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Bring 'em back: Top
10 auto recalls -- Page 2
By Jennie
L. Phipps • Bankrate.com
8. Tailgate cables:
In 2004, GM asked to replace tailgate cables on 3.6 million Silverados,
Sierras, Escalades and Avalanches because they corroded and could
break. So far 134 minor accidents have been reported, mostly because
people were standing on the tailgate, something GM warns people not
to do anyway.
9. Fuel-line connectors:
In 1987, Ford recalled 3.6 million cars and trucks with faulty fuel
line connectors that allowed fuel leaks and led to engine compartment
fires. Affected models included virtually every model Ford made,
including F15-350 trucks, all the Lincoln and Mercury models, Aerostar
and Econoline vans, Broncos, Crown Vics, Escorts, Tauruses and Mustangs.
10. Axle assemblies:
In 1984, GM recalled 3.1 million potentially defective axle assemblies
that could cause the wheels to fall off. Only the parts manufactured
at a plant in Buffalo, N.Y., were affected, but the company couldn't
determine in retrospect which cars and trucks had axles that would
fail, so all of them were recalled for inspection. Affected models
included Buick Century and Regal; Chevrolet El Camino, Malibu, Monte
Carlo and Caballero; Oldsmobile Cutlass; Pontiac Grand Prix and
LeMans.
The reasons for so many recalls
Will a recall this year supplant one of these top 10? Possibly,
thanks in part to a combination of auto-manufacturing methods,
the industry's approach to recalls and increased government oversight.
A new federal law, the Tread Act, requires automotive
companies to report more defect data to the National
Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Since December
2003, the law has compelled auto product makers to disclose warranty
claims, consumer complaints, crash data and other information
to the government. The companies are required to go back through
records for the last nine years and do catch-up reporting.
"There was a huge dump of data. There's not
going to be as much as we move forward," says Stephen E.
Selander, senior attorney with Warner Norcross & Judd, a law
firm in suburban Detroit, which represents major automotive companies.
Selander is an expert on NHTSA and automotive product liability.
Cars today depend more on computers and electronics.
"New functionality always presents new complexity, and complexity
means more ways to fail," says Joe Ivers, executive director
of quality at J.D. Power and Associates, which rates vehicles
annually in areas such as initial quality and longer-term dependability.
Interchangeable parts are the norm. The demand for
manufacturing efficiency has resulted in manufacturers using the
same parts in as many of their product lines as possible. When
a part proves faulty, it has to be recalled across the board.
More safeguards are in place. It pays off in consumer
goodwill and reduction in potential legal liability when an automaker
finds a problem and plans to resolve it before the government
mandates it.
"We want to get that car off the road as soon
as possible before catastrophic things happen resulting in negative
publicity," says Selander.
Speed and vigilance also pay off in real dollars.
Automakers won't reveal how much they spend on recalls, but it's
believed to be in the billions. The Automotive Industry Action
Group, a Michigan-based advocacy group for the auto industry,
estimates that a major automotive company can save $25 million
on a single recall by cutting 10 percent off the average 250 days
that it takes to manage a major recall.
Jennie L. Phipps is a contributing
editor based in Michigan.
-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005
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