10 Automakers Sued Over 'Deadly' Keyless Ignitions
Ten automakers in the U.S. are being sued for allegedly concealing the possible risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in some vehicles with keyless ignitions.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against some of the world’s largest automakers claiming that they concealed the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning in more than five-million vehicles equipped with keyless ignitions. According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, some vehicle owners were under the mistaken belief that the engines will automatically shut off. As a result, some drivers left their vehicles running, resulting in toxic gas being emitted sometimes in garages attached to homes.
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Automakers being named in the lawsuit include BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. Brands owned by those automakers are also being named as defendants, including MINI, Acura, Kia, Infiniti, Lexus and Bentley.
Drivers are claiming that the automakers have known for years about the risks of keyless ignitions, yet continued to market their vehicles as safe.
The biggest focus on the lawsuit is that plaintiffs say the automakers could have avoided 13 deaths by installing an inexpensive feature that would automatically shut off unattended engines, noting that even American automakers GM and Ford patented a shut-off feature. In addition, 27 complaints have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since 2009 over keyless ignitions.
[Source: Automotive News]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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So sad, so true and most of all soooooooooooo fukin' funny! Guess the world is short a few golf cart drivers. Now if only a transition button from water buffalo..... Or to paraphrase 1) Off with their air, 2) turn signals are NOT an option! Nor should their use be optional. Warn the ppl around you that odd shifts in space time are imminent dammit! ** deleted political/couch tater comment in re flibinite**
These utter retards DESERVE to get killed by carbon monoxide. This is up there with the retard who bought a brand new RV, set the cruise control, and got out of the driver's seat, went in the back, and made a sandwich.. When the thing careened off an embankment, she sued the manufacturer for not having a warning that 'cruise control will not steer the vehicle'... AND SHE WON.