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☆ Safety regulators probe Ford driver assist features after fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington DC CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Monday it has opened an investigation into a recent Ford Mustang Mach-E fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas, where authorities suspect an advanced driver assistance system was in use. Driver assistance features are being hailed by automakers as a way to reduce accidents, but federal safety regulators are concerned that over-reliance on the features by drivers could be causing some accidents. While NHTSA has opened more than three dozen Tesla special crash investigations since 2016 where advanced driver assistance systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used with 20 crash deaths reported, this is NHTSA’s first special crash probe involving a Ford advanced system. NHTSA typically opens more than 100 special crash investigations annually into emerging technologies and other potential auto safety issues. In addition to the NHTSA probe, on Friday, the National Transportation Safety Board opened a separate investigation into the Feb. 24 crash.

Persons: Jeffrey Allen Johnson, Austin, Ford, “, CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: Washington DC CNN, Traffic Safety Administration, Ford, NHTSA, National Transportation Safety, NTSB, San, Honda Locations: San Antonio , Texas, San Antonio

☆ Stellantis recalling 338,000 Jeeps for suspension problem
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler vehicles, is recalling 338,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees in the United States because parts of the front suspension could become loose. The recall includes both Jeep Grand Cherokee and the longer Grand Cherokee L, which has three rows of seats. As of late January, Stellantis was not aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the issue, according to official documents. Some of these vehicles could have bolts in the front suspension that were damaged during assembly. Owners who want to check if their vehicle is involved in the recall can go to NHTSA’s Safercar.gov website.

Persons: CNN — Stellantis, Stellantis, NHTSA’s Organizations: CNN, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Grand Cherokees, National, Traffic Safety Administration, Cherokee, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Stellantis’s, FCA, Owners, Cherokees Locations: United States

☆ In America, Headlights are blinding but not in other countries, this tech is why
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In Europe and Asia, many cars offer adaptive driving beam headlights that can do this. But that still means driving much – or most – of the time using only low beam headlights that don’t reach very far. That means it will probably be years before ADB headlights are widely available in the US. But, while driving, the lights work just like standard high beam, low beam headlights. It will be years before they can offer new, redesigned ADB headlights that meet the standards, auto industry sources say.

Persons: ”, “, Michael Larsen, Larsen, Matt Brumbelow Organizations: CNN, ADB, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Ford, Volkswagen, Insurance Institute for Highway, Society of Automotive Engineers, ” Audi, “, General Motors, Society of Automotive, EU, Audi, Mercedes, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Locations: Europe, Asia, China, Canada, United States, America, American

☆ Tesla recalling another 2.2 million vehicles for warning lights that are too small
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tesla is recalling 2.2 million of its vehicles on US roads because the font size of the warning lights on its display is too small, according to federal safety regulators. The recall was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which said it discovered the problem during a routine audit of Tesla vehicles. “Warning lights with a smaller font size can make critical safety information on the instrument panel difficult to read, increasing the risk of a crash,” according to the agency’s notice. Tesla said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem. The problem will be fixed with an over-the-air software update that will not require Tesla owners to bring their vehicles into a Tesla service center.

Persons: New York CNN — Tesla, Tesla Organizations: New, New York CNN, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Safety Board Locations: New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by General Motors, is suspending driverless operations nationwide days after regulators in California found that its driverless cars posed a danger to public safety. The choice to suspend its driverless services isn't related to any new on-road incidents, Cruise added. The pedestrian became pinned under a tire of the Cruise vehicle after it came to a stop. Three rear-end collisions that reportedly took place after Cruise AVs braked hard kicked off the investigation. “We welcome NHTSA’s questions related to our safety record and operations," Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow said in a statement sent to The Associated Press Friday.

