10 Scary Vehicle Defects

Any motorist whose car has serious defects needs to know what his or her rights are. A skilled lemon law attorney can provide assistance to motorists in understanding their options for resolving problems with new vehicles that have repeated defects.

Knowing what to do in case of a defect is vital because a problem with a car can seriously impact safety.  Vehicle issues can put motorists at risk in many ways and can sometimes pose a threat to the lives of the car occupants and everyone else on the road. Just recently, HowStuff Works provided a summary of 10 of the most terrifying defects that have affected vehicles. This summary shows just how grave the consequences can be when cars have problems.

The Scariest Manufacturer Defects in Vehicles

According to HowStuffWorks, the 10 scariest manufacturer defects in cars include the following:

• Toyota cars that accelerated on their own: As many as 31 deaths were linked to Toyota vehicles that had a sticky pedal mechanism. A total of nine million cars had to be recalled, and Toyota paid $1.2 billion to settle claims it had mislead investigators.
• Ford Explorer tire problems: Around 200 deaths were linked to Ford Explorers that used Firestone tires with treads which separated from steel bolts.  The treads would separate, causing a blowout that left to vehicle rollovers.
• Ford cruise control problems: Around 14.9 million Fords built between 1991 and 2004 had problems with cruise control switches that would short out and start on fire - even when the cruise control wasn't being used.
• GM engine mounts that would give out: This caused the engine to twist underneath the hood, leading to unintended acceleration and potentially causing the brake assist to be disabled.  This problem led to one of the earliest vehicle recalls due to a manufacturer defect.
• Audi's unintended acceleration problem: In the 1980's, well before Toyota had problems with cars accelerating on their own, Audi Pioneer vehicles would suddenly accelerate. There were three separate recalls in 1982, 1983 and 1987 affecting around 389,102 Audi vehicles. 
• GM cars that couldn't turn left: In the 1970’s, around 3.7 million GM vehicles were affected by a problem causing the car to become unable to turn left after stones got into the steering assembly while motorists were driving.
• Ford vehicles that started on fire: Around 7.9 million Fords between 1988 and 1993 were built with ignitions that could start up themselves and then short out the electrical system. This could cause the steering column to melt and could result in a fire in the car which could in turn lead to a larger fire.
• Ford Escape engine fires: Around 11,500 Ford Escape vehicles had to be recalled because the 2013 models had a defect causing fuel lines to crack and spill gas into the car's engine. This, in turn, led to engine fires.
• GM steering problems: In 1981, GM had to recall 5.8 million cars because suspension bolts could come lose and disable the steering column, making it impossible for drivers to retain control.
• Ford Pinto fires: Ford had to recall 1971 to 1975 Ford Pintos due to the potential for the gas tank to rupture as a result of a rear-end crash.

Whether the defect in your car is a life-threatening issue or not, you need to know what your options are. Contact a Los Angeles lemon law attorney to find out how consumer protection laws can provide you recourse if you find yourself facing numerous auto problems.