General Motors just announced that it will buy back Chevy Volts from concerned customers. The move, meant to ensure customer satisfaction, follows a government investigation of two post-crash tests conducted over concerns that the Volt’s battery can burst into flames under certain conditions.

GM CEO Dan Akerson told the Associated Press that GM will repurchase a Volt at owner request, but did not announce an official buyback program, according to the Detroit Free Press. GM also offered loaner cars to Volt owners worried about their cars’ safety. The Chevy Volt is a lithium-ion-powered hybrid car powered with an onboard electric motor that powers the car when the battery charge runs low, explained NewsInferno. (more…)

The feds are investigating Chevy Volt fires that appear to be linked to lithium batteries. The Chevrolet Volt, an electric car, caught fire three weeks after it was involved in side-impact crash testing, said The New York Times.

Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which commissioned the Volt test, is asking auto makers which make or intend on making lithium-ion battery-operated vehicles about their vehicles’ batteries’ risks, including “special handling and discharging recommendations,” said the Times, “including any recommendations for mitigating fire risks in these vehicles,” according to the just-released NHTSA statement. LG Chem. Ltd., which is the largest chemical maker in South Korea, is the Volt battery supplier, said Businessweek. (more…)

A punitive class action lawsuit has been filed against Mercedes-Benz manufacturer, Daimler AG, over its high-performance M156 6.2-liter, AMG, V8 engines. The lawsuit claims that the engines are defective and subject to early wear and failure, said Law360. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in New Jersey federal court.

The lawsuit alleges that, in 2008, Cedric Chan of California leased his pre-owned 2007 E63 AMG from a California dealer. Soon after, he complained of “loud, ticking noises from under the hood” and said the car suffered from an oil pressure drop, said Law360. When he brought his E63 in for repairs last year, mechanics found that the left-side camshafts and lifters were prematurely worn and needed replacement, according to Law360. Chan said he paid $4,600 on engine repairs to the left side of his car and, when the right-side engine had problems indicative of premature camshaft and lifter wear in June 2010, he traded the car for a $25,000 loss, said the lawsuit. (more…)

For the third time in a row, Toyota is starting a new year out with a car recall. Toyota just announced a recall of 1.705 million vehicles including nearly 245,000 Lexus sedans in the U.S.

The U.S. Lexus recall includes the following models: 2006-07 GS 300 and GS 350, 2006-09 IS 250, and 2006-08 IS 350. According to Toyota, insufficient tightening of the fuel pressure sensor, which is connected to some engine fuel delivery pipes that have nickel-phosphorus plating, may cause the pressure sensor to loosen. This could cause fuel to leak past a gasket that’s used in the connection between the sensor and the fuel delivery pipe. It could also leak through the threaded part of the sensor. (more…)

Parents who have Britax car seat need to check to see if it is a “Chaperone” model. Today, 23,000 Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seats are being recalled by the company because they can seriously injury children.

The problem with the Britax Chaperone Infant Car Seats is that the harness chest clip can break, which in and of itself is a laceration hazard. But because the broken piece is so small, it also poses a choking hazard. There have been four reports of the chest clip breaking. Injuries from three reports included minor lacerations and scratches to arms and a finger; and one report involved an infant placing the clip in his mouth. (more…)

Some Graco strollers have killed four children, prompting a massive recall. The recall involves older versions of the Graco Quattro Tour™ and MetroLite™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to the existence of the January 2008 voluntary industry standard which addresses the height of the opening between the stroller’s tray and the seat bottom.

According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), entrapment and strangulation can occur, especially to infants younger than 12 months of age, when a child is not harnessed in the recalled strollers. An infant can pass through the opening between the stroller tray and seat bottom, but his/her head and neck can become entrapped by the tray. (more…)

There have been 12 more reports of explosions linked to Spa Factory™ Aromatherapy Fountain & Bath Benefits Kits, prompting the US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to re-issue a recall for the children’s kits that was first announced in January 2009. The latest explosions have been linked to 13 new injuries.

JAKKS Pacific® Spa Factory™ Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain & Bath Benefits Kits were sold at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Target, and other stores nationwide from August 2008 through August 2010. They sold for between $13 and $50 and continue to be available in some stores. (more…)

There’s been a big breakthrough in the litigation involving Chinese drywall. A settlement announced yesterday involving Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. could eventually lead to resolution of thousands of cases.

Under the proposed settlement, Knauf, along with a group of builders and suppliers, will pay to remediate 300 homes in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. The remediation program will follow guidelines established by the Consumer Products Safety Commission, which call for the removal of the tainted drywall, ad for replacements made for electrical wiring, appliances including air conditioning, and fixtures damaged by drywall fumes. In addition, homeowners under settlement will receive $8.50 per square foot to cover any additional expenses such as moving costs and temporary housing. (more…)

Lithium batteries could pose a serious fire hazard to cargo flights, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning. The safety alert comes amid suspicion that the crash of UPS flight 006, a Boeing 747-400, last month in Dubai may have been the result of a fire sparked by a shipment of lithium batteries.

Though the cause of the crash has yet to be determined, the FAA said the plane was carrying a large quantity of lithium batteries in its cargo hold. According to a report from Bloomberg News, initial analysis of the plane’s on-board recorders showed a fire warning followed by smoke in the cockpit. The crash killed both pilots. (more…)

A proposed settlement in a Lowe’s Chinese Drywall class action lawsuit has attracted more flack. According to a report on ProPublica, critics of the settlement question both its structure and its notification provisions.

Under the proposed settlement, claimants who say they purchased defective Chinese drywall from Lowe’s would receive gift cards in amounts ranging from $50 to $2,000. Those who can prove they’ve suffered more than $2,000 in damages may also receive up to $2,500 in cash. (more…)