intersection before he could stop the vehicle. “This is an extremely dangerous situation,” the driver wrote. “There needs to be something done about this before it becomes fatal.”

According to NHTSA, “A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.” Interestingly, Ford Taurus mechanical twin Mercury Sable is not a part of the investigation.

More information and details from Ford and the NHTSA will be available as the investigation continues.

GALLERY: 2005 Ford Taurus

Nissan has just announced that it is recalling 2,983 2012 Murano and Rogue models that were manufactured from November 23, 2011 through to January 11, 2012.

During the assembly of these 2012 Murano and Rogue vehicles, the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) was not activated. As a result, the system is unable to warn the driver of an underinflated tire. This could lead to a tire overloading and overheating, resulting in a blowout and possible car accident.

The 2012 Murano and Rouge models that are affected by this recall are still in dealer inventory and dealers will be activating all of the tire pressure monitoring systems.

If you have any questions, please contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or visit http://www.safercar.gov/.

After multiple recalls issued out by several different automakers, NHTSA is expanding their investigation into what is causing these potentially faulty side airbags. It appears that the impacted makes and models contain airbags that may have been manufactured with an ineffective mix of inflation gasses.

Vehicles that have already been recalled for this exact issue include the Honda Accord and Crosstour, the 2012 Subary Legacy and Outback, and the 2011 Toyota RAV4, just to name a few. Up until now, only a total of 2,700 vehicles have been recalled but that number could grow exponentially.

The manufacturer of the faulty airbags are from Swedish supplier Autoliv. Apparently a total shipment of 10,500 faulty inflators were sent out to automakers in addition to two other airbag manufacturers. We could be looking at some recalls for Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Kia, and Suzuki models in the near future as all those automakers purchased faulty airbags from Autoliv. Unfortunately as of right now, which models are equipped with the faulty side air bags is unknown, but hopefully NHTSA clears it up soon.

The American automakers Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors have already said that their airbag inflators work differently than their foreign counterparts and they all have not seen any failures in their testing.

[Source: The Detroit News]

A recall of 2012 Honda Pilot and Acura MDX sport-utility vehicles has just been announced. According to American Honda Motors, about 8,709 Pilot and Acura SUV models have “vent shut float (VSF) valve” issues. If left unattended, the faulty VSF valve could cause a fuel leak, which means an increased fire risk.

If you drive a 2012 Honda Pilot or Acura MDX SUV, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that Honda will inspect and fix the VSF valve, if necessary. Both the inspection and the replacement will be free of charge.

If you are affected by the recall, Honda will notify you around March 13, using the recall campaign numbers S25 and S26.

If you’d like more information on this recall, call Honda’s toll-free customer service at 1-800-999-1009 or visit the NHTSA website at www.SaferCar.gov.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a new test dummy yesterday in an effort to further improve its crash testing procedures.

The new dummy weighs 74 pounds and is meant to simulate a child nearing the maximum recommended size for a car seat: 80 pounds. That figure was recently revised by NHTSA, where the group previously suggested children shoudl remain in car steats until their grew past 4 feet, 9 inches tall or were older than eight.

“Our new dummy is an excellent addition to NHTSA’s extensive child seat compliance testing program and will enable the agency to gather the best data yet on the performance of higher-weight child seats,” said David Strickland, NHTSA Administrator.”Even as we begin to reap the benefits of this new tool, NHTSA is already looking down the road and has research under way to further improve the dummy.”

Scientific studies suggesting heavier weight recommendations for children remaining in auxiliary restraints like car seats caused a shift in statistics as children remained in them later. That in turn forced NHTSA to add the dummy meant to mimic a typical 10-year-old child.

“It’s good news that manufacturers are making more car seats and boosters than ever before designed to keep older and heavier children safer on our roadways,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The new test dummy breaks new ground for the Department’s crash test program and is a significant step forward for evaluating child seat performance.”

BMW has been charged with a U.S. civil penalty for a failure to report auto-safety defects and recalls in a timely manner for approximately 338,700 vehicles in 2010.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), BMW was reviewed in 2010 when the German automaker routinely did not disclose enough information regarding defects and recalls for vehicles including the X5 and X6 SUVs, the 5-series Grand Turismo crossover, 1 Series and 7 Series Cars, as well as motorcycles. In NHTSA’s December 15, 2010 report, a regulator noted, “BMW appears to maintain a practice, by design or habit, in which it provides little information in its initial filings. Where information required to be provided as part of a recall report is not provided initially, BMW will assure it will provide that information, but then take an inordinate amount of time to do so.”

At $3 million, BMW received the highest penalty since the NHTSA fined Toyota $16.4 million for its own defects and recalls.

