Hyundai, Kia to recall 240,000 vehicles in South Korea

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors on Friday said they would recall 240,000 vehicles from South Korea after the transport ministry issued its first compulsory recall order over safety defects first flagged by a whistleblower.

The ministry also asked the prosecutor to investigate whether or not the automakers allegedly covered up the five flaws, which affect 12 models, including the Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, and Genesis.

This is the first time ever that the ministry ordered a compulsory recall of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, and comes after the automakers had rejected an earlier order for a voluntary recall, saying the defects did not compromise driving safety.

On Friday, Hyundai and Kia said they "accept the administrative order," adding: "There have been no reported injuries or accidents from the cited issues."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

What Google tweeted about car-sharing service report

SAN FRANCISCO - Google late Monday fired off a terse tweet that appeared aimed at putting brakes on a report that it is readying a ride-sharing service that would rival Uber.

"We think you'll find Uber and Lyft work quite well," said a message fired off at the Internet titan's official @google Twitter account. "We use them all the time."


Google referred AFP to the tweet in response to a request for comment regarding a Bloomberg report citing an unnamed source as saying that the California company is developing its own car-hailing service, most likely in connection with its work on self-driving cars.

The report came the same day that Uber and Carnegie Mellon University announced a partnership to collaborate on a center devoted to research and development of mapping, car safety, and autonomous vehicle technology.

"As a global leader in urban transportation, we have the unique opportunity to invest in leading edge technologies to enable the safe and efficient movement of people and things at giant scale," Uber chief product officer Jeff Holden said in a release.

"This collaboration and the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center represent an important investment in building for the long term of Uber."

Google was an early backer of Uber, investing in the controversial ride-sharing service through its venture capital arm.

Google Maps software integrated into Uber's smartphone application lets users check progress of drivers on their way to pick them up.

San Francisco-based Uber has grown into one of the world's largest startups, valued at some $40 billion, with operations in more than 200 cities in 54 countries around the world.

But Uber's growth has also generated frictions with existing taxi operations, and posed challenges for regulators.

Uber does not employ drivers or own its vehicles, but instead uses independent contractors with their own cars.

Uber allows consumers to use a smartphone app to locate a driver -- in some cities with several classes of service -- and instantly book a ride.

Since launching in 2010, Uber has also been the prime example of a "disruptive" economic force. Taxi drivers in dozens of cities have staged protests against Uber, and regulators in many cities have sought to shut it down.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Defective Airbag Lawyer

A defective airbag lawyer is usually needed if a vehicle has got defective or faulty airbags that the dealers or cannot repair after several repair attempts. All the vehicles should be equipped with airbags as they are an important safety feature in any vehicle. For a vehicle to have a high car safety rating, it should have front, side, curtain and knee airbags. Airbags may either save people’s lives or at least prevent them from serious injuries such as broken bones, head and neck injuries and so on.


Unfortunately, airbags may not only save lives but also cause serious injuries and even fatalities if they are not properly designed. A defective airbag is a real safety hazard for any vehicle.


The thing is that there may be several ways for an airbag to be defective. There may be problems connected with the following factors:  


    Manufacturer design
    The actual production of the airbag
    The installation of the airbag  


Some examples of airbag failure may be when the airbag deploys with too much force, or when it deploys too slowly, or when it deploys at a wrong angle or does not deploy when it should have deployed, or when the airbag deploys suddenly and without any need, hitting the occupant and most likely injuring them.  


When a car owner finds out that his/her vehicle has got problems connected with defective airbags, then they should contact a defective airbag lawyer as soon as possible in order to sue the manufacturer.  If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a defective airbag, then you should contact The Margarian Law Firm for legal help.  


Mr. Margarian will provide you with a free case evaluation and see whether your vehicle may be covered under California Lemon Law or not. If yes, the Lemon lawyer will work for you on a contingency fee basis which means that you will not have to pay the attorney’s fees to the attorney for the legal help. All the money will be collected from the manufacturer if your attorney wins the case for you. If the case is not won, this time, again, you will not have to pay any money to anybody. You can contact The Margarian Law Firm at (818) 869-2170 for more information.

source: lemonlawcourt.com

What is a Car Safety Rating?

Car safety is a crucial factor that some people overlook these days. Those who really understand what safety means, they care about it more and will never purchase a vehicle with a low car safety rating.


There are very different safety ratings that are available in different websites. For example, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has got its own 5-start safety rating system that is used to assess the safety of different vehicles and to help the buyer decide whether he/she needs that special vehicle or not. The more the number of the starts, the better the vehicle is performing, according to this rating. Five stars is the highest rating and one star is the lowest one. These ratings measure the rollover safety and the crashworthiness of cars.


There are even certain crash test safety ratings that show how safe a vehicle can be if a crash occurs. In measuring the safety of a vehicle several factors are usually taken into account, for example: 


    What may happen to passengers during a crash?
    What will happen to other road users?
    What will happen to pedestrians?


When purchasing a vehicle one should look at the car safety rating of that special car and read the buyers’ guide to see which safety features have the highest ratings. Following are several safety features that you should take into account when choosing a vehicle for you.

Airbags
Airbags are deigned to deploy and inflate properly and in a timely manner. If deployed properly, airbags may save lives during a crash. Hence, car shoppers should take care to buy vehicles that have front, side, curtain and knee airbags.

Seatbelts

Seatbelts are used to ensure the passengers’ security by restraining them when the vehicle is in motion. All the passengers in a vehicle should wear seatbelts for their own security. Vehicles with retractable 3-point sash-styled seatbelts are considered to be of high quality from the perspective of occupant-safety.

Structural Integrity

The structural integrity is a crucial factor in car safety. A good vehicle with structural soundness should maintain its shape in a collision. Car parts should stay in their places so firmly that they cannot injure an occupant when the vehicle is involved in an accident. Besides, the doors should remain closed when the vehicle hits another object and they should be possible to open after the collision occurs.

Other equally important car safety features include anti-lock braking systems, active stability control, tires and so on. A car safety rating lists all these features and rates their quality and stability so that the buyer knows what to expect from the vehicle he/she is buying.

Legal Help

If you or a loved one got a defective vehicle that the manufacturer or the dealership do not or cannot repair, then you should contact an experienced Lemon Law lawyer. The Margarian Law Firm in California handles Lemon Law and auto dealer fraud cases. So, if you think you need a free case evaluation and further legal help, then pick up your phone and call us at (818) 869-2170.

source: lemonlawcourt.com