Persons: — Cruise, Cruise, ” Cruise, Cruise’s robotaxis, robotaxi, Cruise's, Cruise AVs, Hannah Lindow Organizations: General Motors, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Cruise, General Motors Co, Detroit, California Department of Motor, Traffic Safety Administration, Associated Locations: California, San Francisco, Cruise, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Austin

☆ US auto safety agency investigating two new GM Cruise crash reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - U.S. auto safety officials said on Thursday they are investigating two additional reports of General Motors (GM.N) Cruise self-driving cars engaging in inappropriately hard braking that resulted in collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in December it had opened a formal safety probe into the GM robotaxi unit Cruise after reports of three crashes in which Cruise vehicles were struck from behind by other vehicles after the autonomous vehicles braked quickly, resulting in two injuries. "Inappropriately hard braking results in the Cruise vehicles becoming unexpected roadway obstacles and may result in a collision with a Cruise vehicle," NHTSA said in its letter. The DMV in August had directed Cruise to remove half of its driverless vehicles after another crash.

Persons: Heather Somerville, Cruise, David Shepardson, Rod Nickel Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, Rights, General Motors, Traffic Safety Administration, GM, NHTSA, Cruise, California's Department of Motor Vehicles, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S

U.S. regulators are investigating General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle division after receiving reports of incidents where vehicles may not have used proper caution around pedestrians in roadways. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the reports involve automated driving system equipped vehicles encroaching on pedestrians present in or entering roadways, including crosswalks. The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said that it's received two reports involving pedestrian injuries from Cruise vehicles. The office said the total number of relevant pedestrian incidents is unknown. The state Department of Motor Vehicles asked for the reduction at the time after a Cruise vehicle without a human driver collided with an unspecified emergency vehicle.

Persons: it's, It's, “, Hannah Lindow, Cruise, San Francisco robotaxis Organizations: General Motors, Traffic Safety Administration, Investigation, Cruise, NHTSA, Department of Motor Vehicles Locations: San Francisco

☆ Feds probing safety of GM’s robotaxis around pedestrians
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —The US auto safety regulator has opened a probe into whether General Motors’ self-driving unit Cruise has taken sufficient precautions with its autonomous vehicles to safeguard pedestrians, it said on Tuesday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said its Office of Defects Investigation has received two reports from Cruise of incidents in which pedestrians were injured, and has identified two further incidents via videos posted to public websites. NHTSA said the reports include Cruise autonomous vehicles “encroaching on pedestrians present in or entering roadways, including pedestrian crosswalks, in the proximity of the intended path of the vehicles”. In August the California Department of Motor Vehicles said it was investigating incidents involving Cruise in San Francisco, after a Cruise robotaxi was involved in a crash with an emergency vehicle. The California Public Utilities Commission voted in August to allow robotaxis from Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo to operate around the clock, despite strong opposition from residents and city agencies.

Persons: Cruise, “, robotaxi Organizations: Reuters, General Motors, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, California Department of Motor Vehicles, California Public Utilities Commission Locations: San Francisco, California, Cruise

In a few cases, according to NHTSA, ARC air bag inflators could be blocked by small pieces of debris, stopping the gases from escaping as they should. In May 2023, General Motors recalled 1 million GM vehicles with the air bags. NHTSA estimated the risk of one of these inflators rupturing at one in every 370,000 air bag deployments. But officials said the only way to know if an air bag has the defect is for it to actually rupture. NHTSA and various automakers are still working to get vehicle owners to replace all the air bags involved in that recall.

Persons: Jacob Tarvis, Marlene Beaudoin, Tarvis, inflators, Kia Optima, General Motors, ”, Donna Glassbrenner, Steve Gold, Gold, “, — Ford Organizations: CNN, Traffic Safety Administration, ARC Automotive, Delphi Automotive Systems, NHTSA, ARC, Chrysler Town &, General, GM, BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles —, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, Porsche, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen Locations: United States, Canada, Turkey, Traverse

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government appears poised to order a recall of millions of air bag inflators due to a manufacturing flaw that could send metal shrapnel rocketing through a car's interior. Instead of releasing pressurized gas to inflate the air bag, the canister essentially explodes, sending metal shrapnel into the vehicle at head height. He said the government would be setting a dangerous precedent by targeting a parts supplier rather than a vehicle manufacturer in ordering a recall. The hearing also featured emotional testimony from Jacob Tarvis, whose mother, Marlene Beaudoin, died as a result of an exploding air bag inflator in 2021. “GM will continue to work collaboratively with NHTSA, other manufacturers, and ARC to monitor and investigate the long-term performance and safety of ARC airbag inflators," the statement said.