Quoted from an email statement written by NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, “It’s critical to the safety of the driving public that defects and recalls are reported in short order. NHTSA expects all manufacturers to address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner.”

According to BMW U.S. spokesman Dave Buchko, BMW will respond by changing its reporting methods for future recalls and defects. Buchko adds, “In each case when a defect was identified, a recall was conducted.”

[Source: Bloomberg]

In the continued pursuit to make our roadways as safe as possible, several automakers, like BMW, have been researching vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology which could become mandatory in the future.

A decision will come next year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in whether or not it will mandate the technology for future vehicles.

While the technology itself isn’t new, the concept of vehicle-to-vehicle communication is still in its infancy stages and hasn’t proven itself to be a reliable method to reduce accidents. But even in its young stage, it has already shown its potential in what it can do by allowing vehicles to communicate with one another in order to avoid collisions.

NHTSA is currently wrapping up a study to determine the merits of vehicle-to-vehicle communication and should reach a conclusion soon on whether or not they’ll mandate the technology for future vehicles by 2013. That is, a decision will be made by 2013 but we shouldn’t expect the technology to really be fully integrated for another decade. It’s also safe to assume any mandate they pass won’t go into effect anytime soon either.

What is remarkable though is that NHTSA believes about 80-percent of crashes could be avoided through any use of vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Calls for a recall of the 1993 to 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee have been redoubled after the release of a new report documenting the growing list of fatalities associated with the SUV.

The report, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has added 14 more deaths to the SUVs total, resulting from fires that occurred in rear end collisions. In total, the Jeep from that era has claimed 284 people in 198 accidents due to the vehicle catching fire, says the Center for Auto Safety (CAS).

Jeep Grand Cherokees are at an unusually high risk of catching fire during these types of crashes alleges the CAS, due to the gas tank being located behind the rear axle.

The Ford Pinto was made infamous for a similar design that resulted in fiery rear end collisions, and CAS points out in a letter to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne that at the time of its recall the number of deaths associated with that car were relatively small, totaling 28.

The rather sensational letter asks Marchionne to act on this news and says, “Your predecessor as CEO of Chrysler once said that part of his decision to install airbags at Chrysler was the prospect of St Peter at the gates of heaven asking him about airbags in cars. Just as surely, St. Peter will ask you about fuel tanks in Jeep Grand Cherokees.”

In response Chrysler says that, “…rear impacts resulting in a fire are extremely rare. Rear impacts resulting in a fire occur no more often in 1993 – 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles than in peer vehicles, and the 1993 – 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles are at no greater risk of exposure to fire in rear-end collisions than peer vehicles. Accordingly, Chrysler Group has concluded that 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles are neither defective nor do their fuel systems pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety in rear impact collisions.”

The 1993 to 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee is currently under investigation by NHTSA but no recall has been issues.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

It’s officially winter and it’s also the holiday season – is your car ready for all those road trips?

Before heading out to visit family and friends long distance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that you check your vehicle before heading out and to drive with extra caution this season. Here is a list to go over before you hit the roads and make merry with loved ones.

Routine Car Service:

• To ensure your car is running in tip-top condition, drop by your mechanic for a tune-up and routine maintenance.

Car Battery:

• Your car’s battery doesn’t like the cold. Battery power tends to drop when it gets colder, so be sure your battery is ready for the chilly months ahead.

• While you’re at the garage, check your battery for sufficient voltage, have the charging system and belts inspected and tighten the battery cable connections.

• If you drive an electric car with a gasoline backup system, make sure you’ve got a supply in the vehicle, in case you run out.

Cooling System:

• Make sure your coolant can stand up to cold winter temperatures and make sure you have enough at all times.

• Check the cooling system for leaks.

• Your coolant system should be flushed every couple of years. If it’s been awhile, now’s the time to do it.

Windshield Wipers and Defrosters:

• Fill up on high-quality, no-freeze fluid and keep an extra bottle in the car – you’ll go through plenty of it in the winter.

• Replace worn blades with heavy-duty winter wipers.

• Check that front and rear window defrosters are working properly.

Tires:

• Because tire pressure drops when it gets colder, check tire pressure frequently and make sure each tire is filled to the vehicle manufacturer’s suggested PSI of air pressure.

• Take a close look at your tire treads and replace ones that have uneven wear or insufficient tread.

An investigation of the Infiniti M45 has been launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding the fuel gauges of the 2003-2004 M45′s. The investigation was prompted by consumer complaints about the fuel gauge readings being inaccurate.

According to NHTSA there have been 43 reports filed concerning faulty gauges in the luxury sedan. Of these, 23 cases report drivers running out of fuel despite the gauge not reading empty. The action taken by the company depends on NHSTA’s preliminary report which will focus on the scope and frequency of the problem. If the gauges are found to have major internal issues it could result in a consumer safety recall of the vehicle.

