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Takata allegedly hid failed airbag rupture tests in 2000

New evidence suggests Takata engineers knew about the dangers of the supplier's ammonium-nitrate-propelled airbag inflators as early as 2000, but employees hid or even destroyed test results. The allegations came out in a pre-trial hearing in a civil suit from a woman who claims that a forcefully deploying airbag in her 2001 Honda Civic paralyzed her. The pre-trial hearing included an examination of a deposition from Thomas Sheridan, a former Takata airbag engineer, to see if the evidence was admissible for the case, according to the New York Times. Sheridan alleged that Takata created a report for Honda in June 2000 that showed the parts failed, but the supplier hid the testing data. The company also reportedly got rid of the ruptured components so that there was no physical evidence. "But when I went to look for the parts, because some of the parts had come apart, they were no longer available. They had been discarded," he said in the deposition, according to the Times. Takata disputes these allegations, and one of the company's lawyers asserts the inflators in the 2001 Civic are safe. "None of them have ruptured, zero," attorney David M. Bernick told the Times. "We have no evidence, in fact we have evidence to the contrary, that this inflator was defective at the time of the accident." However, Honda has recalls for the driver's side airbag in the 2001-2005 Civic. Previous reports also indicated some Takata employees allegedly knew the inflators were dangerous. For example, an investigation by the Wall Street Journal in 2015 cited internal memos from US employees in 2000 that complained that their counterparts in Japan altered or hid the results of failed validation tests. The New York Times also found evidence of engineers joking about manipulating results. The first Takata inflator recall came on Isuzu models in 2001, and automakers have recalled millions of vehicles around the world since then. Several companies, including Honda, have pledged to stop using Takata's inflators, and he US government fined the supplier $70 million last year. Related Video:

Trucks, SUVs — and Camry — shine in mixed U.S. January vehicle sales

DETROIT — Automakers posted mixed U.S. new vehicle sales data for January, with American consumers continuing to abandon passenger cars for the larger pickup trucks, SUVs and crossover models that manufacturers also love because they are far more profitable. Total industry auto sales for the month rose 1 percent versus January 2016. According to Autodata Corp, which tracks industry sales, the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of U.S. car and light truck sales in January fell to 17.12 million units from 17.44 million a year earlier. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a January SAAR of 17.2 million units. U.S. auto industry sales fell 2 percent in 2017 to 17.23 million vehicles after hitting a record high in 2016 and are expected to drop further in 2018 despite a solid economy. Interest rates are rising and around 4 million late-model used cars will return to dealer lots this year to compete with more expensive new ones. Automakers have used consumer discounts to boost sales, a growing concern for observers who say this undermines resale values and profits. Discounts declined in January, but remained above 10 percent of manufacturers' recommended prices. ""I think the industry has accepted that (sales) volumes will fall somewhat in 2018 ... and I don't think the industry is going to go over the cliff with insane incentives," Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of AutoNation Inc, told Reuters after his company, the largest U.S. auto retail chain, posted a higher quarterly net profit. Mark Wakefield, head of the North American automotive practice for consultancy AlixPartners, had a gloomier perspective. The industry's less-than-stellar sales performance for January showed "we are now past the peak," he said. "Automakers are now selling the deal instead of the vehicle," he said. "That's a tough spot to be in because that treadmill is hard to get off once you're on it." General Motors January sales rose 1.3 percent, driven by a 16 percent rise in fleet sales. Sales to consumers fell 2.4 percent. GM posted strong gains for models such as the Silverado pickup truck and Equinox crossover model, while its passenger cars continued to struggle. Ford The Blue Oval posted a 6.6 percent sales decline for January, with retail sales down 4.3 percent. Sales of Ford's F-Series pickup trucks - America's best-selling vehicle brand for decades — rose 1.6 percent. Passenger cars were down more than 23 percent.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.