General Motors recalled 1.5 million vehicles this week as part of an effort to assure consumers that the company is moving more quickly to correct safety defects in its vehicles. CEO Mary Barra said in a video message to employees posted on Monday that the new recall occurred because there was a push to review potential safety problems and fix them faster. The fallout from the recall last month of more than 1.6 million small automobiles for faulty engine switches undoubtedly played a role in this most recent recall. The defective engine switches have been tied to twelve deaths, and GM is facing numerous investigations into its handling of the recall.
GM first began its investigations into the engine switches in 2004. Barra reported that “something went wrong with our process in this instance, and terrible things happened.” GM is undergoing an “intense review” of its recall process, and that system will be altered. During the course of the investigations, GM intends to fully cooperate with government investigators. The company expects to spend around $300 million in the first quarter to fix the vehicles affected by the new recalls as well as the vehicles covered by the small car recall. Editorial director for Kelley Blue Book, Jack Nerad, stated it is better for GM to address the new calls now rather than waiting until the investigations into the engine switches are completed.
The recalls announced Monday include 1.18 million SUVs due to air bag and seat belt pretensioner defects, 303,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans due to an instrument panel issue, and 63,900 Cadillac XTS sedans due to a defect in a plug in the brake assembly. Numerous complaints have been made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning the vehicles subject to the recall, including injuries sustained when air bags did not deploy after a 2012 Buick Enclave traveling 45 mph was hit in the side. Drivers who file complaints with the NHTSA do not necessarily report the incidents to the car companies. Important to note in regard to the complaints and the overall recall is that air bags may not deploy in low-speed crashes or if they detect a small person seated too close to the air bag.
Another GM recall: 1.18M SUVs for air bag issue www.palmbeachpost.com March 17, 2014
Jonathan Friedland and Michael Carmona are consumer advocates who believe that drivers must have access to safety information about the vehicles that they choose to purchase and feel safe in those vehicles as they operate them about the roadways. Unfortunately, serious automobile defects are often not found until it is too late. The Coral Gables automobile accident attorneys have spent over twenty years helping their clients recover compensation for injuries suffered as a result of a malfunctioning part in an automobile. If you or a loved one has been injured because of a defective product in an automobile, call (305) 661-2008 today for your free consultation. Don’t hesitate, as the law places strict restrictions on when these claims can be brought! Call today!
The Miami personal injury attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of motor vehicle accidents throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls and construction site injuries.