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The investigation on the Corvette resulted from 30 complaints from consumers of leaking fuel tanks. The report states that no injuries or accidents in the Corvette have been reported at this time; however, two minor incidents have been reported with the Ford Windstar. A recall of both vehicles could potentially occur if the NHSTA deems it necessary.

 It is no secret that the automotive industry has been plagued by recalls of all kinds. The most recent, and most significant, is the Toyota recall of several thousand cars of differing models for various reasons. As a result of Toyota’s delay in their recall, they were forced to pay fines of around $16.4 million. Since that time, automakers have been voluntarily recalling vehicles for various flaws and malfunctions in a timely manner seemingly in order to avoid a similar fate.

 It is very important that automakers follow all government enforced rules regarding recalls in order to prevent injury to consumers. Although incidents of accidents or injuries are minimal in the case of the Windstar, there could potentially be more serious incidents if no action is taken to remedy the situation in their vehicles. Although many accidents on roadways occur due to driver error, there are still cases when an auto accident can be caused by a malfunction in the vehicles involved.

If you are involved in an accident, a manufacturer malfunction may be one of the causes, but the malfunction may not be readily apparent.  For more information on manufacturer malfunctions and how to identify them, visit the Solomon & Relihan Auto Defects page.

The New York Times reports that Toyota has ordered its dealers to stop selling the model until the problem can be corrected.  According to Consumer Reports, "When pushed to its limits on our track’s handling course, the rear of the GX we bought slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control.”

This is the latest in a string of toyota safety problems.  The company was recently fined a record $16.4 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failure to disclose information regarding sticky accelerator pedals.  This is another black mark for the company that was once known for safety and reliability but has no become a symbol for car safety problems.

Arizona Toyota owners and drivers should be careful and keep up-to-date on the latest Toyota safety problems.  A good place to check is the Toyota website's official recall page. In addition, Toyotarecall.org is also a good site, not associate with Toyota, which provides news and information on all Toyota recalls.

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident involving a Toyota and you believe a manufacturer error may be a factor, you should contact an experienced Arizona auto accident attorney immediately.

For more information on auto defects, visit the Solomon & Relihan Auto Defects information page.

According to the San Angelo Standard-Times, Sarah Goodner died three years ago in a car accident while in the passenger seat of her sister's 2005 Hyundai Tucson.    Goodner was wearing a seat belt but was thrown from the vehicle because her seat was reclined too far back.  Experts at the trial argued that reclining a car seat more that 45 degrees can be dangerous.  However, the Hyundai Tucson, like most of the 237 million cars in the US, allows front passenger seats to recline more than this.

It has long been known that car seats are only effective if worn correctly and reclining a seat too far can cause the seat belt to not be positioned correctly. According to an article on the subject in Slate magazine, car manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have known about the danger of overly-reclined seats since the 1980s.  Most car manufacturers only include a brief warning of the dangers of over-reclining your seat in the owner's manual.

This case highlights and important factor for all car passengers.  Many people think that if a car manufacturer includes a feature, such as reclining seats, and the government allows it, it must be safe. However, that is not always the case.  In addition, the causes of injuries or death in a car accident are not always obvious, so after any accident you should contact an experienced Arizona auto accident attorney to investigate your case.