Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Former Audi engineer claims CEO Stadler ordered defeat device





Former Audi engineer claims CEO Stadler ordered defeat device





Read more: http://www.leftlanenews.com/former-audi-engineer-claims-q7-uses-defeat-device-in-china-94702.html#ixzz4ZSG1hmEQ






You're FIRED! Now take your $137M severance package, your Audi custom limo, and your $243M in stock options, and get out of here!





Volkswagen accused of attempting to 'hoodwink' consumers over emissions cheating software









Volkswagen accused of attempting to 'hoodwink' consumers over emissions cheating software





Thursday, February 16, 2017

TOYOTA PRIUS: Warning: both pedals depressed



Warning: both pedals depressed
Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Technical Discussion'
started by raspy, February 11, 2017 at 2:51 PM.
(2016 Toyota Prius)
------------------------------------------------------------------
raspy
Active Member
Joined: Jul 6, 2016
Location: London, UK
Vehicle: 2016 Prius
Model: N/A
This never happened to me before. I wear large
shoes size 13 US/12 UK)
Whilst stopped I must have accidentally pressed
both pedals and this message came up. Never
seen it in any car before, even if I did
accidentally depress both pedals.
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2016 XenForo Ltd
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Drivers See Higher Premiums After Not-At-Fault Crashes





Drivers See Higher Premiums After Not-At-Fault Crashes




Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
WASHINGTON (AP) — Most drivers don’t expect to be hit with a rate hike on their auto insurance after a car accident that wasn’t their fault. But a consumer group says it happens, and it’s a problem.
The Washington-based Consumer Federation of America says it found rate hikes on annual premiums as high as $400, in some cases.
In the report released Monday, the group analyzed premium quotes in 10 cities, including New York and Chicago, from five of the nation’s largest auto insurers. The researchers found that Progressive aggressively used a not-at-fault penalty, surcharging drivers in eight of the 10 selected cities. Rates in Oklahoma City and Los Angeles did not change. Oklahoma and California prohibit not-at-fault penalties.
The group said GEICO and Farmers raised rates in some states by 10 percent or more. Allstate had occasional penalties. State Farm was the exception, with no increases on premiums for not-at-fault accidents.
“Most people know that if they cause an accident or get a ticket they could face a premium increase, but they don’t expect to be punished if a reckless driver careens into them,” said Bob Hunter, CFA’s director of insurance and the former insurance commissioner of Texas.
The industry countered that setting auto insurance rates is complicated and insurers look at many factors, such as a person’s driving record, where the driver lives, the kind of car insured and the number of miles on it. Some insurers may consider not-at-fault accidents, according industry officials, but not all do.
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies says there could be other reasons for the rising premiums that CFA found. But, “the report itself only underscores the fact that insurance rates can vary widely from company to company, based on how different companies may weigh the many different factors that are considered in determining rates,” said Neil Alldredge, the association’s senior vice president for state and policy affairs.
Among the cities tested, drivers in New York City and Baltimore paid out the most for doing nothing wrong, the consumer group said. In Baltimore, premiums increased more than $250 and in New York City, it was about $400. In Chicago and Kansas City, the average increase was about $100.
The federation’s report found that people with moderate incomes often saw bigger premium increases than upper-income people. That seemed to mirror average premiums in the report even for people with clean driving records and no accidents, with middle-income people generally seeing higher premium rates than those people with bigger incomes.
The consumer group called the five biggest auto insurers and asked for quotes for two 30-year-old female drivers, living at the same address in the different cities, licensed for 14 years and driving a 2006 Toyota Camry with 10,000 miles. One woman had a master’s degree and was a home owner. The other woman had a high school diploma and rented her home.
The report found drivers with higher incomes, on average, paid $78 more after a no-fault accident. Moderate-incomes drivers paid $208 more after an accident in which they were not to blame.




