Safety

Chrysler Recalls Trucks Because Of Axle Nut Issue

October 8, 2012 10:25 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Chrysler is recalling thousands of Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota trucks from the 2009 and 2010 model years because of a problem with a rear axle pinion nut that could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall affects 44,300 trucks.

Feds Studying Problems With Ford Escape Throttles

October 5, 2012 1:59 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

U.S. safety regulators are looking into throttle problems with older Ford Escapes at the request of a consumer group. The nonprofit North Carolina Consumers Council has asked federal regulators to investigate two complaints from drivers that the small SUVs stalled or surged forward.

U.S. Probes Hyundai Veloster For Shattering Sunroofs

October 5, 2012 9:58 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints that sunroofs on the Hyundai Veloster hatchback can shatter and shower people with glass. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe affects about 18,000 cars from the 2012 model year.

Honda Recalls 600,000 Accords To Fix Faulty Hoses

October 1, 2012 2:02 pm | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

Honda is recalling 600,000 Accord midsize cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a faulty power steering hose that can leak fluid and cause a fire. The recall affects Accords with V-6 engines from the 2003 through 2007 model years. Honda has a report of one fire but no injuries or crashes.

GM Recalling 40,859 Cars For Potential Fuel Leaks

October 1, 2012 10:19 am | by Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

General Motors Co. is recalling more than 40,000 cars sold in warm-weather U.S. states because a plastic part might crack and cause a fuel leak. The company is recalling Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 sedans from the 2007 through 2009 model years and Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent SUVs and Saturn Ion sedans from the 2007 model year.

NTSB: 2nd 787 Engine Found With Cracked Mid-Shaft

September 28, 2012 10:00 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Inspectors looking into what caused a Boeing 787 Dreamliner engine to fail during a test flight at Charleston International Airport have found a second problematic plane. The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday its investigators had found a second engine with a cracked mid-shaft. That engine was installed on a 787 that hadn't yet flown.

Chemical Factory Explosion In South Korea Kills 4

September 28, 2012 9:55 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Police say an explosion at a chemical factory in South Korea has killed four people and injured eight others. The blast occurred Thursday at an industrial complex in the southeastern city of Gumi where TV and other electronic components are made.

GM Recalls Midsize Cars To Fix Transmission Cables

September 21, 2012 9:35 am | News | Comments

General Motors is recalling nearly 474,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn cars to fix a transmission problem that can cause the cars to roll away unexpectedly. The recall affects 2007-2010 Chevrolet Malibus, Pontiac G6s and Saturn Auras in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as a small number of exports. All the cars have four-speed automatic transmissions.

Fines Proposed After Moss Point Plant Death

September 18, 2012 10:11 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal safety agency has proposed fines of $79,200 for Omega Protein Inc. for 25 safety and health violations found after the death of a worker who got caught in a rotating screw conveyor. The Sun Herald reports the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released its findings Monday from an inspection in April after 24-year-old Christopher Hebert died from blood loss at the Moss Point plant.

Japan Businesses In China Hit As Protests Rage

September 18, 2012 10:09 am | by Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer | News | Comments

Scores of Japanese-owned factories and stores in China were shuttered Tuesday as anti-Japan demonstrations erupted in dozens of cities. At stake are billions of dollars in investments and far more in sales and trade between Japan and China, the world's third- and second-largest economies. The two are so closely entwined that both would suffer from any long-term disruptions.

Ford Recalls Some 2012 Ford Edge SUVs

September 17, 2012 2:15 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Ford Motor Co. is recalling some of its 2012 Edge vehicles because of concerns that the fuel line could leak and potentially cause a fire. The recall affects about 5,500 vehicles made between Sept. 2, 2010, and Oct. 31, 2011.The Edge is a midsized SUV, and the affected vehicles have 2-liter engines.

Feds Investigate Ford Police Car Steering Problem

September 17, 2012 10:20 am | by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments

Government safety regulators are investigating Ford's Crown Victoria police cars due to complaints about defective steering columns. The probe affects about 195,000 cars from the 2005 through 2008 model years. The government has received three complaints that part of the steering column can separate and cause loss of steering control.

Pakistan Factory Owners In Deadly Blaze Get Bail

September 14, 2012 10:10 am | by Adil Jawad, Associated Press | News | Comments

A Pakistani court has granted bail to three owners of a garment factory in the southern city of Karachi where a fire this week killed 258 people, a defense lawyer said Friday. Amir Mansoob Qureshi said the judge instructed the police that the factory owners cannot be arrested for eight days under bail terms. The court also asked the owners to surrender their passports and ordered them not to leave the country, the lawyer said.

