With Focus on Toyota, Did You Miss These Additional 2010 Auto Recalls?

Safety advocates and product liability attorneys have, rightfully so, focused a lot of attention on Toyota and its recent, sudden acceleration and steering problems. Further, there seems to have been a cover-up regarding these quality control and safety issues that makes Toyota a worthy target of safety advocate venom. However, 2010 also is the year that BMW, Volvo, Porsche, Braun and Ford and others are standing in line, behind Toyota, to issue recalls for their vehicles.

Ford recalled about 33,000 cars and SUVs for defective front seats in Mercury Milans, Ford Fusions, Mercury Mountaineers, Explorer Sport Tracs and Explorer 2010s. It appears the manual recliner mechanism gear teeth plate was not made according to proper specifications, causing the seats to collapse backwards. So far, no injuries have been reported as a result of this defect.

Porsche checked in with a safety recall of 2010 Panamera with seat belts that zcould let go in the event of an accident. There is a fix for this problem and no injuries have been reported yet.

Volvo called back about 2,500 XC90s relating to a defect that could cause a fuel leak and BMW recalled over 700 2010 X5 Ms for side marker lights that don’t work because they were not connected to power cables.

Braun recalled in excess of 800 wheelchair accessible Dodge Caravans and Entervan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans (2008-2010) because the fuel pipe could rub against the rear tire causing a fire.

It’s obviously not been a good year for car makers; while so far there have been no reported accidents involving serious injury or death, who’s to say what could happen if people don’t know their vehicles have been recalled? If an accident does happen in any of these vehicles because of a recalled defect, the maker’s of the vehicle in question may find themselves facing a product liability/wrongful death lawsuit.

If you own any of the vehicles listed, please contact your dealer and inquire about these recalls. You may also wish to contact the Center for Auto Safety or other auto safety, consumer advocate websites.

Mark Bello has thirty-three years experience as a trial lawyer and twelve years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder ofLawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed during litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Business Associate of the Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado Associations for Justice, a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.