Product Recall

November 17, 2014

Takata Airbag Recall Class Action for Economic Loss

In June 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a Takata airbag recall affecting more than 3 million vehicles due to faulty airbags that could explode and shoot metal shrapnel at drivers and passengers.

In less than six months, the number of vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall has grown to almost 11 million in the U.S. and 17 million vehicles worldwide, according to Business Insider.

A number of vehicle owners have filed a class action lawsuit against Takata Corporation claiming the faulty airbags devalued their vehicle. The potential for the airbag to explode and propel shards of metal at the driver is not an attractive quality when calculating the resale value.

July 3, 2014

Is a Car with No Airbags Safer than a Car with Faulty Airbags?

Anapol Weiss

Is a car with no airbags safer than a car with faulty airbags? Japanese automakers believe so, according to Huffington Post.

Following a massive airbag recall of millions of vehicles with potential airbag malfunction problems, auto makers in Japan advised they will turn off the airbags in the affected vehicles.

Drivers can bring the recalled vehicles back to the dealer and have the airbags “turned off” until the replacement part is ready. This action is meant as a temporary remedy to a defect that can cause some airbags to rupture in the event of a crash and shoot shrapnel at drivers and passengers.

September 28, 2011

Rash of Bicycle Recalls Total More Than 100,000

Anapol Weiss

Two big bicycle recalls took back more than 100,000 total bikes on September 22 in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The first was for Morgan Hill, California’s Specialized Bicycle Components while the second was for Bridgeway International, Inc. from Naples, Florida.

For Specialized, the company recalled approximately 14,200 bikes with an Advance Group carbon fork part (manufactured by Advance Group in Taiwan). The danger exists due to a brake part found in the bike’s carbon fork that is prone to disconnect from the fork. This defect permits the brake apparatus to touch the spokes of the wheels while they rotate, which can in turn cause the rider to fall. According to the CPSC, Specialized has received two accounts of the brake apparatus separating from the carbon fork, while no injuries had been accounted for at the time of the report.

Bridgeway took back approximately 91,000 Chinese-manufactured bikes due to a faulty chain that can snap and cause the rider to lose steering and fall. The CPSC reports 11 accidents thus far, which include nine accounts of injury in the form of cuts and bruises.