Toyota (TM) has recalled over seven million cars worldwide which includes eight of it most popular vehicles. The company is also faced with investigations about trouble with brakes on its 2010 Prius hybrid. French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen is recalling 97,000 small vehicles that share Toyota’s pedal system.
Ford (F) announced that is offering a customer satisfaction program to update the software of the regenerative brake system of some 2010-model Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. The Ford Fusion hybrid was the 2010 North American car of the year.
A number of Pontiac Vibe’s have been recalled as have 2.3 million Honda (HMC) cars suspected of having a faulty electrical switch.
As consumers look for safe vehicles, 24/7 has looked through a list of cars and trucks sold in the US to find The Top Seven Cars Not Being Recalled:
The VW Golf. Winner in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. VW has not had any recalls in Europe, Asia, South America, or North America–yet. Anti-lock brakes and low drag co-efficient.
Audi A3. Also gets good IIHS crash ratings. ABS. Tire pressure monitor. Four wheel drive. Design not based on the Audi 5000 featured in a” 60 Minutes” segment on unintended acceleration in 1986 which ruined Audi’s sales for a decade.
Jeep Patriot. SUV has accident avoidance system, ABS, hill descent transmission feature, and electronic stability control. High crash test ratings, and no recalls. No relationship to Jeep Liberty or Commander which had brake related recalls earlier this year.
Ford Explorer. No recent recalls. Has electronic stability control. Safety Canopy system for wreck protection. Built-in adaptive load-limiting safety belt retractors, driver- and front-passenger air bags, and adaptive steering column. ABS. NHTSA five-star crash test rating. Little relationship to Explorer which had tire and rollover problems in late 1990s which caused over 100 deaths.
Subaru Legacy. Subaru never seems to have recall problems except for a recent incident of 5,724 Subaru Impreza WRX 2002-2003 model vehicles sold in 16 cold weather states because fuel leaks in the fuel delivery line could result in a fire when there is an ignition source. No deaths or injuries. Current Legacy gets top IIHS crash rating. Has AWD, ABS, Vehicle Dynamics Control, and Traction Control System.
Mercedes C63. Excellent crash test ratings. AMG high performance break system. Electronic Stability Program which handles engine power and individual wheel brakes. One weakness is RWD configuration.Limited slip differential. Less than $70,000 fully loaded.
Volvo C30. Won several crash safety tests. Stability and traction control. Whiplash protection system. ABS and EBA systems. If Ford does not sell Volvo to China car firm Geely, the entire operation may be shuttered making future recalls less likely
Douglas A. McIntyre
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