US consumers have sued ten of the world’s biggest auto industry giants, they claim that these automakers have known the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning but intentionally hid it from the general public which consequently took 13 precious human lives.
According to the complaint filed in the federal court in LA, the complainant said that there are more than five million vehicles equipped with deadly keyless ignitions, and when the drivers take out their electronic key fobs with them, leaving their vehicles running, the carbon monoxide is emitted and cause the deaths.
A keyless ignition is the latest technology where you don’t need to insert the key into the ignition, rather you get an electronic fob and when the vehicle senses it nearby, it lets you start the vehicle by pushing an on-off button.
These are the named defendants: BMW, including Mini; Daimler, including Mercedes-Benz; Fiat Chrysler; Ford Motor Co; General Motor Co; Honda, including Acura; Hyundai, including Kia; Nissan, including Infiniti; Toyota, including Lexus; and last but not the least Volkswagen, including Bentley.
Not very long ago, we have read so much about GM’s multi-million vehicle recall over ignition switches and then again, millions of vehicle were recalled over Takata airbag issue. So the purpose of this lawsuit is nothing else than to hold auto manufacturers liable for such defects in their products that could make driving unsafe.
The lawsuit also claims that these ten automakers have deceived the drivers by marketing their vehicles as safe when they have long known about the risks of keyless ignitions.
Since 2009, 27 complaints have been lodged with NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) over keyless ignitions. The complainants also said that if the automakers have had installed an inexpensive auto turn-off feature in their cars with unattended engines, those 13 untimely deaths could have averted.
Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 430 people die due to unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning, each year in the United States alone.
The lawsuit is seeking a class-action status and a ruling requiring auto manufacturers to simply install an automatic shut-off feature all vehicles with keyless ignitions, existing and future. It also seeks punitive damages and compensatory.