The Pontiac G8, the brand’s last hurrah before GM completely discontinued its operations, is now subject to recall due too concerns regarding the front passenger air bag module.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the air bags may suffer from a possible delay in airbag deployment at the moment of a collision, causing it to fail compliance with federal standards for head injury protection.

GM aims to reprogram the sensing and diagnostic controls of the airbag. To date, no injuries have been reported as a result to the delay and malfunction.

34,000 units of GM’s 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossovers are recalled due too improperly calibrated tire pressure monitoring systems.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, requires all tire pressure monitoring systems to illuminate a warning signal when the tires are below 25 percent of the vehicle’s recommended psi. However, the sensors fitted into the 2012 Equinox and Terrain may not illuminate until it is even lower than that.

Improperly inflated tires will result to various unsafe situations including an overloaded and overheating tire that may blowout at speed, increasing the possibilities of a crash. Inconveniences such as irregular and premature wear, poor handling, as well as poor fuel economy can be a result of underinflated tires as well.

GALLERY: 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain

The British hot hatch just got hotter. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 12 complaints were received in regards to MINI Cooper S engine fires, 5 of them resulted to total vehicle loss. Concerned that this is not an isolated incident, NHTSA has announced an investigation on 36,000 2007-2008 Mini Cooper S, Mini Cooper S, and 2008 Mini Clubman models.

The good news is no accident, crash, or injury were reported as a result of the fires. In fact, Eight complaints reported that a fire occurred while the vehicles were parked with its ignition off. However, as engine fire reports have increased in the past year, NHTSA submitted these complaints as Early Warning Reporting data in hopes to address the anomaly before more Minis are affected.

Mini’s parent company, BMW, has yet to return a message in regards to the matter.

NHTSA have conducted previous Mini investigations concerning power steering failures.

[Source: Detroit News]

General Motors will be offering the industry’s first front center air bag in select vehicles. This inflatable restraint will help to protect drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes where the affected occupant is on the opposite, non-struck side of the vehicle.

You’re going to have to wait a bit for the new front center air bag – it will be introduced on the 2013 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Chevrolet Traverse midsize crossovers (it will come standard on Acadia and Traverse with power seats and all Enclaves).

Here’s how it works: found in between the front row seats near the center of the vehicle, the tethered, tubular air bag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat. It protects the driver when they are the only occupant in the event of a passenger-side crash. When there is a driver and a front passenger, it acts as energy absorbing cushion in both driver- and passenger-side crashes. As well, it will offer protection if your vehicle is involved in a rollover accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database, far-side impact crashes account 11 percent of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009 involving 1999 model year or newer vehicles. The stats go on to show that in these far-side fatalities, where the occupant is on the non-struck side of the vehicle, also represent 29 percent of all the belted front occupant fatalities in side impact crashes.

Partnering with technology supplier Takata, GM’s front center air bag took three years to develop. It went through a series of designs to address packaging, cushioning, and restraint issues that could occur in different crash and occupant position scenarios.

Even though the front center air bag is not required by federal regulation, it will add to the vehicles’ third-party crash test performance results. “The front center airbag has real potential to save lives in side crashes,” said Adrian Lund, president of the insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  “GM and Takata are to be commended for taking the lead in this important area.”

Watch the video of the air bag in action after the jump.

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It’s surprising to learn that with all the information out there about the dangers of distracted driving, according to a recent Virginia Tech study, it is still responsible for 80 percent of all car crashes. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving is the main factor for about 5,500 automotive fatalities annually. It seems like we just can’t put down our cell phone or stop fiddling with the radio settings while we drive.

By making a few small adjustments to your driving routine, you can prevent distracted driving accidents, as well as pass on good driving behaviors to younger drivers who are in the car with you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you start the car.

•     Before heading out, pick your radio station, choose your playlist, and turn on the air conditioning or heating.

•     Make your phone calls or send text messages before leaving the driveway. A hands-free device is legal, but it’s still best to focus all your attention on the road ahead. If you do need to make a call, pull over before dialling.

•     Set your course in your GPS ahead of time and look it over to familiarize yourself with the route.

•     Leave in plenty of extra time so you won’t have to rush.

•     If you’re travelling with pet, keep them safely secured in the backseat where they won’t be a dangerous distraction.

•     Check to see if there are any loose items rolling around in the car and pick them up off the floor

•     Try to eat before you leave the house. If you spill something while driving, wait to clean it up until you reach your destination.

•     Your rear view mirror is not meant to be used to help you put on makeup or shave. Take care of your personal grooming before leaving the house.

[Source: Consumer Reports]