Persons: inflators, ” Bruce York, Sharon Yukevich, ”, Steve Gold, Gold, Jacob Tarvis, Marlene Beaudoin, Beaudoin, Tarvis, “, Tom Krisher Organizations: WASHINGTON, Traffic Safety Administration, ARC Automotive Inc, ARC, NHTSA's, NHTSA, Motors, GM Locations: U.S, Knoxville , Tennessee, United States, Canada, Detroit

☆ Hyundai and Kia warn of potential fires in 3.3 million vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The recall covers 1.64 million Hyundai models including 2012 through 2015 Hyundai Accents, 2011 through 2015 Elantras and 2011-2015 Genesis coupes. Hyundai and Kia are both part of the Hyundai Motor Group and their vehicles frequently share engineering. Kia and Hyundai owners are being advised to check NHTSA’s website to see if their specific vehicle is involved in this, or any, recalls. In 2022, owners of 500,000 Kia and Hyundai vehicles were also warned to park outside because a problem with anti-lock brake control electronics. In 2020, Kia recalled 295,000 vehicles because they could catch fire while driving because of fuel leaks.

Persons: they’re, Kia, Elantras, Sorentos Organizations: CNN, Hyundai, Kia, National, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Hyundai Motor Group Locations: United States

☆ Carmakers will not immediately comply with Massachusetts data repair law
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 22 (Reuters) - An auto industry group said on Friday carmakers do not plan to immediately comply with a Massachusetts law requiring them to share vehicle data with independent repair shops citing concerns about potential hacking. Massachusetts voters in 2020 approved a ballot initiative that gives independent repair shops access to diagnostic data that newer cars can send directly to dealers and manufacturers, in order to allow consumers to seek repairs outside dealerships. The Massachusetts attorney general's office said earlier appreciated "NHTSA’s clarification today that our state law is not preempted by federal law." Automakers must comply with the state law, the office said. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan praised NHTSA's statement "clarifying that automakers can safely comply with Massachusetts' right to repair law and share vehicle data with independent repair shops."

Persons: Brian Snyder, general's, Lina Khan, David Shepardson, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Chevrolet, REUTERS, Traffic Safety Administration, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, NHTSA, Federal Trade, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Massachusetts, Massachusetts

☆ Federal safety regulators push to recall 52 million air bags
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Federal safety regulators are pushing to get 52 million air bags recalled due to the threat that they could explode, severely injuring or even killing a car’s occupants. About 11 million of the air bags were manufactured by Delphi under a licensing agreement with ARC. It also did not give an estimate for how many vehicles contain the air bags, since most vehicles have multiple air bags. The agency did not say how many cars may have more than one of the air bags it wants recalled. The number of air bags still in use is less than the 67 million that NHTSA estimated earlier this year.

Persons: ”, Takata, —, Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal, Traffic Safety Administration, ARC, Delphi, General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, NHTSA, GM, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, “ Locations: New York, United States, Canada

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government is taking a big step toward forcing a defiant Tennessee company to recall 52 million air bag inflators that could explode, hurl shrapnel and injure or kill people. NHTSA is trying to force ARC to recall inflators in driver and passenger front air bags from at least a dozen automakers. Neither ARC nor the auto industry has released a full list of vehicle models with the kind of air bag inflators that have exploded. But at least 25 million of the 284 million vehicles on U.S. roads are believed to contain them. ____This story has been corrected to show that at least 25 million vehicles could have the ARC air bag inflators, not 33 million.

