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recall

GM Settles Recall Lawsuit

GM was told to settle.  A federal judge told lawyers on Monday he’ll encourage settlements in lawsuits brought on behalf of nearly 1,000 plaintiffs against General Motors for defective ignition switches.

U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman told dozens of lawyers at a hearing that he’ll be careful not to interfere with the work of a bankruptcy judge who is deciding if the Detroit-based automaker’s 2009 bankruptcy protects it from economic damages claims.

Furman said he wanted to be “sensitive about stepping on the toes” of the bankruptcy judge but planned to advance the litigation as much as possible nonetheless.

He made introductory remarks at an initial hearing after he was chosen to preside over more than 100 lawsuits that were consolidated in New York because of their common attributes. He said he planned “to encourage settlement as much as possible” once any potential payouts were better defined after rulings by the bankruptcy court.

Lawsuits were filed after General Motors Co. in February began recalling 2.6 million of the cars, mainly Chevrolet Cobalts and Saturn Ions. GM has acknowledged knowing that the switches in its small cars had problems since at least 2001. Federal law requires automakers to report safety defects to the government within five days of discovering them.

The ignition switches, when jostled, can shut off the engine, cutting power steering and brakes and potentially causing drivers to lose control. The problem also can disable air bags.

GM says at least 13 people have died in 54 crashes linked to the problem, while lawyers suing the company say the death toll is more than 60.

In May, federal safety regulators ordered General Motors to pay a record $35 million fine for failing to disclose the ignition switch defect in millions of cars for more than a decade.

GM attorney Richard C. Godfrey told Furman that 983 plaintiffs had filed 109 lawsuits, with about a dozen of the lawsuits making personal-injury claims while the rest were solely for economic losses.

Owners of the 2.6 million small cars that were recalled are eligible for compensation from a fund being administered by compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg on GM’s behalf. Feinberg, who handled claims for the BP Gulf Oil Spill and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, has said GM has placed no limit on the amount of money he can spend to compensate anyone who was injured or killed.  The money won’t bring these people back, but it may help the family.

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Toyota Recall More Than 500,000 Vehicles in Canada

 

Toyota Motor Corp. recently had an international recall, affecting a large number of Canadians.  The recall is for a variety of problems spanning nearly 30 models in Japan, North America, Europe and other places.  Some vehicles were recalled for more than one problem. The recall cases total 6.76 million vehicles for 27 Toyota models, the Pontiac Vibe and the Subaru Trezia, produced from April 2004 through August 2013.

Toyota Canada issued two separate recall notices affecting a total of 513,401 vehicles on Wednesday as part of the global initiative. One of the recalls affects 360,963 cars and SUVs with a spiral cable assembly that can be damaged when the steering wheel is turned and then, potentially, prevent the driver’s airbag from deploying in a crash.

The spiral cable assembly is in a large range of models, including the Corolla, RAV4, Matrix, Yaris, Highlander, and Tacoma, that were from various model years.

No injuries or crashes have been reported related to the recalls announced Wednesday. But two reports of fires are linked to one of the problems, a defective engine starter that can keep the motor running. The engine starter wasn’t named in either of Toyota Canada’s recalls.

The Pontiac Vibe, which is a General Motors Co. model, is also involved because Toyota and GM made cars at the same plant in California and the recalled model is the same as the Toyota Matrix. It was recalled for a problem with a spiral cable attached to an air-bag. It is unrelated to a separate GM recall over ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths.  This is one of the biggest recalls in the car companies history, and will affect their next quarters sales.

 

To read the full article go to:  www.ctvnews.com 

Honda Announces Recall of its Odyssey Minivans

Once known for its safety and luxury, the Honda Odyssey is under recall. Honda Motor is recalling 886,815 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. for risk of fire from a fuel leak.

The recall covers 886,815 Odysseys from the 2005 to 2010 model years, according to documents posted Saturday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration web site.

Honda reported that the cover on the fuel pump strainer can deteriorate and crack. It said that could lead to a fuel smell or to a leak that would pose a risk of fire. No crashes or fires have been reported, the company said.

Honda said it had indications of the problem in 2012 and initiated an investigation. It was determined that exposure to high temperatures and to acidic chemicals, such as those used in car washes, fertilizers and dust control agents, can cause premature deterioration of the cover, which is from supplier Denso.

Read the full article here.