Car safety investigations have been brought back to the spotlight as brakes and airbags are to blame.
It hasn't been the best of times for some of the biggest names in auto-making as car safety investigations have recently expanded. Under the microscope are Nissan, Ford, and Volkswagen, each part of a more thorough look at recent recalls.
The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the government's highway safety agency is looking into brake and airbag troubles related to a combined 2.3 million vehicles from the big name car companies. More consumer complaints surrounding the already-embattled companies came pouring in and were announced over the weekend.
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Ford
For Ford's car safety troubles, its Fusion model, along with the Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ, are being looked at more fully for a 2016 investigation. Including more than 1 million vehicles in this car safety probe, the Ford is facing complaints around its brake pedals allowing the car to travel further than intended, even with a foot on the floor.
More than 30 crashes have resulted from this faulty stopping distance issue and three injuries have turned up. NHTSA has been conducting tests with the models at its Ohio facility, and results have shown that stuck valves and corrosion in the brake hydraulic control unit are to blame.
Volkswagen
First it was the emissions scandal, now the company's car safety regulations are being scrutinized. A 2015 recall is being expanded, zeroing in on 416,000 Volkswagens spread across eight different models in the lineup. Failing driver airbags in Passat, Eos, Golf, GTI, Tiguan, Jetta, CC, and Jetta Sportwagen vehicles (2010-2014 models) are being looked at.
More than 850 car safety complaints have been lodged against the automaker, not to mention 3,000 warranty claims already made. The hope is to fix faulty wiring in the steering wheel airbag.
Nissan
Nissan's Murano model, a decent seller in compact SUV's, is under investigation for its 2009 year. More than 108,000 units have been recalled in the car safety probe and is currently in the engineering analysis phase, which means it's possibly close to being recalled altogether.
A problem similar to the Ford recall of faulty brakes and airbags is at the center of the issues with nearly 500 consumer complaints logged in. The NHTSA is testing hydraulic brake control units at its lab, like Ford, and it says similar control units and brake fluid are used in other Nissan vehicles, possibly shedding light on more models.
NEXT: The Massive Ford Recall Came at a Terrible Time
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