Persons: Kia —, inflators, Marlene Beaudoin, Beaudoin Organizations: DETROIT, Traffic, Administration, ARC Automotive Inc, ARC, NHTSA, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, General Motors, Yinyi Locations: U.S, Tennessee, Canada

☆ Tesla receives orders from auto regulators regarding 'Elon Mode' Autopilot
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —US highway safety regulators are investigating an apparent hidden feature in Tesla’s Autopilot software that can reportedly disable the safety prompts Tesla gives to drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. The regulators are demanding information from the automaker about whether consumers could try to circumvent the safety controls on Tesla’s driver-assist technology. A Tesla Model Y is seen on a Tesla car lot on May 31, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Tesla's Model Y has become the world's best selling car in the first quarter of 2023. The first, scheduled for September, involves a 2019 crash in California that saw a Tesla Model 3 driving off of a highway and slamming into a tree at high speed.

Persons: Tesla, “ Elon, ”, John Donaldson, inattention, Brandon Bell Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Administration, NHTSA, Bloomberg, Tesla Locations: Austin , Texas, California, Florida

☆ US OKs state auto-repair law after raising hacking concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After discussions with Massachusetts, NHTSA said the state had clarified that automakers could comply with the law using a "short-range wireless compliance approach, implemented appropriately." The Massachusetts attorney general's office said it appreciated "NHTSA’s clarification today that our state law is not preempted by federal law." Automakers now must comply with the state law, the office said. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers including General Motors (GM.N), Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) declined to comment but previously argued the state law would require automakers "to remove essential cybersecurity protections from their vehicles." The White House competition council engaged behind the scenes to help reach a resolution, a senior administration official said.

Persons: Brian Snyder, general's, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Boston, REUTERS, Rights, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Senators, Massachusetts, House, Thomson Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, U.S, Massachusetts

☆ Lincoln MKC owners asked to park outside due to fire risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Ford, the parent company of Lincoln, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are warning owners of nearly 143,000 Lincoln MKC compact SUVs to park them outside and away from buildings and other vehicles because they could potentially catch fire, even when not running. A Lincoln MKC at the North American International Auto Show in 2014. Stan Honda/AFP/Getty ImagesThe vehicles involved are model year 2015 through 2019 Lincoln MKC SUVs. Owners will be advised by mail to park their vehicles outside and away from other vehicles. Owners can also visit NHTSA’s SaferCar.gov website and enter their vehicles Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see if it’s involved in the recall.

Persons: CNN — Ford, it’s, Lincoln, Stan Honda, NHTSA’s Organizations: CNN, National, Traffic, Lincoln, North American, Getty, Ford Locations: Lincoln, AFP, MKCs, North America

☆ Biden withdraws nomination of official to head US auto safety agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that President Joe Biden is withdrawing the nomination of the acting head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to take the top job on a permanent basis. Ann Carlson, the agency's chief counsel, was named acting head of NHTSA in September and formally nominated for the top position in March. They told Carlson the standards were "consistent with your long career as an environmentalist without traffic safety experience." Jonathan Adkins, head of the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association representing state and territorial highway safety offices, said the group was deeply disappointed in the withdrawal of Carlson's nomination. During the Trump administration no nominee was ever confirmed to head NHTSA and there was no nominee for much of the four-year period.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ann Carlson, Pete Buttigieg, Carlson, Buttigieg, Jonathan Adkins, GHSA, Biden, Adkins, Steven Cliff, Cliff, Trump, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, Matthew Lewis Organizations: National, Traffic Safety Administration, White, NHTSA, Tesla Inc, . Transportation, Republicans, Senate, Committee, Highway Safety Association, Biden Administration, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ US House Republicans blast EPA refusal to appear at EV hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A spokesperson for the House Oversight Republican majority said "the EPA’s excuse for not appearing before this week’s subcommittee hearing is devoid of logic" noting EPA Administrator Michael Regan's recent testimony. Last month, the EPA proposed sharp emissions cuts that it estimates would result in 60% of new vehicles by 2030 being electric and 67% by 2032. EPA said the requested witnesses had previously scheduled meetings with lawmakers and others Wednesday preventing their participation and because the proposed rules "are currently open for public comment." The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet new proposed fuel economy standards. Last week, an auto trade group warned the EPA proposal may rely on a too rapid transition to EVs and poses significant challenges.