Nissan Qashqai safety checks called for after lawyer's 'malfunction' claims




Nissan Qashqai safety checks called for after lawyer's 'malfunction' claims

Monday, February 13, 2017

Nissan executive flies to Britain to testify over fatal crash



Nissan executive flies to Britain to testify over fatal crash





Ann Diggles, 82, was parking her Nissan Qashqai when it shot forward, mounted a pavement and hit Julie Dean, who died at the sceneNEIL JONES/PA

Nissan has flown a senior executive from Japan to the UK to fight a claim that a fault on one of its cars led to a pensioner killing a pedestrian in Lancashire.
Ann Diggles, 82, was parking her Nissan Qashqai automatic when it suddenly shot forward, mounted a pavement and hit Julie Dean, 53. She was crushed under the wheels of the vehicle and died at the scene.
Mrs Diggles, from Leyland, Lancashire, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after police concluded she mistakenly pressed the accelerator rather than the brake.
A jury heard that the tragedy may, however, have been caused by a malfunction in the electronic throttle system of her Nissan due to an undercharged battery. 




Nissan drivers tell 'runaway car' death trial their vehicles surged forward for no reason

Ann Diggles is accused of killing Julie Dean by pressing the accelerator instead of the brake on her Nissan Qashqai but she claims a vehicle fault was to blame.



KIM PILLING






Ann Diggles is accused of killing Julie Dean ion her Nissan Qashqai by pressing the accelerator rather than the brake



Two drivers have told a jury in the trial of a great-grandmother who claims her "runaway" vehicle caused a fatal collision that their Nissan cars also surged forward at speed without them touching the accelerator.
Both women came forward to give evidence following publicity of the case involving Ann Diggles, who prosecutors say mistakenly pressed the accelerator of her Nissan Qashqai instead of the brake and killed Julie Dean, 53, outside a charity shop in Leyland, Lancashire, in July 2014.
The 82-year-old denies causing death by dangerous or careless driving and claims a vehicle fault was to blame.
The defendant says the automatic vehicle "took off" when she "very gently" pressed the accelerator as she drove across the road and headed towards a parking space.
Lawyers for the retired nurse say a malfunction in the car's electronic throttle due to an undercharged battery led to an "uncommanded acceleration" of the vehicle.


Ann Diggles blames a vehicle malfunction for the fatal crash 

But a senior boss of the Japanese automotive giant flew in to the UK to give evidence last week at Preston Crown Court that such an event was "impossible", as the jury also heard that no problem was identified with the throttle, brakes or battery.
Before the jury was sent out today to consider its verdict, Sharon Davies said that her Nissan Juke automatic ploughed into a wall at her home "incredibly quick" without her touching the accelerator, while Naomi Taylor said her Nissan Qashqai "sped off" on its own on a winding road before she managed to bring it to a halt.
Mrs Davies, from Marford, Wrexham, said she was returning home from a Tai Chi class with a neighbour, with her three-year-old son in the back of her car, when the collision happened on January 10.
She said: "Just as I had turned into my parking space the car made a funny clunking noise and almost came to a stop, and I remember thinking the car was going to stall.
"I went to touch the accelerator and the car just ploughed forward into the wall much quicker than I would have expected it to have done.


Japanese carmakers Nissan say their popular Qashqai model could not have suffered the type of malfunction Ann Diggles claims occurred

"I remember being absolutely shocked because my foot was not on the accelerator or brake at the time."
She added the car made a "high-pitched revving noise" as it accelerated.
She said the collision "completely demolished" the small wall and happened a week after the 2013 model Juke, which she owned from new, had been serviced and passed its MOT.
Her local Nissan dealer could not find any fault with the throttle and she later decided to part-exchange the Juke for a different make of car, the court was told.
Mrs Davies said: "Because they didn't find anything it made me more nervous to drive it again."




