Foreign and domestic car companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars marketing the style, performance and economy of their vehicles. But which automaker out there will deliver safety? ADVERTISING Foreign and domestic car companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars
Foreign and domestic car companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars marketing the style, performance and economy of their vehicles. But which automaker out there will deliver safety?
Failing to tell the truth about vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries involving Fiat Chrysler vehicles will cost the car company $70 million. The fine issued Dec. 10 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration comes on top of another $70 million penalty that Fiat Chrysler received earlier this year for mishandling 23 recalls covering 11 million vehicles.
The automaker is not alone in running afoul of NHTSA’s campaign to make the industry more safety-minded. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said last week that automakers must “move toward a stronger, more proactive safety culture, and when they fall short, we will continue to exercise our enforcement authority.” Drivers can only hope.
Foxx’s warning follows a spate of recall scandals by foreign and domestic car companies, including Toyota’s for rapid acceleration problems in 2009, General Motors’ for malfunctioning ignition switches in 2014 and Honda’s $70 million fine last January for not reporting 1,700 deaths, injuries and injury claims going back 11 years.
Fiat Chrysler did not contest its latest penalty. It released a statement saying it believes that it “identified and addressed all issues that arose during the relevant time period.” Until next time.
In 2014, automakers recalled 49 million cars and trucks in a seven-month period, the most in such a time frame. Then in the first seven months of this year, 34.5 million vehicles were recalled, the second highest number in a seven-month span.
No wonder federal regulators are getting impatient with the industry’s commitment to safety. Sleek design and good mileage are a plus, but at their core cars must be safe.
