Bernard Law Group's blog

Toyota Tacoma Trucks Recalled for Problem with Propeller Shaft

Toyota has announced yet another auto product defect recall, this time involving 8,000 Tacoma pickup trucks from the 2010 model year. According to a Fox News report, these recalled vehicles have a problem with the front propeller shaft, which could cause the vehicle to lose control. Apparently, there is a manufacturing defect in these vehicles that causes cracks to develop in the drive shaft. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials say a crack can form in the rear joint, causing the drive shaft to come loose from the truck. This defect will only affect four-wheel drive models, so standard two-wheel drive Tacomas are left out of the recall.

This is one of many Toyota recalls issued over the last few months. The Japanese auto maker has already recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles for problems involving defective gas pedals, floor mats and brakes. A majority of these vehicles were recalled for sudden or unintended acceleration, which could pose a crash hazard. The government has also demanded various documents from Toyota to determine whether the auto maker reported the vehicle defects and issued the recalls in a timely manner.

If you have been seriously injured in an accident involving a recalled Toyota vehicle, you may want to consider contacting a reputed Washington auto products liability lawyer. Please remember that if you suspect your accident was caused by a defective auto, it is very important that you preserve your vehicle in tact so it can be examined by an expert for evidence of defects or malfunctions.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective auto, please contact the reputed Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about Washington auto product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source: http://www.wvec.com/news/consumer/Toyota-recalls-some-Tacoma-trucks-over-propeller-shaft-84265777.html

Toyota Recalls Prius and Lexus Hybrid Vehicles for Braking Defects

Toyota Motor Corp. has announced a global recall involving more than 400,000 of its Prius and Lexus hybrid vehicles because of braking problems. This defective auto recall has come after quite a bit of deliberation and speculation about how Toyota will deal with this issue. The auto maker has come under fire for not reacting in a timely manner to auto product defects involving faulty gas pedals and floor mats in more than 8 million vehicles. These defects are said to have caused sudden or unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, causing several fatalities and numerous injuries over the last decade or so. In an unprecedented move, Toyota suspended production and sales of eight vehicle models in order to fix the gas pedal problem

The problem with the Prius involves delays in the vehicles' braking capacity especially on icy or bumpy roads. Dealers say this problem can be fixed in 40 minutes. Prius owners complained that they suddenly lost braking capacity and control of the car when they hit a pothole or a bump on the roadway. Toyota officials are saying now that this happens because of a software glitch. If you own one of these recalled Prius models, please contact your Toyota dealer to get the software fixed as soon as possible. You may also wish to speak with a skilled Seattle car accident attorney if you have been in an accident involving one of the recalled vehicles.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective auto, please contact the reputed Washington personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE brochure about Washington auto product defect cases, which has useful, educational information to help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team today.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020900654.html?wprss=rss_business/economy

Toyota Vehicles Investigated for Engine Stalling Problem

Toyota Motor Corp. is under investigation for yet another suspected auto product defect. This time, it involves complaints of engine stalling on 2006 Toyota Corolla and Matrix models. According to a news report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) got about 26 complaints of this problem occurring on 2006 Corolla and Matrix models. Several consumers said the stalling happens suddenly, sometimes, in the middle of an intersection or on the highway. Consumers say that even if the car in restarted, it stalls again. Toyota officials are saying that this is just a preliminary investigation.

Toyota, which has been renowned for its reliability, recently recalled 4.3 million Toyota and Lexus model vehicles for a defective accelerator pedal that could cause the accelerator to become jammed. That auto defect recall was spurred by a car accident, which led to the death of a California Highway Patrol officer and three of his family members. Initially, the problem was thought to have been with floor mats, but further investigation determined that the accelerator pedals on these vehicles were defectively designed and caused sudden or unexpected acceleration. Another recall was announced for 2000 and 2003 Toyota Tundra models for excessive frame rust.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a defective auto, the auto maker or the manufacturer of the defective auto product could be held liable for those injuries. If the victim is deceased, the family of the victim can file a wrongful death claim against the auto maker.

If your loved one has been seriously injured by a defective auto, please contact the reputed Seattle personal injury lawyers at The Bernard Law Firm to find out about your legal rights and options. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com to schedule your FREE, comprehensive and confidential consultation. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington auto product defect cases, which has useful, educational information that will help you better understand your rights. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his experienced legal team today.

Source: http://www.autoevolution.com/news/toyota-engine-stall-under-nhtsa-investigation-14185.html

Honda Recalls Accord and Civic Vehicles for Airbag Defects

Federal safety officials are questioning why Honda Motor Co. officials delayed a recall for airbag defects in their Civic and Accord vehicles. According to a recent news report, about 444,000 Accord and Civic vehicles are being recalled because an airbag inflator can rupture from too much internal air pressure, sending metal fragments through the airbag and hitting the vehicles' occupants. Not only can people get injured by these sharp metal fragments striking them, but this product defect can also disable airbags causing them to fail in the event of a car accident. So far, Honda has acknowledged one death and several injuries as a result of these airbag defects.

Federal officials are demanding information from Honda as well as Takata Corp., its airbag supplier, about why the second larger recall involving these faulty airbags did not come sooner, given that the auto maker knew about these airbag defects for at least year before the second recall. The first recall, in November 2008, involved 3,940 Accords and Civics from the 2001 model year. The second recall, in June 2009, involved more vehicles of the same models and year. Honda expanded the second recall in July to include certain 2002 Accords and Acuras. In all, the second recall totaled 440,000 vehicles.

If you have been injured as a result of an airbag defect, please contact a reputed Seattle personal injury lawyer with The Bernard Law Group for a free consultation. We will also mail you a FREE informational brochure about auto product defects. There is no question that vehicle defects can change your life and turn it upside down. Kirk Bernard and his skilled legal team will make sure that your legal rights are protected and that you receive fair compensation for your injuries, damages and loss.

Source: http://www.4wheelsnews.com/honda-recalls-of-444000-accord-and-civic-vehicles/