Lexus LS Sedan Sales Halted in United States

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Jessica Navarro

Businessweek.com has a report that Toyota has halted sales of the Lexus LS Sedan in the United States in order to rectify flaws in the steering wheel. The automaker recalled 3,800 of the 2009 and 2010 LS 460 models as well as the LS 600h L sedans in order to fix a steering wheel condition that could occur in certain driving conditions. A total of 11,500 Lexus vehicles have been recalled worldwide as a result of this steering wheel malfunction. The report states that no injuries or accident complaints have been made as a result of the malfunctioning steering wheel.

 

 Toyota has been at the forefront of the media as a result of several incidents that required them to recall now over 8 million of their vehicles in the past year. According to this report, the president of Toyota stated that their concern has shifted to their consumers and that is the reason for the recalls that they have made thus far this year. Some might think this is a case of too-little-too-late because of all the problems that have plagued the automaker including huge fines and several lawsuits and complaints against them. However, despite all the recalls and negative media attention that Toyota has been receiving over the last few months, they are still working to rectify the problems with their vehicles in order to ensure the safety of their consumers. That is one of the most important measures any product manufacturer can take in order to maintain good faith with the consumer and prevent any unnecessary danger or harm to customers.

For more information on the role of auto defects in accidents, visit Solomon & Relihan's Auto Defects page.
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Road Construction is Dangerous

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Martin Solomon

When highways are constructed or repaired there are hazards that, if motorists are unaware of, can be fatal. One such hazard is the roadway drop off.

A roadway drop off is where a newly paved portion of the road adjacent to the dirt portion of the road drops off without warning. This drop off, if deep enough, can cause the driver to lose control of his vehicle and not regain control before striking another vehicle or concrete road embankment.

Drop offs are more likely to occur on undivided rural highways with higher speed limits (between 45 and 70 mph) where drivers encounter twists and turns, driveways and oncoming traffic.

Good highway design and construction requires that the drop off on a highway where the speed limit is 55 mph should be no greater than one inch.

In addition, designers should provide space at the shoulders of highways to enable drivers to take evasive maneuvers to avoid potential crashes.

According to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, “well-designed and properly maintained shoulders are needed on rural highways with appreciable volume of traffic.”

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