On Tuesday, Chrysler announced the recall of 24,177 vehicles over an auto defect that can lead to brake failure. The vehicles included in the recall are the:
• Dodge Avenger
• Chrysler Sebring
• Nitro
• Commander
• Jeep Liberty
• Grand Cherokee SUV
• Dodge Ram Trucks (2009 and 2010 models)
Except for the 2009 Dodge Ram trucks, all of the vehicles are 2010 models. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries so far. Chrysler says that because of a manufacturing error, the brake booster road retaining clip either wasn't installed or was placed incorrectly in the vehicles. Car owners can take their vehicles to a Chrysler dealership where the part can be reinstalled.
On Thursday, Toyota recalled 2.3 million trucks and cars over a faulty gas pedal. This latest recall comes in the wake of nine large recalls by Toyota last year that impacted approximately 4.9 million motor vehicles. This latest Toyota recall involves:
• Tundra pickups, 2007 - 2010 models
• Matrix hatchbacks, 2009 - 2010 models
• Avalon sedans, 2005 - 2010 models
• Camry sedans, 2007 - 2010 models
• Corolla, 2009 - 2010 models
• Sequoia SUV's, 2008 - 2010 models
• Highlander, 2010 model
• RAV4, 2009 - 2010 models
Our Orange County, California auto products liability lawyers want to remind you that if you were injured in a car crash because of a defective auto part or because a vehicle malfunctioned you may be entitled to personal injury compensation. It doesn't matter whether a recall announcing the defect was issued. Car manufacturers owe consumers a duty of care to design and manufacturer autos that are free from hazardous defects.
Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week that it is examining Ford Motor Co. F-150 pickup trucks (2004 - 2006 models) over a possible air bag defect. About 1.56 million vehicles may be involved in this probe. Ford thinks that an electrical short may be causing the problem.
The automaker received over 300 complaints that the airbag on the driver's side deployed without warning and not because of a motor vehicle crash. Over 60 people have been injured. Cuts to the hands, arms, and face are among the injuries. Two motorists lost consciousness.
NHTSA Expands Probe of Faulty Airbags in Millions of Ford Trucks, FoxNews, January 22, 2010
Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million Vehicles to Fix Gas Pedals, Bloomberg.com, January 22, 2010
Chrysler recalls vehicles over brakes, AP/Yahoo, January 19, 2010
Related Web Resources:
NHTSA
Defects and Recalls, Safercar.gov
To find out more, contact our Anaheim personal injury law firm to ask for your free consultation.
