Auto News: Takata's bankruptcy, Ex-Suzuki employee, Emissions test you can't game
Takata's bankruptcy to pit automakers against air bag victims
The global recall of Takata Corp's defective air bags widened last week and the number of confirmed deaths rose, but legal experts said the bigger worry for car companies caught in the fallout is playing out in a Delaware bankruptcy courtroom.
Earlier this month, people injured by the air bags, which degrade over time and can inflate with excessive force, were appointed to their own official committee in the Japanese company's U.S. bankruptcy, giving them a powerful voice in the proceedings.
This unusual committee, which includes people whose cars lost value due to the recall, will be pitted against Honda Motor Co, Toyota Motor Corp , and other automakers. read more »
Ex-Suzuki employee pleads guilty to Clean Air Act violation
A former employee of Suzuki Motor Corp.'s U.S. operations pleaded guilty on Friday to filing a false report and violating the Clean Air Act over excess emissions in more than 23,000 2012 model year motorcycles, court documents showed.
The case is the latest in a series of civil and criminal actions the EPA and the Justice Department have pursued to crack down on automakers that skirt pollution tests in an attempt to avoid paying the costs of compliance. read more »
A diesel emissions test you can’t game?
Diesel is a dirty word in the auto industry these days. The fuel was once viewed—particularly in Europe—as a potential savior, since diesel engines offer much better fuel economy and emit much less CO2 per mile than engines that run on gasoline. But that changed once Volkswagen Group was caught cheating its emissions tests, resulting in billions of dollars of fines and a loss of public trust. Automotive-component maker Bosch had a hand in the mess, too—it provided the code on the Engine Control Units in VW Group's offending diesels. The supplier ultimately paid out several hundred million dollars in settlement in the US, although it was not required to admit any wrongdoing. read more »
U.S. EPA chief says to treat diesel emissions cheating 'very aggressively'
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt said the agency must ensure Volkswagen AG's excess diesel emissions is not repeated, and will treat improper behavior by automakers "very aggressively."
Since Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 to illegally using software to evade emissions regulations, the EPA has been investigating diesel issues in a number of other automakers including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Daimler AG.
In March, VW pleaded guilty to three felonies in a U.S. court and faces three years of probation and oversight by a court appointed monitor. The automaker has agreed to spend more than $25 billion on buybacks, fines and environmental efforts.
The U.S. Justice Department sued Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV in May and accused the Italian-American automaker of illegally using software to bypass emission controls in 104,000 diesel vehicles sold since 2014.
"What VW did was very, very troublesome and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again," Pruitt told Reuters in an interview late Monday.
Ford Recalls Various Models to Replace Torque Converters
According to Ford, the recall is due to the vehicles possibly having torque converters with inadequately welded studs. The affected vehicles are equipped with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with 6F35 transmissions and include the 2017 Ford Edge, 2017 Ford Fusion, and 2017 Lincoln MKZ. If the welded studs detach in the affected vehicles, the torque converter will lose coupling to the engine flexplate. As a result, this could cause a loss of motive power without warning while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. read more »
Honda recalls 2.1 million vehicles worldwide over fire risk
Honda Motor Co said on Friday it would recall about 2.1 million vehicles worldwide to replace battery sensors due to the risk of fire.
Chris Martin, a spokesman for the Japanese automaker said the recall would include 1.15 million Honda Accord vehicles from the 2013-2016 model years in the United States, and nearly 1 million elsewhere, to replace a 12-volt battery sensor. read more »
Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.34 million vehicles
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said Friday it will voluntarily recall 1.34 million vehicles across the globe, amid concerns component failures could lead to inadvertent air bag deployments or be a potential fire hazard.
The Italian-American auto maker said it is recalling 770,853 crossover vehicles after discovering wiring that chafes against steering-wheel trim pieces could cause a short circuit, triggering a process that could deploy the driver-side front air bag. The company warned the incident could be preceded by an illuminated air-bag warning light, unintended wiper operation, or inoperable switches. read more »
Daimler summoned by Germany to address diesel allegations
A German government committee investigating carmakers has summoned Daimler for a meeting today to address allegations it sold cars with excessive emissions, the transport ministry said.
German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, citing a search warrant issued by a Stuttgart court, reported on Wednesday that Daimler had been accused of selling over a million cars with excessive emissions in Europe and the U.S. read more »
Daimler shares drop 2.5 percent after excess emissions report
Shares in Mercedes maker Daimler (DAIGn.DE) fell 2.5 percent in early trade on Thursday after a newspaper report accusing the carmaker of possibly selling more than a million cars with excess emissions in Europe and the United States. read more »