Nissan Recalls 51,000 Cars After Steering Fault

September 13, 2012 2:12 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Nissan Motor Co. says it is recalling 51,000 cars worldwide after a defect caused a steering wheel in one of its models sold in Finland to become detached. Nissan Nordic Europe spokeswoman Taina Erkkila says the defect likely would mean replacing parts in some 600 recalled vehicles.

Threat Shuts Part Of PA Boeing Plant For Hours

September 12, 2012 10:23 am | by Patrick Walters, Associated Press | News | Comments

Part of a Boeing factory was evacuated for hours Tuesday after a threatening note was found, but a police search turned up nothing suspicious. About 500 employees had to leave the part of the factory where the H-47 Chinook helicopter is made, according to spokesman Damien Mills, who declined to elaborate on the nature of the threat.

1 Worker Injured In Explosion At VA Plant

September 12, 2012 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A worker is recovering from injuries suffered in an explosion at a manufacturing plant in southwest Virginia. Media outlets say the explosion occurred Tuesday at Pemco Corp.'s plant in Bluefield. Bluefield Fire Department Chief Jim Hardy says the worker suffered burns on his hands, face and chest. He was transported to a hospital in Bristol, Va.

Trial Begins In 2 Philadelphia Food Plant Killings

September 11, 2012 10:31 am | by Maryclaire Dale, Associated Press | News | Comments

A security guard at a Philadelphia food plant says he opened the gate for an armed employee before a shooting that left two people dead. Guard Mark Bentley is testifying at Yvonne Hiller's double-murder trial about the night Hiller was suspended from Kraft Foods in September 2010.

Navy Cited By OSHA For Mishandling Toxic Materials

September 7, 2012 2:17 pm | by Julie Watson, Associated Press | News | Comments

The Navy has been cited for safety violations that exposed hundreds of employees at an aircraft hangar in Coronado to toxic materials such as lead, cadmium and beryllium, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday.

11 Arrested For Blaze At India Fireworks Factory

September 6, 2012 12:03 pm | by Aijaz Rahi, Associated Press | News | Comments

Police in southern India arrested 11 employees of a fireworks factory on Thursday, a day after a massive blaze at the facility killed 40 workers and injured 60 others. The arrests came as grieving relatives cremated the charred bodies of their loved ones, who died Wednesday when the fire blew up large amounts of firecrackers and raw materials stored at the factory.

Ford Recalls New Escapes To Fix Coolant Leaks

September 5, 2012 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Ford is recalling about 7,600 Escape SUVs to fix coolant leaks that can cause fires. The recall affects 2013 Escapes with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines. Plugs that fill holes in the engine may not have been put in properly and can fall out while the motor is running. Coolant can leak and cause the engines to overheat.

OSHA Cites Tyson For Nebraska Worker's Death

August 27, 2012 2:02 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Regulators have proposed more than $104,000 in penalties for Tyson Foods because of safety violations the regulators say were found at a Nebraska beef plant where a worker was fatally injured. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson was cited for seven violations at its Dakota City plant.

Chevrolet Sonic Recalled To Fix Wiper Fluid Issue

August 27, 2012 10:09 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

General Motors Co. is recalling nearly 45,000 of its 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact cars because of a defect that could prevent washer fluid from spraying on the car's windshield. The recall covers certain 2012 Sonics manufactured from May 5, 2011 through Feb. 24, 2012. GM says the windshield wiper hose on these cars may separate from the washer fluid reservoir.

Airbuses Suffer Cockpit Power Failure, Await Fixes

August 22, 2012 10:26 am | by David Porter, Associated Press | News | Comments

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator said long time frames for fixes are not uncommon, because of the inconvenience involved in grounding planes for repairs. And an FAA spokeswoman said the four-year window was determined by the estimated 46 hours required to fix each jet. Safety regulators put the cost at $6,000 per plane.

Nissan Recalling Infiniti SUVs To Fix Gas Gauges

August 22, 2012 10:14 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Nissan is recalling about 7,800 Infiniti SUVs because the fuel gauges can show gas in the tank when there isn't any. The recall affects the JX35 from the 2013 model year. A tube inside the gas tank could be in the wrong place. That could prevent a float from dropping as fuel is used, causing an inaccurate reading on the dashboard fuel gauge.

Worker Dies After Fall At Cargill Plant

August 21, 2012 2:23 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Authorities in central Illinois are working to determine what led to the death of a 48-year-old Heyworth man after a fall last week at a Cargill Inc. soybean-processing plant. Cargill spokesman Mark Klein says Burleson was in the elevator area where the soybeans are stored and apparently fell onto a lower level.