If you have been following the news, you have probably been hearing nearly nonstop coverage about ebola. While ebola is certainly a serious issue that officials should deal with, the fact is that only one person in America has died from Ebola. Dozens have been killed and hundreds injured this year alone by defective automobiles.
Wave after wave of auto recalls have hit the United States this year. A week passing without a major auto recall is a triumph; last week, there were three.
On Oct. 15, Toyota announced a global recall of 1.67 million vehicles. This recall covers a number of different models, and is meant to address three separate defects, including faulty fuel delivery pipes that could leak and cause a fire and ineffective brake master cylinders that may interfere with brake performance.
On Oct. 16, Chrysler announced a pair of recalls affecting more than 900,000 cars and SUVs. One recall concerns alternators that could fail, potentially causing vehicles to stall suddenly or to erupt in flame. The other is over possible electrical shorts in a component of exterior heated power mirrors that could cause fires.
Finally, on Oct. 17, Volkswagen recalled more than 1.1 million cars to correct issues with rear suspension parts. Cracked suspension arms in these vehicles, if undetected, could potentially lead to crashes, according to VW officials.
Millions and millions of vehicles have been recalled for safety defects in 2014. While it is good that automakers are finally trying to correct problems in their vehicles, it is certainly disheartening to learn just how many of the vehicles we use every day have been putting our safety and even our lives at risk.
Sources: Reuters, “Toyota recalls 1.67 million Toyota, Lexus cars,Toyota recalls 1.67 million Toyota, Lexus cars,” Oct. 15, 2014; “Chrysler recalls more than 900,000 vehicles globally in two actions,” Oct. 16, 2014; “VW recalls 1.1 million cars in North America, China over suspension issue,” Oct. 17, 2014
