Critics Call For Stronger Language In Auto Recalls

[Ming]

Target 5: Critics Call For Stronger Language In Auto Recalls
Carmakers Say Letters State Problems Clearly
March 3, 2005
www.NBC5.com

CHICAGO -- What began as a routine ride down a country road ended in tragedy last July, when college senior Derek Doss fell out of the back of his family's pickup truck.

We heard a loud noise, and immediately we looked out the back and had fell," said Mitzi Doss. "We saw the tailgate down and we knew then that the tailgate cables had broke. It was head trauma. He was gone, so we were devastated."

Critics contend fuzzy language contributed to the problem of defective cars on the road, Target 5's Lisa Parker reported. The overall repair rate on recalled cars hovers around 72 percent, Parker reported. Last year for example, that means of the 30.5 million cars recalled, approximately 8.5 million are still on the road not yet fixed.

Derek Doss is one of six fatalities linked to the tailgate cable problem. While GM would not comment on the Dosses lawsuit, it did offer condolences to the family. In general, GM said its recall notices on the problem were very clear, with bold writing that warned owners not to sit or stand on the tailgate until it was repaired.

The Dosses called the wording in the letter weak language, but Public Citizen, a consumer group, called it part of a wider problem with many recalls.

"The wording in the letters is not strong enough," said Joan Claybrook of Public Citizen "And it's one of the major problems. Because consumers get a namby-pamby letter and they say, 'Oh, I'll deal with that later.'"

The Dosses, who have filed a lawsuit, said they had received the letter from General Motors, which they put aside after their Chevrolet dealer told them it didn't have the parts to make the repair, Parker reported. It would not be until later that the Missouri family would put two and two together:

The contents of the letter held new meaning after Derek died, because it outlined that the galvanized steel tailgate cables that could "corrode, weaken and fracture." The letter went on to say that "anyone sitting or standing on the tailgate when both cables fracture could be injured." It was the very problem that the Dosses now believe caused their son's death.

"If it's something serious like this, it needs to say that, because it didn't," Mitzi Doss said. "It didn't."

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials said car manufacturers' efforts to inform the public are greatly improved.

"Consumers are more concerned about safety," said NHTSA's Kathy DeMeter. "And that translates into the manufacturers being more concerned about safety."

Sometimes it's how those carmakers communicate that consumers find frustrating, Parker reported. One Chicago Toyota driver said a letter he recently received almost went in the trash. Neither he, nor his wife -- both University of Chicago professors -- understood the letter, titled a "Limited Service Campaign."

"I was lucky and my kids were lucky," said the professor. "If this radiator would have exploded, I don't want to think what would have happened."

For its part, Toyota said its limited service campaign notice was clear, and the defect in question did not present a danger.

Carmakers call the shots on many of the issues involved, Parker reported. If a serious safety defect is involved, they are supposed to tell the government and call it a recall. But anything less is a voluntary effort on their part, and they can name it a "limited service campaign", or a "technical service bulletin" -- the kind of inside lingo that means next to nothing to many consumers.

Full Article HERE: http://www.nbc5.com/money/4247000/detail.html

[LGRpup]

First, most states have made it illegal to sit in the open bed of a truck, and if they don't you shouldn't sit against the tailgate anyway. I have ridden in the back of a pickup many times and the normal location is at the end of the box by the cab, not the tailgate. Now really, give me a break, the language is not strong enough??? What do these people want, a picture of some mangled body falling out a truck to come with there recall slip. If you can't take responsibility to read the recall notice and have your vehicle fixed, your going to have to take responsibility for someone getting hurt. Even if I brushed of the notice and was told the parts were not in for the repair yet do you think I would let my kids sit in the bed against the **************** tailgate??? NO

[SilverZ]

Why is the kid sitting on the tailgate when a truck is going at speeds enough to kill? Only in America.

[T-Type]

This was on the morning news in Chicago. Pissed me off to no end. Of all the recalls going on, they gotta talk about the stupid GM tailgate cables. The majority of the report was about how this kid died because of the broken tailgate cables. Now I'm very sorry he died, but in my opinion, the parents hold a majority of the blame for this. First he was riding in the bed of the pickup. Jeeze that's illegal in a most places. And if it's not, it's common sense that that is not a safe thing to do. Second, they got a warning letter from GM. Maybe the the letter didn't have strong enough wording, but they were warned.

Then they started to talk some about a Toyota recall. I thought, OK people may be right, the media bias against american car companies is untrue. Well that feeling lasted only the ten seconds. Ten seconds is all that they talked about the Toyota recall. They went on and on about the kid that died because of the GM tailgate cables, but the Toyota recall gets brushed over. And some say there is no bias in the media...

[silverbugeye]

OK so you were using a product in a way it wasn't intended to be used and someone got hurt or died and now its not your fault?