☆ Investigation Behind Huge Air-Bag Recall Demand Took 8 Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Ryan Felton | Tom Mcginty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The U.S.’s top auto-safety regulator last week demanded a huge recall of an air bag part that is at risk of exploding during crashes. That was eight years after the government began investigating the issue, during which two people died and eight were injured. Safety-defect investigations launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are becoming increasingly lengthy. Many agency probes last three and four years, well past NHTSA’s longstanding goal of a year or less, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of publicly available data.

☆ US wants a recall of 67 million airbag inflators, but the manufacturer disagrees
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is calling for an immediate recall of 67 million airbag inflators due to a dangerous defect, the agency said in a letter to ARC Automotive, a major manufacturer of the component. The 67 million airbag inflators that NHTSA wants recalled were all produced in the 18-year period prior to January 2018, when ARC installed equipment to help inspect inflators, according to the company. The airbag inflators are used by at least 12 vehicle manufacturers, but NHTSA did not specify which ones. “Airbag inflators that project metal fragments into vehicle occupants, rather than properly inflating the attached airbag, create an unreasonable risk of death and injury,” the agency said in the letter. “None of the 918 inflators ruptured in the tests,” Gold wrote in response to NHTSA’s request for a recall.

☆ VW recalling 140,000 SUVs, owners advised to keep
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Volkswagen is recalling 143,000 of its big Atlas SUVs in the US because a faulty sensor on the front passenger side can switch the airbag system off under certain conditions. Until the issue can be corrected, VW is advising owners to avoid letting people ride in that seat. While it’s still unclear what’s causing the problem, VW investigators were able to determine that it was happening in Atlases built during two specific time periods. Volkswagen is unaware of any injuries that might have resulted from the problem, VW spokesman Mark GIllies said. Owners of recalled Atlas SUVs will be notified by mail.

☆ Tesla under investigation again from safety regulators, this time for seatbelt attachments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into model year 2022 and 2023 Tesla Model X SUVs because there may be a problem with their front seatbelt attachments. NHTSA will launch an investigation when there’s reason to believe there may be a safety issue requiring action such as a recall. While the investigation applies to about 50,000 Model X vehicles, the problem has been found on only two, according to NHTSA’s report of the investigation. In that case, the safety recall was done using an over-the-air software update. If NHTSA finds that the seatbelt situation requires a recall, that would probably require manual work by a Tesla technician.

☆ Tesla recalls almost 3,500 Model Y cars for loose bolts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tesla is recalling 3,470 2022-2023 Model Y cars due to bolts in the second-row seat back frames not being secured properly. On Model Y vehicles, the second-row driver- and passenger-side seat back frames are secured with four bolts per seat back. Tesla found five warranty claims regarding the bolts since last December, but is not aware of any injuries or deaths due to it. Tesla will inspect the bolts and tighten them if necessary for free of charge, and owner notification letters will be mailed. Tesla will attempt to fix the feature, which costs $15,000, through an over-the-air software update, the notice added.

☆ Nissan recalling more than 700,000 SUVs that can accidentally shut off while driving
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Nissan is recalling more than 700,000 Rogue and Rogue Sport compact SUVs because they can be shut off accidentally while driving. Some model year 2016 through 2020 Nissan Rogue and 2017 through 2022 Rogue Sports, have jackknife-style keys – the type in which the metal blade of the key flips out from within a plastic key fob. An internal joint in the key can weaken over time, allowing the key to accidentally fold while in use. The recall only involves the base Rogue S and smaller Rogue Sport S models. Nissan is not aware of any deaths or injuries that have resulted from this issue, a Nissan spokesperson said.

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