Recall Nation
General Motors recalled 25.6 million cars in the United States during the first half of 2014. Congress has summoned the company's CEO repeatedly to explain the cause of the ignition switch flaw that caused millions of GM cars to be recalled, and CEO Mary Barra has said the company conducted the most comprehensive safety review in its history. But for all of GM's travails, it is hardly alone – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration already has announced 20 manufacturers' recalls of autos, motorcycles, and motor homes in July 2014 alone to repair problems with seat belts air bag inflators, wiring, incorrect tire labeling, and more.
The number of safety recalls is astonishing. The SaferProducts.gov website tracks them and, as of July 20, its database listed 292 during the previous 12 months: power adapters, personal emergency transmitters, nail guns, emergency lights, ceramic heaters, smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, thermostats, steel-toed footwear, solar panels, circuit breakers, rechargeable batteries, flashlights, fire control panels, apparel, and much more.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's website is the top resource for tracking the spectrum of safety recalls, and the number of them is dizzying. This agency's recall releases explain how many units are recalled, lot numbers, contact information for end users who have purchased the recalled products, and the reason(s) the recall was required. (The weekly alerts posted by the European Union's rapid alert system include most of the same information, including the country where the recalled product was manufactured, if known.)
Posted by Jerry Laws on Jul 21, 2014