BVRLA Vehicle Recall Guidance

The BVRLA has developed a guidance paper for members and their customers on vehicle recalls.

If you have any questions on this paper please contact a member of the legal services team on 01494 434747.

Rental companies wishing to become a member of the BVRLA click here...

To view the BVRLA Vehicle Recall Guidance.pdf click here...

source: BVRLA

Honda extends airbag recall by 437,000 cars

Honda has added 437,700 cars, mainly in North America, to its existing global safety recall over airbag inflation problems.

It broadens a recall announced in late 2008 for less than 4,000 Accord and Civic sedans, then expanded in mid-2009 to cover another 510,000 vehicles.

The latest announcement also covers Japan, Mexico, Taiwan and Australia.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Toyota recalls thousands of Prius cars worldwide

Toyota has announced the recall of about 436,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide, including its latest Prius model, to fix brake problems. The total includes more than 200,000 Prius cars sold in Japan and 8,500 cars in the UK.

"We have decided to recall as we regard safety for our customers as our foremost priority," the firm said. The company has already recalled eight million vehicles because of accelerator and floormat problems.

Company president Akio Toyoda made the latest recall announcement at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

How do you stop a car with a jammed accelerator?

The recall of thousands of Toyotas with potentially faulty pedals raises a terrifying hypothetical scenario - what should you do if the accelerator on your car jams? It's a driver's worst nightmare. You try to slow down but find the accelerator pedal is stuck - you're in a runaway car.

The world's largest carmaker Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles across Europe and the US due either to the risk of accelerator pedals becoming stuck on the floor mat or jamming on their own.

Toyota insists the jamming problem is very rare and that it has only received 26 reports of any kind of problem in Europe.

If the accelerator is stuck, you should first firmly depress the foot brake, he says. This will override the accelerator. It must be the footbrake and not the handbrake, which could cause the brake pads to burn out and potentially put the car into a spin.

Next, the driver needs to depress the clutch, effectively stopping the engine from powering the car. The equivalent in an automatic car is to put the gearstick into neutral. Continue braking and keep an eye out, forward and back, for an "escape route" to the hard shoulder. Do not try to steer straight across in one quick swerve - this could be dangerous, and destabilise the vehicle at such a speed. In a short time - perhaps 10 seconds - you can bring the car to a halt, says Stephen Mead, assistant chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motoring.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Ford posts first annual profit for four years

Ford has posted an annual profit for the first time in four years.

The carmaker made $2.7bn (£1.7bn) in 2009, compared with a loss of almost $15bn in 2008, and said it expects to be profitable this year as well. For the final three months of last year, the company made $868m, a dramatic improvement on the $6bn loss it made a year earlier.

Ford said its return to profitability was in part due to cutting costs and reducing debt levels.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Toyota car recall hits Europe

Toyota has announced the recall of vehicles in the US, Europe and China over concerns about accelerator pedals getting stuck on floor mats.

The firm has announced plans to recall 1.1 million more cars in the US a day after saying it was suspending sales of eight popular US models. According to an application to China's quality control office, it wants to recall 75,552 RAV4 vehicles there.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Nissan Qashqai success adds 400 new jobs

Car maker Nissan is to create 400 jobs at its Sunderland plant to meet demand for the Qashqai model.

The fixed-term manufacturing posts are needed for a night-shift production line due to begin in May. Up to 160 temporary staff will also be retained. Last year the company cut 1,200 of 4,300 jobs at the plant amid falling overall sales.

Trevor Mann, senior vice president for manufacturing in Europe, said the Qashqai was bucking market trends.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Jaguar Land Rover boss to depart

The chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, David Smith, is to stand down, the carmaker has confirmed.

The firm said his departure was not linked to the recent breakdown of talks with unions over pay and pensions. Jaguar Land Rover, part of India's Tata Motors, is seeking to reduce wages and pension provision for new staff.

BBC business editor Robert Peston said Mr Smith's departure would "raise concerns about possible disagreements over strategy".

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Toyota recalls 2.3m US vehicles

Toyota is recalling 2.3 million cars in the US to correct sticking accelerator pedals, just the latest in a string of recalls the firm has had to announce.

Company spokesman Brian Lyons said the move was due to the vehicles' pedal mechanism becoming worn and, in some cases, getting stuck. It is not yet known if the recall will affect Toyota cars in other countries. Back in October, Toyota recalled 4.2 million cars in the US due to pedals getting lodged under floor mats.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

European car sales up in December

European car sales rose by 16% in December, marking signs of recovery in the sector after another tough year.

However, total sales for 2009 were down 1.6% on 2008, according to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Some countries with scrappage schemes saw rises in sales in 2009, including France and Germany.

Sales in the UK were down 6.4% for the year as a whole, though December sales were up 39% compared with a year ago. A total of 14.5 million cars were sold across 28 European countries in 2009.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

London road gets average-speed cameras

Average-speed cameras are to be introduced on a major urban road for the first time, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.

The 84 special cameras are to be installed on a 7.5 mile (12km) stretch of the A13 in east London, ready for use by next summer. They will operate between Canning Town and the Goresbrook interchange. However, the speed limit will be raised from 40mph to 50mph on a section of the route once the cameras are in place.

Nearly 500 collisions, including three fatal and 34 serious accidents, were recorded on this stretch of road between 2006 and 2008. TfL said half of these incidents were caused by speeding.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC

Bosch to quit south Wales

Around 900 jobs will be lost after the motor parts manufacturer Bosch said it is to close its south Wales plant.

Management of the German-owned company spent Thursday informing the workforce, following three months of consultation. Plans being considered at the site in Miskin, near Cardiff, had included the option of 300 job cuts or complete closure.

The firm said it had now decided to recommend closure to its board, transferring work to Hungary in 2011. In a statement, it said consultations are now being extended until February, as unions and staff attempt to thrash out redundancy terms.

For the full story from the BBC click here...

source: BBC