AUTO RECALLS AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID

AUTO RECALLS AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

I just got off line after reading an article about automobile company recalls, and how they proved that the system was working because of the latest car recall, this time a General Motors recall of some 1.4 million cars in the United States who have faulty ignitions switches which can shut off a car, and worse, disable the air bags. I guess I’d call that one major flaw and something not to be taken lightly.

However, the guy in the article I read, took what I felt was a crazy view. He said that a recall, any recall for any consumer products, shows that the system that is currently in place covers the safety of the consumers. This person is what is commonly called a nut case, a guy without the availability of the common sense that God gave my cat.

The automobile recall list that I’m using for this blog was compiled by Andrew Wendler, and includes the top ten recalls in history, (according to Wendler,) and wasn’t even worthy of his top list because it only involves 1.4 million vehicles.

The first thing that adult thinking people consider when they are looking to buy a different car is how safe it will operate for them. It’s almost a subconscious priority, non-the-less, it’s a consideration, of course efficiency, looks, operating ability, how high will insurance be, and what are my car payments. All of these issues are floating around in your head while you consider what to purchase.

For a new car, everybody lists vehicle safety as a give because it’s a new car, and nobody’s had a chance to screw it up with faulty driving, and poor maintenance habits. A vehicle that is out of its warranty (usually 36,000 miles) but still doesn’t have enough miles on it (100,000 or more) to be considered a rust bucket, would be considered as a safe bet to buy because of its low miles, and the probable care that the former owner used in his operation and maintenance care.

VEHICLE RECALLS

Most people only read about auto recalls in a passing way, it usually applies to somebody else, and the news is dismissed. Too bad, we all should consider a vehicle safety recall as a possible threat to us…..as individuals. Recalls can be called by the fed, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, which sets minimum performance requirements for those parts of the vehicle that most affect its safety operation; (breaks, tires and lights,) or that protect drivers and passengers from death or serious injury in the event of a crash (airbags, safety belts, child restraints, and energy absorbing steering column)s.

The auto car company also has the authority to make recalls for any dangerous situations that have somehow been overlooked during manufacturing and post manufacturing safety tests. These may include steering components, fuel systems, accelerator controls that may break, or stick, wheels, engine cooling fans, windshield wipers that fail to operate, seats, wiring systems, air bags, and child safety seats that contain defective safety belts.

Keep in mind that defective recalls are like a heart attack to a car maker, they actually worry whether they’ll survive the event. It’s why auto makers look at a possible auto recall exactly like the plague, even the smallest of recalls means millions to the automobile maker.

I used to drive a semi truck, a Freightliner, it was brand new, a 2008 model, and it had all of the bells and whistles, and it was great looking, and would honk right on down the road. However it did have one issue, the engine would cut out when I was down-gearing to go into a turn, or when I was going to stop. And as everybody knows, when you lose your power to the wheels you have no breaking power, no power steering, bad things can happen.

I was lucky, I told my mechanic people, and they fixed it before my next trip on the road, but they never did find what the actual problem was, and of course I didn’t know what to say…..not being mechanically inclined…..and was just aware of the potential problem, which by the way never happened for the rest of my time with that tractor.

THE G.M. RECALL IS CLASSIC BIG INDUSTRY

My uncle used to work for General Motors, my cousin worked for G.M. I had a brother-in-law that worked for the company, they all drove General Motors products. My cousin was a maintenance worker, his crew would start at the south end of the plant, and work their way to the north end, and then turn around, go back to their starting point…..(at the south end of the building) and start all over again, it took two years to finish their jobs.

My uncle was a quality control person who checked all starts of stuff through the assembly line during his 48 years with G.M. The bad part of his job…..”According to him” was the boredom, everything was by rote, and it was so routine that he could do it without actually looking. My point here is that neither my uncle nor my cousin was challenged in their jobs, and both have told me that boredom was rampant at Fisherbody.

It took G.M. a total of nine years to react after the first concern was voiced back in 2004…..that’s right sports fans; there was an uneasy feeling about the ignition switch way back then. Today in 2014, G.M. doesn’t even manufacture the Cobalt; yup it was discontinued back in 2010. In 2013 General Motors admitted that the Cobalt was responsible for 31 crashes, and 13 deaths.

Now there’s a recall…..what about the 13 dead people, what are they going to get…..can you spell zero, that’s right, oh sure the families will, and some will undoubtedly be chastised for their legal action…..but to them I say, who the hell are you and what do you know.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!