Safety

Hyundai Adds About 6,100 Cars To Sunroof Recall

February 27, 2013 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Hyundai is adding more Veloster hatchbacks to a recall for panoramic sunroofs that can shatter and cause injuries. In December, the automaker recalled about 13,500 of the funky cars from the 2012 model year. Now it's adding about 6,100 more, bringing the total to 19,600 in the U.S. The additional Velosters were built from July 4, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2011.

Too Big To Fly: Why Engineering Should Stay Small

February 27, 2013 8:00 am | by Chris Fox, Associate Editor, PD&D | Blogs | Comments

Everybody has heard the now-clichéd term, ‘too big to fail’, and all of the negative connotations that are associated with said title. Also, I’m sure most, if not all, of you have heard or read something about the recent problems Boeing is experiencing with the Lithium Ion batteries.

First Witness Testifies In Gulf Oil Spill Trial

February 26, 2013 2:12 pm | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

BP failed to implement a new safety plan on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig even though the company realized a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico was its greatest danger, an expert witness for people and businesses suing the company testified Tuesday.

Hercules Recalls Light Truck Tires

February 26, 2013 2:06 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Hercules Tire is recalling some light-duty truck tires in the U.S. because the belts and treads can separate from the tires. The recall covers 10-ply Load Range E tires in the company's All Trac line. All the recalled tires are 16- or 17-inches (40.5 or 43-centimeters) in diameter. They are used mainly on commercial trucks.

Whistleblower Suits Say Military Parts Defective

February 25, 2013 2:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Slidell machining company has supplied defective parts for military vehicles, lawsuits by former employees claim. The suits say Alliance Laser supplied welded parts to Textron Marine & Land Systems even though no employees were legally certified to weld the parts, The Times-Picayune report.

Chinese Hackers Seen As Increasingly Professional

February 25, 2013 2:01 pm | by Christopher Bodeen, Associated Press | News | Comments

Beijing hotly denies accusations of official involvement in massive cyberattacks against foreign targets, insinuating such activity is the work of rogues. But at least one element cited by Internet experts points to professional cyberspies: China's hackers take the weekend off.

Lab Asks U.S. Gov't To Investigate Toyota Prius

February 25, 2013 1:59 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

U.S. safety regulators are deciding if they'll investigate a complaint that the steering can fail on the Toyota Prius. The government says in documents that an automotive laboratory in Virginia asked for the investigation after evaluating a client's car. The probe could affect about 561,000 of the gas-electric hybrids from the 2004 through 2009 model years.

Billions At Stake For BP In Gulf Oil Spill Trial

February 25, 2013 10:20 am | by Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press | News | Comments

Nearly three years after a deadly rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico triggered the United States' worst offshore oil spill, a trial started Monday in the high-stakes case against British oil giant BP and other companies involved. The trial is designed to identify the causes of BP's well blowout and assign percentages of fault to the companies.

Feds To Probe Ford Cars, SUVs For Stalling

February 25, 2013 10:18 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it will investigate problems with stalling or surging engines in nearly 725,000 Ford cars and SUVs. The probe affects Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs and Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from the 2009 through 2011 model years.

Japan Identifies Some Boeing 787 Problems

February 22, 2013 2:11 pm | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Japanese authorities have identified the causes of fuel leaks and other problems with Boeing's 787 but are still investigating the more serious battery problem that forced an emergency landing in January and the worldwide grounding of the jets.

United Airlines Drops 787s Through June 5

February 22, 2013 10:05 am | by Joan Lowy, Joshua Freed, Associated Press | News | Comments

United Airlines cut the grounded Boeing 787 from its flying plans at least until June and postponed its new Denver-to-Tokyo flights on Thursday, as airlines continued to tear up their schedules while the plane is out of service. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a battery fire in one plane and forced the emergency landing of another plane last month. The world's 50 787s have been grounded since Jan. 16.

Judge: U.S. Steel Can Test New Employees For Booze

February 21, 2013 4:24 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal judge in Pittsburgh says United States Steel Corp. can randomly test new employees for drugs and alcohol, rejecting a challenge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which sued claiming a worker was fired when she falsely tested positive for drinking because she was diabetic.