"Ruger recalls 9mm pistol for defective firing pin that may go off accidentally "

"well Bubba was using his 9MM as a hammer and it went off an killed granny so we gonna sue Ruger for that recalled firing pin... Letter said be careful.. Didn't say anything about using it as a hammer"

[spudglo08]

Hey it's their fault.They let him sit their.Not any car co's.It's illegal anyways.They knew they were broke.Therefore they have no one to blame but theirselves.Why the hell do you think it's illegal.

[spudglo08]

Originally Posted by silverbugeye

OK so you were using a product in a way it wasn't intended to be used and someone got hurt or died and now its not your fault?

"Ruger recalls 9mm pistol for defective firing pin that may go off accidentally "

"well Bubba was using his 9MM as a hammer and it went off an killed granny so we gonna sue Ruger for that recalled firing pin... Letter said be careful.. Didn't say anything about using it as a hammer"

No Bubba was using it as a tooth pic and hit the trigger.

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by T-Type

...the parents hold a majority of the blame for this...

Yes, in a sensible society, you're correct. But unfortunately ours is a land of litigious folks who project blame.

It's funny that I wasn't chosen for jury duty when last I was called. Perhaps the prosecutors could sense my lack of faith in the US legal system.

[spudglo08]

Originally Posted by LGRpup

First, most states have made it illegal to sit in the open bed of a truck, and if they don't you shouldn't sit against the tailgate anyway. I have ridden in the back of a pickup many times and the normal location is at the end of the box by the cab, not the tailgate. Now really, give me a break, the language is not strong enough??? What do these people want, a picture of some mangled body falling out a truck to come with there recall slip. If you can't take responsibility to read the recall notice and have your vehicle fixed, your going to have to take responsibility for someone getting hurt. Even if I brushed of the notice and was told the parts were not in for the repair yet do you think I would let my kids sit in the bed against the **************** tailgate??? NO

Isn't it even illegal to sit in the bed here.Unless it's for farm work.

[VivienM]

Firstly, I have to agree with everybody else, except for the "blame the parents" part. The dead kid was a "college senior", which if I understand the US post-secondary system correctly, makes him about 21-23 years old. If at that age, he doesn't have the COMMON SENSE not to ride in the back of a truck, obviously there's something wrong with him too. Everybody involved SHOULD have realized that this was a dangerous proposition.

I mean, there are times you just have to do the right thing. Personal anecdote: some relatives (a family of 5) from overseas moved to Canada for a few years. For the first few days, my dad (who had a Neon at the time... not the biggest car around, and obviously a 5 passenger car) was driving them around. Given the youngest kid was 8, she no doubt could have sat on somebody's lap and everybody could have been squeezed into the car to make one trip. That wasn't done: my dad just made two trips, even though on the second trip, there was just one passenger. Sure, it costs more money, but it's the Right Thing To Do. Same thing in lots of other contexts where passengers can't fit safely. It's simple. If it's not safe to transport everybody in one trip (e.g. because something big that was purchased is taking that person's seat), then either one person travels by public transit, or you make another trip to get that person back. Period. Anybody reckless enough not to do that should be the one put in jail, not the automakers.

Secondly, about the recall letters. My dad (also an academic, like the people in this example, and someone who doesn't think much about the car except to take it to the dealer whenever the maintenance sticker says to) got a recall letter from GM of Canada (the L36 something gasket issue), and obviously it was clear enough that the next day (or the day after) he took the car to the dealer to have the work done. I don't think he even tried to understand what the issue was: the way he saw it, well, GM says it needs to be brought back to the dealer, it goes to the dealer. End of story.
Another story: last summer, GM somehow sent my mom a recall letter for a ghost Rendezvous that my mom never owned, and that, according to GM when I called them, they have no record of selling (but they do have a record of building it). About four days later, the Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealer from whom my dad bought his car called my mom to schedule an appointment for doing the recall work on her Rendezvous. Now, obviously, since there WAS no Rendezvous, that ended there, but... the point is, the current system obviously works.

[Dumb_Ass_2003]

How stupid. That's why the truck has an interior equipped with seatbelts

I think they need to start teaching common sense courses in school.

[MN12Fan]

Originally Posted by tgagneguam

It's funny that I wasn't chosen for jury duty when last I was called. Perhaps the prosecutors could sense my lack of faith in the US legal system.

Yeah, the courts are looking for the clueless type.

[jwrebholz]

Stronger language in recalls. Yeah, I can see that.

"The NHTSA today issued a recall today for the Suzuki Aerio. The recall states "The f***ing ABS system is all totally f***ed up, and you better get your god-d*** a** down to the f***ing repair shop to fix this f***ing thing before you wind up f***ing dead you a**hole!!"

[91fairladyZ]

^^^^^^^^
That would get their attention!

[tripowergto]

"it outlined that the galvanized steel tailgate cables that could "corrode, weaken and fracture." The letter went on to say that "anyone sitting or standing on the tailgate when both cables fracture could be injured." It was the very problem that the Dosses now believe caused their son's death.

"If it's something serious like this, it needs to say that, because it didn't," Mitzi Doss said. "It didn't."


WTF, How could the GM recall notice be any clearer??

Stupid people should NOT be rewarded for their stupidy!!