• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • The Rearview Mirror: All That the Name Implies
  • Top Tips for Improving EV Range in Cold Weather
  • Mercedes is First Automaker to Offer True Level 3 Hands-Free Driving System in the U.S.
  • Audi Introduces Fourth “Sphere” Concept: Activesphere
  • Jaguar Land Rover Posts First Profitable Quarter in Two Years
  • Musk Confirms Cybertruck Production Tracking for End of 2023
  • Polestar Raises its Game with the 2024 Polestar 2
  • Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda Steps Down, Hands Reins to Lexus Chief Koji Sato
  • Environmental Groups Chide GM for ICE Investments
  • Tesla Sets New Financial Benchmarks, But Misses Analysts Targets
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus UX 250h F Sport
    • A Week With: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automobiles > NHTSA Fumbling Tough Decisions in Auto Investigations?

        NHTSA Fumbling Tough Decisions in Auto Investigations?

        Critics claim agency not fully performing its duties.

        Michael Strong
        Michael Strong , Managing Editor
        March 14, 2014
        Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, has been highly critical of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's handling of various automotive investigations.

        The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is coming under fire for its role in the General Motors faulty ignition switch recall, leaving many wondering about how the agency makes decisions regarding the process.

        The agency is in the midst of opening an investigation into the GM issue and closing the door on others without finishing the job, critics offer.

        The Last Word!

        For example, NHTSA just announced it was ending its investigation into a series of door fires in the Jeep Liberty. The query, which began in 2012, into 104,000 SUVs ended without seeking a recall despite reports of door fires linked to the driver’s side power master window switch.

        The agency received reports of smoke coming from the driver’s door followed by flames, NHTSA said. In both instances, the driver had to stop the vehicle and exit through the passenger door.

        “In addition to the fire, consumers reported erratic function of the windows and door locks resulting in activation on their own while the fire was occurring,” NHTSA said.

        The investigation is just one of several recent instances in which the federal agency either declined to order a recall or automakers asked NHTSA to forgo ordering a recall because the impact on consumers is negligible. Not surprisingly, safety advocates are questioning the leadership of the agency.

        Joan Claybrook, former NHTSA administrator, said the current threshold for ordering an investigation is too tough and officials don’t seem to understand that it should be much lower.

        (Detroit inventor creates Motor City Wiper. For more, Click Here.)

        She noted that during a recent hearing, the general counsel for NHTSA said the agency didn’t order an investigation into the General Motors ignition issue because there wasn’t a reasonable risk to public safety.

        “That’s not what the law says,” she said. “That’s not the standard. We’re talking about just opening an investigation.”

        (Click Here for details about the rising number of deaths in GM’s recalled vehicles.)

        The agency has recently faced several high profile issues, such as Toyota’s unintended acceleration cases and the gas tank fires associated with the Jeep Liberty where they were not as aggressive as critics would like them to be.

        (To see why California is questioning regulation of driverless cars, Click Here.)

        Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said he’s confused by the reticence of the agency to be tougher on automakers and by the lack of responsiveness by automakers when their products may be dangerous.

        “The whole point of the recall is to eliminate the product liability lawsuit, which causes quite a bit of damage to (an automaker’s) brand as well as costing a lot of money in damages,” he said. “It’s what it is designed to stop.”

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published

        The Rearview Mirror: All That the Name Implies

        Yesterday
        GMC Hummer SUT winter testing

        Top Tips for Improving EV Range in Cold Weather

        Jan. 27, 2023
        Mercedes Drive Pilot Nevada driving

        Mercedes is First Automaker to Offer True Level 3 Hands-Free Driving System in the U.S.

        Jan. 27, 2023

        2 responses to “NHTSA Fumbling Tough Decisions in Auto Investigations?”

        1. Bryan L. Creagan says:
          March 15, 2014 at 7:05 pm

          Just recently, the NHTSA and Chrysler came to an agreement concerning stalling issues of early LX platform cars (300, Charger and Magnum). The cars would stall because a check valve in the fuel tank would freeze in one position because of component incompatibility with ethanol. The problem, stalling on a roadway or highway, would manifest itself when the fuel tank was filled above the 3/4 mark.
          Chrysler avoided the recall by extending the fuel tank warranty to “lifetime” and the NHTSA bought into this responsibility avoidance. Pathetic.

          Reply
        2. Jorge M. says:
          March 17, 2014 at 9:08 am

          For years BMW had massive high- pressure fuel pump failure rates on their x35i models which NHTSA was aware of. BMW tried 7+ replacement high-pressure fuel pump part numbers to bandaid the problem and never actually fixed the defect which resulted in accidents and vehicles lossing all power at any speed from city driving to 70+ mph highway speeds.

          There were hundreds if not thousands of consumer complaints filed for these high-pressure fuel pump failures and NHTSA did nothing to force BMW to properly repair these vehicles other than extend the warranty, which doesn’t reduce the safety liability at all. Only after the media caught wind of the problem and 20/20 or one of the other investigative shows did a scathing report on the HPFPs that had been failing for years, did BMW agree to replace more fuel pumps with another HPFP design that STILL did not correct the defect. These cars are still on the roadways and the HPFPs are still failing and leaving commuters in a serious safety risk situation.

          With the new $7 per vehicle sold NHTSA tax you’d have expected NHTSA to improve it’s performance as it always claimed it was limited by lack of resources. Apparently resources are not the only issue when NHTSA allows auto makers to ignore proper repairs on documented safety issues.

          Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: