Honda Motor Company is recalling 871,000 autos because of concerns that the vehicles might roll away if the transmission lever hasn’t been moved into park and the ignition key falls out. This could happen if a portion of the ignition lock becomes worn or damaged.
318,000 Odyssey minivans and 259,000 Pilot crossovers (2003, 2004 models) and 230,000 Acura MDX crossovers (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 models) are included in the recall. 807,000 of the vehicles are in the United States.
The recall comes following an investigation by federal investigators into over three dozen consumer complaints related to this safety issue involving the Pilot and Odyssey lines, including incidents when vehicles rolled off and then stopped only after colliding into a fence, a parked car, a mailbox, or a tree. Several injuries reportedly have occurred as a result, including one person who suffered a fibula fracture after trying to stop one of the rolling vehicles and being struck by it.
If you are someone who was injured in a motor vehicle accident because an auto malfunctioned in some way, please contact our auto products liability lawyers at The Gilbert Law Group® right away.
In other recall news, Ford Motor Co. had to call back 89,000 of two of its largest selling 2013 models, the Fusion sedan and Escape crossover, because of a potential auto fire hazard. While the Fusion vehicles just entered the market, it is the third recall involving the Escapes for possible fire issues and overheating. The vehicles’ 1.6-liter Ecoboost engines may overheat and ignite, and the safety issue is already being blamed for over half a dozen auto fires.
To remedy the problem, a software update will be implemented that will hopefully do a better job of managing the engine during what the automaker says would be “unique overheating conditions” that might happen during “unique operating conditions.” Ford is asking owners not to drive their vehicles until the modification is made.
Ford also just learned today that the NHTSA its upgrading its probe into pedal entrapment problems involving a number of its other vehicles. The upgrade turns the investigation to an engineering analysis and now involves 480,000 autos.
The government is concerned that unsecured floor mats may be getting in the way of the accelerator pedal’s return to an idle position. Safety officials believes that a heel blocker in the car floor is creating a platform that is raising the mat so that the latter is making contact with the pedal.
Ford, which introduced new pedals in 2010, said it disagrees with the NHTSA’s decision to upgrade its probe, which initially began in May 2010, and involved Mercury Milan and Ford Fusion autos for that year. Now, Milan, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ from 2008, 2009, and 2010 are also under investigation.
If you’ll recall, pedal entrapment problems and the safety issues that can arise as a result have been a cause of concern involving millions of vehicles from other automakers, including the sticky gas pedal and sudden unintended acceleration issues in 2009 and 2010 involving Toyota’s autos, which were linked to hundreds of wrongful deaths and personal injuries.
Our auto defect attorneys are experienced in successfully going up against large manufacturers and we are here to fight for our clients’ right to recovery. Contact The Gilbert Law Group® today.
