Vehicle Safety News

WBZ-TV.com, "Could Your Car Have a Dangerous Defect"

"Right here the whole wheel falls off." Steve Nugent is describing how his truck's wheel and axle dropped as he was driving down Main Street in Woburn. "I'm going head on into this little white Honda Civic and it took every ounce of strength I've got to pull it back over... We missed each other by inches." The lower ball joint on Nugent's truck -- which holds the front axle in place -- had failed. "It snapped," said mechanic Danny O'Keefe. "And once you snap, the wheel goes out and this comes down."

Nugent didn't know that this potentially life-threatening mechanical problem was the subject of a recall. He did not receive a notice in the mail from the manufacturer. And the dealership that services his truck never mentioned he might have a serious problem. It's not unusual. Our I-Team investigation has found there is no federal or state law or regulation requiring auto dealerships to tell you that you need recall work on your vehicle when you bring it in for service. It is a gaping hole in the automobile safety net that could cost you your life.