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AUTOS CLAIMS & RECALLS * USA
* California - Firms sue Ford over fuel efficiency claims for 2 hybrids
Sacramento,CAL,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -February 28, 2013: -- Two California law firms are consolidating lawsuits against Ford Motor Co., alleging the automaker has led a "false and misleading" marketing campaign for its 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid vehicles... Redlands, Calif.-based McCuneWright, which on behalf of "hundreds" of C-Max and Fusion hybrid owners is seeking punitive damages because of potentially overinflated fuel-efficiency claims, said it will consolidate with a similar lawsuit filed by San Diego-based Robbins, Geller, Rudman and Dowd... The new filing will have between five and 10 class-action representatives — real-world Ford hybrid owners who say that their vehicles are not living up to fuel-efficiency claims — from various areas of the country... McCune said the law firm has spoken to "literally hundreds" of hybrid owners from across the country, and not just those clustered in colder regions with higher speed limits, two factors that can significantly diminish fuel efficiency...
* DC - Feds probe 724K Ford models over power loss
(Photo from Ford - The 2010 Ford Escape is among the vehicles being studied for loss of power)Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -February 26, 2013: -- Federal safety regulators have opened a new safety investigation into 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion and Mercury models over hundreds of reports of sudden loss of engine power... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it has opened a preliminary investigation into the 2009-11 Ford Escape and Fusion, and Mercury Mariner and Milan... NHTSA said it has 123 reports indicating allegations of reduced power or vehicle stall in Escape vehicles under investigation... Ford made a design change in 2009 to address complaints but did not recall the vehicles... NHTSA said there have been 27,500 warranty claims for the issue, along with reports of three crashes and one injury...
* DC - NHTSA considering investigating Toyota Prius over steering shafts and braking on Honda Pilot SUVs
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -February 25, 2013: -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations said Monday it will investigate whether 561,000 2004-09 Toyota Prius hybrids have defective steering shafts... NHTSA said it will decide whether to grant a defect petition claiming the steering column linkage was improperly assembled... Toyota has issued two recalls for steering issues in the Prius. In November, Toyota recalled 669,000 2004-09 Prius vehicles to replace the steering shaft extension assembly. In 2006, Toyota recalled 170,000 2004-06 Prius vehicles because the intermediate shaft in the electric power system can crack, which could result in a loss of steering control... Separately, NHTSA said it has also opened a new engineering analysis into unexpected braking in 87,000 2005 Honda Pilot SUVs from the vehicles "Vehicle Stability Assist" system. NHTSA said it has 205 reports of the issue that may result in unexpected severe braking that could be because of a faulty sensor...
* DC - Hyundai deal settles claims of exaggerated mpg. Lump-sum payouts for owners to settle exaggerated claims
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News -February 28, 2013: -- Hyundai Motor Co. has reached a deal to settle dozens of class-action lawsuits over the Korean automaker's overstating of miles per gallon claims... In a federal court filing in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Hyundai said it has agreed to a deal in principle to offer owners lump-sum payments. The amount to be paid will be disclosed when the settlement is finalized... The proposed settlement would also allow owners to get a voucher worth twice as much as the cash settlement toward the purchase of a new Hyundai. Or, they could opt for a voucher worth 150 percent of the cash settlement toward dealer service...
* DC - Kia reviewing the settlement
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News -February 28, 2013: ... In November, Hyundai and Kia Motors — two Korean automakers controlled by the same conglomerate — admitted overstating mileage on nearly 1.1 million vehicles sold in North America since 2010, including about 900,000 in the United States. The company withdrew its claims that four of its models — the Elantra, Accent, Veloster and Sonata Hybrid — got 40 miles per gallon. Those claims were a key part of advertising campaigns in recent years... Kia said it is still reviewing the settlement and hasn't yet decided whether to take part...
- AUTOS RECALLS -
* DC - Hyundai Veloster recall for shattering sunroofs expands
(Photo: 2012 Hyundai Veloster)Washington,DC,USA -The Car Connection, by Suzanne Kane -Feb 28, 2013: -- In an expansion of an earlier recall of the 2012 Hyundai Veloster for the potential of panoramic sunroofs to shatter without warning during vehicle use, the Korean automaker is now recalling an additional 6100 2012 model year Velosters over the same issue... A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website said that the build dates for the expanded recall population are from July 4, 2011 through October 31, 2011... In Hyundai documentation (PDF) submitted to the NHTSA, Hyundai said that 5,835 2012 Hyundai Velosters equipped with panoramic sunroofs in the U.S. and 236 units in Puerto Rico have been added to the original recall population, bringing the total number recalled to date to approximately 19,600 vehicles...
Labels: autos recalls
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