Driver cleared over fatal Nissan Qashqai crash

  • 7 February 2017


A driver who told a court her Nissan Qashqai "took off" and sped out control before hitting a pedestrian has been cleared of causing a fatal crash.
Ann Diggles, 82, was trying to park her car when it hit Julie Dean, 53.
Mrs Diggles denied causing death by dangerous or careless driving, blaming a vehicle fault for the crash in Leyland, Lancashire.
The Japanese car maker said it had found no faults when it examined Mrs Diggles' car.
Ms Dean, who was stepping out of a charity shop at the time, was pronounced dead at the scene

'No pedals mistake'

Lawyers for the retired nurse said a malfunction in the automatic car's electronic throttle, caused by an undercharged battery, led to the vehicle surging forward of its own accord in an "uncommanded acceleration".
But prosecutors claimed Mrs Diggles mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, which she denied.
During the trial, she said the car had "surged forward" as she put her foot "very gently" on the accelerator.
Amid coverage of the case, two women contacted the court to claim they had experienced "uncommanded acceleration" in their Nissan automatic cars.

'Exemplary safety record'

They went on to give evidence for the defence, telling the jury they believed the vehicles sped forward without them touching the accelerator.
Mrs Diggles, of Dalehead Road, Leyland, sat in the dock in tears after the jury cleared her.
In a statement, Nissan said: "The vehicle in this case was examined by Nissan and by the police. At no point was any fault found with the vehicle which could have caused this accident."
"The Qashqai has an exemplary safety record, and has been tested and complies with all safety regulations in all markets."







Great-grandmother who claimed her Nissan Qashqai ‘took off’ and sped forwards out of control is CLEARED of killing pedestrian





Great-grandmother who claimed her Nissan Qashqai ‘took off’ and sped forwards out of control is CLEARED of killing pedestrian



Ann Diggles, 82, knocked down and killed Julie Dean, 53, outside charity shop

Two other owners came forward admitting similar experiences with the model

By James Tozer for the Daily Mail

PUBLISHED: 7 February 2017

A great grandmother who claimed her faulty Nissan Qashqai ‘took off’ and sped forwards out of control was yesterday cleared of killing a pedestrian.

Lawyers for retired nurse Ann Diggles, 82, argued a malfunction in the best-selling family car’s electronic throttle led to an ‘uncommanded acceleration’ which knocked down and killed Julie Dean, 53.

Two other Nissan owners came forward after reading press coverage of the case to report similar experiences, and both gave evidence in Mrs Diggles’ trial.

Yesterday the committed church-goer wept in the dock as she was cleared of two alternative counts of causing the death of Mrs Dean by careless or dangerous driving.

Following the shock verdicts, Nissan insisted the hugely popular model – built at its plant in Sunderland – was safe and continued to insist the vehicle involved in the crash had not been faulty.

The Nissan Qashqai is Britain’s fifth best-selling car behind the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf.

The Japanese auto giant had flown in an executive to dispute her lawyers’ efforts to blame the car, while its legal representatives were in the public gallery amid what the court heard were concerns about possible product liability claims.

Mrs Diggles, who has been driving for more than half a century, was parking her Qashqai automatic in her home town of Leyland, Lancashire in July 2014 when it suddenly shot forward.

The vehicle mounted a pavement and ploughed into Mrs Dean, who was walking out of a charity shop, causing fatal injuries.

The pensioner said she put the vehicle into drive and then put her foot ‘very gently’ on the accelerator before it surged forward and she was unable to stop it careering towards a row of parked cars.

She told police it ‘just went’ and insisted there was ‘no way’ she had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake by mistake. 


Her car, which she had owned since new in 2007, had always been fully serviced in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Police vehicle examiners working with experts from Nissan said there was no evidence of any braking at the time of the tragedy and no faults with the accelerator.

An expert witness in electronic engineering told her trial at Preston Crown Court that ‘uncommanded acceleration’ could take place if an undercharged battery failed to give appropriate voltage to the electronic components in a vehicle.

Mrs Diggles’ Qashqai hadn’t been used for three weeks as she had been on holiday to Madeira, the court heard.

The US-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had recorded a ‘small number’ of similar complaints about Nissan vehicles, the court heard - although the Qashqai is not sold in the country.

One claim was that a 2007-model car was being driven at 2mph when the revs started to increase and the vehicle accelerated suddenly when the motorist was trying to park.

But Takuma Nakamura, who is responsible for engine control systems development at Nissan, gave evidence that any such fault would have been recorded in the vehicle’s on-board computer.

‘In my opinion, for some reason the accelerator has been stepped on,’ he said.