Boeing To Propose 787 Battery Fix

February 21, 2013 4:24 pm | by Joan Lowy, Joshua Freed, Associated Press | News | Comments

Boeing has developed a plan that it intends to propose to federal regulators to temporarily fix problems with the 787 Dreamliner's batteries that have kept the planes on the ground for more than a month, a congressional official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Japan Probe Finds Miswiring Of Boeing 787 Battery

February 20, 2013 1:44 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A probe into the overheating of a lithium ion battery in an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 that made an emergency landing found it was improperly wired, Japan's Transport Ministry said Wednesday. The Transport Safety Board said the battery for the aircraft's auxiliary power unit was incorrectly connected to the main battery that overheated.

New Airbag Protects Pedestrians

February 20, 2013 8:08 am | by Meaghan Ziemba, Editor, WDD | Articles | Comments

Car safety has come a long way since the very first Ford Model-T took to the streets back in 1908. From air bags to digital rear-view mirrors, drivers can now feel more comfortable when they get behind the wheel — and safer. Now that the driver is more secure, the automotive industry has shifted its sights to increased safety features for pedestrians.

MS Part Of $29M Agreement With Toyota

February 19, 2013 1:50 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says Mississippi will receive about $561,288 in a multi-state settlement with Toyota Motor Corp. over problems with accelerator pedals. Hood says Mississippi will be getting part of a $29 million pot split among 29 different states and American Samoa.

VA Part Of $29M Agreement With Toyota

February 15, 2013 1:12 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Virginia joined 28 other states in a $29M agreement with Toyota over allegations the company concealed safety issues related to unintended acceleration. In a complaint filed along with the agreement, the states allege Toyota engaged in deceptive practices when it failed to timely disclose known safety defects with accelerator pedals.

Shell, BASF Offer Millions In Class Action Suit

February 15, 2013 12:57 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Shell Brasil SA and BASF SA have offered more than $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit with former workers allegedly contaminated at a pesticide plant in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil's top labor court said Friday. The court said on its website that the two companies have offered to provide 884 workers with lifelong health plans with a "global value" of 52 million reals ($26 million).

Airbus To Drop Lithium-Ion Batteries In A350

February 15, 2013 10:18 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Airbus abandoned its plans to use lithium-ion batteries for its new A350 airplanes due to the uncertainty surrounding the technology following the grounding of Boeing's 787, the company said. The European aerospace group said Thursday it would revert to conventional nickel-cadmium batteries for the A350.

BMW Recalls More Than 30,000 SUVs To Fix Brakes

February 15, 2013 10:17 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

BMW is recalling more than 30,000 SUVs to fix an oil leak that can knock out the power-assisted braking. The German automaker says the recall covers X5 SUVs in the U.S. from the 2007 through 2010 model years. The vehicles were made between Sept. 12, 2006, and March 18, 2010. They have eight-cylinder engines.

Entergy NY Reactor Shut Down After Pumps Fail

February 15, 2013 10:12 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

An Entergy Corp. nuclear reactor in the New York suburbs has been shut down because two pumps that send water from a drain tank to the steam generators stopped working. Entergy said Wednesday the shutdown of Indian Point 2 went safely. They said there were no injuries and no release of radioactivity.

New EPA Rules On Cadmium Exposure Raise Liability Risk

February 15, 2013 9:17 am | by Michael Gruver, Lawyer, Kaye Scholer and Glenn Pogust, Partner, Kaye Scholer | Articles | Comments

Cadmium is a chemical element with many possible industrial applications and one huge challenge: cadmium is highly toxic. Recently, the health risks associated with cadmium exposure has led to increased public attention.

Chrysler Adds 278,000 Trucks To Axle Recall

February 14, 2013 2:09 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Chrysler said Thursday that it is recalling 278,000 pickup trucks and SUVs because their rear axles can lock up unexpectedly. The recall covers many Ram 1500 pickups from the 2009 through 2012 model years as well as Dodge Dakota pickups from 2009 through 2011. Also included are Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUVs from 2009.

Poland's Dreamliners Grounded Through October

February 14, 2013 2:07 pm | by Monika Scislowska, Associated Press | News | Comments

Polish airline LOT said Thursday it is keeping its Boeing 787 Dreamliners grounded through October while the U.S. company tries to solve a potential safety threat. The late date suggests some airlines are growing skeptical about the plane's chances of resuming flight soon.

Lexus, Porsche Top Dependability Rankings

February 13, 2013 12:45 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

If there's one thing you can count on, it's your car. Vehicles are more dependable than ever, says J.D. Power and Associates. The consulting company's latest study, which measures problems experienced in the last year by owners of 3-year-old vehicles, found that reported problems fell 5 percent to the lowest level since it collecting data in 1989.