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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation of Fords and Mazdas from the 2001 through 2003 model years. There have been 8 fires reported in these vehicles, as well as two other incidents.

The vehicles being investigated are the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute. Thus far, the Escape, rather than its Tribute twin, have had the major problems reported. The result of the investigation could result in a recall or be found to be isolated coincidences.

Posted under Automotive, Safety

A new proposal to require auto manufacturers to install electronic stability control (ESC) as a standard feature on all new passenger vehicles has the potential to save more than 10,000 lives every year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced yesterday.

If the rule passes, auto manufacturers must begin equipping passenger vehicles under 10,000 pounds with ESC starting with the 2009 model year and to have the feature available as standard equipment on all vehicles by the 2012 model year (September 2011).

ESC systems use automatic computer-controlled braking of individual wheels to help the driver maintain control in situations where a vehicle without ESC would skid out of control and likely leave the road. Nearly all rollover crashes occur after a vehicle leaves the road. A 2004 study by NHTSA estimated that ESC reduced fatalities in single-vehicle crashes by 30 percent for passenger cars and 63 percent for SUVs.

NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason called electronic stability control for cars “the greatest life saving improvement since the safety belt.”

The agency estimates that ESC will save between 5,300 and 10,300 lives annually and prevent between 168,000 and 252,000 injuries. ESC will prevent between 4,200 and 5,400 of the more than 10,000 deaths that occur each year as a result of rollover crashes.

NHTSA estaimates the average cost per vehicle will be $111 on vehicles that already include ABS brakes.

Since 2004, NHTSA has urged manufacturers to voluntarily add ESC as standard equipment on vehicles. As a result, almost 29 percent of all 2006 models — 57 percent of SUVs - are already equipped with ESC.

Posted under Automotive, Safety

Manufacturers will display the government’s star safety ratings on every new vehicle with a price sticker, according to a federal rule made final September 7 in Washington, DC. The rule announced by National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole Nason and Ohio Senator Mike DeWine, provides for an expanded window sticker meant to provide consumers with safety rating information about new vehicles.

The rule requires that NHTSA’s star safety rating information be displayed on part of the window sticker on new cars beginning with the 2008 model year. Consumers will be able to measure the safety information by the number of stars on the sticker.

The new vehicle price stickers will contain NHTSA safety ratings in three areas – front and side crash and non-destructive rollover tests. All three tests use the five-star rating, with five stars being the safest.

“Senator DeWine, a strong advocate for highway safety, has done a great service for consumers by demanding that vehicle safety information be included on the sticker as well,” said Nason. “By making safety a selling point, it is my hope that this rule will encourage the faster development of these kinds of technologies.”

Senator DeWine was the sponsor of the legislation creating the “Stars on Cars” program, which was included in the 2005 highway bill. “This measure just makes sense. By placing safety ratings directly on new car window stickers, consumers will have the ability to make more informed decisions right there on the car sales lot,” said Senator DeWine.

Posted under Automotive

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the recall of some Hot Leather / Good Sports motorcycle helmets manufactured by Chinex and sold during the past year. The recall affects 18,000 helmets and is expected to begin in mid-October. Concerned consumers can contact Chinex at 212-868-6766.

Posted under Recalls

The number of SUVs with a four-star rollover rating had increased substantially since U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began rating them in 2001. That year, just one SUV earned four-stars, whereas in 2005, 24 earned a four-star rating as part of the newly released rollover test results for 2005 model year vehicles.

Assessing static stability factor (SSF) values – the predominant factor in NHTSA’s rollover ratings – the agency found a significant improvement in SUV ratings; passenger car and pickup truck scores have remained relatively constant.

For 2005 model year tested vehicles, the highest rated SUV was the Ford Freestyle 4×4, earning 4-stars and a 13 percent chance of rollover, if involved in a single-vehicle crash. The Freestyle matches the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, a carryover vehicle from 2004, which also earned four stars and a 13 percent chance of rollover during the 2004 model year testing.

For pickups, the highest rated vehicle was the Chevrolet Colorado 4×4 and its twin, the GMC Canyon, the Dodge Dakota 4×4, and the Dodge Ram 1500 4×2 – each earning four stars and a 17 percent chance of rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash. For vans, the highest rated vehicle was the Chrysler PT Cruiser, earning four stars and a 13 percent chance of rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash. For passenger cars, the highest rated vehicle was the Ford Mustang, earning five stars and an 8 percent chance of rollover if involved in a single-vehicle crash.

“It is encouraging to see the positive impact our rollover rating program has had on making vehicles more stable, particularly on SUVs,” said NHTSA Administrator, Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. “Today we have twenty-four MY2005 SUVs with a 4-star rollover rating whereas 2 years ago, we had only five”.

Posted under Automotive, Safety