However on Monday the court heard from two Nissan owners who came forward after reading about Mrs Diggles’ claims.

Sharon Davies, of Marford, near Wrexham, told how she was turning into her drive after a Tai Chi class on January 10 when her automatic Nissan Juke lunged forward and knocked over the garden wall.

‘Just as I had turned into my parking space the car made a funny clunking noise and almost came to a stop, and I remember thinking the car was going to stall,’ she said.

‘I went to touch the accelerator and the car just ploughed forward into the wall much quicker than I would have expected it to have done.’

The vehicle had been MoTd and serviced the previous week, but when she took it back to her local Nissan dealership she was told it had been tested and no fault was found, she told the court.

Mrs Davies said after the collision, which happened while her three-year-old son was in the car, she lost confidence in the vehicle and had now part-exchanged it for a different make.

Another woman, Naomi Taylor, said her 2015 Nissan Qashqai had suddenly sped up as she turned into her mother’s drive, causing her to miss her turning.

‘I just needed to concentrate and look out for any pedestrians,’ she said. ‘I am absolutely clear that I did not have my foot on the accelerator at the time when the vehicle sped off.’

Nissan found no electronic malfunction with the car, the court was told, and the vehicle was returned to her.

In his closing speech to the jury, defence barrister Alistair MacDonald QC said their accounts ‘provided powerful support that these surges of acceleration do in fact happen’ and it was ‘not a theory’.

The prosecution cautioned jurors they were not being asked to decide whether sudden acceleration could happen but whether they were sure the defendant pressed the wrong pedal.

Yesterday Mrs Diggles sat in the dock in tears after the jury cleared of her causing death by dangerous driving or by careless driving.

Following the verdicts, trial judge Mr Justice Fraser said: ‘I would like to put on the record that both Miss Taylor and Mrs Davies are to be commended for the efforts that they individually took to contact the defence and come to court at very short notice.’

Mrs Diggles later left court without commenting.

Last night Nissan said its experts had thoroughly examined her car and had not found any faults which could have caused the accident.

‘This verdict does not reflect on the safety of the vehicle, the only issue to be decided in this case was whether the driving of the defendant was dangerous or careless and caused the death of the victim,’ it said in a statement.

‘The prosecution was unable to prove this beyond reasonable doubt.’

A spokesman added: ‘The Qashqai has an exemplary safety record, and has been tested and complies with all safety regulations in all markets.

‘Both Nissan and the police have concluded that the vehicle was operating as expected and with no fault that could have contributed to this tragic set of circumstances.’

A spokesman for Which? said it had not been informed of similar incidents. Both the AA and RAC declined to comment.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4202212/Woman-claimed-Nissan-Qashqai-took-cleared.html#ixzz4YbmsSYg4
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NHTSA Tesla Model S 2016 Vehicle Speed Control complaint




NHTSA Tesla Model S 2016  Vehicle Speed Control complaint
safercar.gov
February 9, 2017 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10953656
Components: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NHTSA ID Number: 10953656
Incident Date December 23, 2016
Consumer Location PASADENA, CA
Vehicle Identification Number 5YJSA1E22GF****
Summary of Complaint
CRASH Yes
FIRE No
INJURIES 3
DEATHS 0
COMPLAINANT, A PHYSICIAN, HAD TAKEN DELIVERY OF A 2016
TESLA MODEL S ON DECEMBER 22, 2016. THE FOLLOWING DAY,
SHE PULLED INTO HER DRIVEWAY AT HOME AND BROUGHT THE
VEHICLE TO A STOP. WITH HER FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE, THE
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN FROM A
STOPPED POSITION TO SPEEDS OF BETWEEN 40-60 MPH. THE
VEHICLE PLOWED THROUGH THE BRICKS OF HER DRIVEWAY,
THROUGH SHRUBS SEPARATING HER PROPERTY FROM HER
NEIGHBOR, WENT THROUGH AND ACROSS THE NEIGHBOR?S
YARD AND ONTO AND ADJOINING STREET, WHERE IT COLLIDED
WITH A TRUCK.