Search beyond Toyota for recall stories

By Flickr user sylvar

Much to the woe of its executives, workers and shareholders, Toyota’s gargantuan throttle recall is hogging most of the product-safety press these days.  And given the scope of the saga, which concerns 5.6 million vehicles, it will for some time to come.  And that’s not even counting the fallout of a potential Prius brake fix affecting hundreds of thousands of additional drivers.

It’s a compelling financial, technology and public-service story, well worth staying on top of.

Not quite as sexy, but still of great interest to readers, are thousands of other recalls that because of their perhaps run-of-the-mill aspect don’t necessarily get top play in print and on media Web sites.

You might want to segue out of Toyota coverage for a day or so and provide readers with a round-up of other automotive recalls and investigations.  The information might add some texture and context to the main story, and help readers who tucked away recall notices or are driving used vehicles that somehow never go the fix.

AllWorldAuto.com is a clearinghouse of recall information; the home page includes recent news and  if you click on the “Vehicle recalls” channel you’ll get lists sorted by make and year.

There also are rankings of companies with most/least recalls ever; I wouldn’t dwell on this too much because to a certain extent that is correlated with volume – it’s no accident, for example, that Lamborghini and Maserati are near the top of that list.  So are some popular production models, though, like the Mini and Land Rover, so give it a look.  The comments section, taken with a large grain of salt, may provide leads to real consumers or just additional fodder for questioning dealers and auto company representatives.

Also of note on the AllWorldAuto site is the list of National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigations – which are routine and sometimes a recall precursor, sometimes not.  If something here catches your eye, check out NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation pages for a searchable automotive recalls database, backgrounders on complaints, service bulletins and other steps in the vehicle safety chain.

You can sign up for e-mail feeds of recall information and other data; check out the “Resources” menu for crash-test data, guidelines and other information of consumer interest.

Of course, not all defective products come with four wheels.  We hear a lot about strollers, car seats, cars and sometimes spoiled food, but not about the myriad other household goods that prove to have a serious flaw after they’ve been marketed.

The federal Consumer Products Safety Commission  site is your first point of call; while areas of the site seem stale it does offer releases on past recalls, media guidance and a plethora of information for consumers.  One possible story idea:  Use the Handbook for Resale Stores and Resellers to check area thrift shops for taboo goods.  It’s likely to be an especially good read in light of increased shopper interest in these economical outlets.

The CPSC also lists these companies which it says assisted manufacturers with recalls; you might get some insight into the process and logistics from the administrative angle.

Depending on your region, Google for specific industry recall sites.  This eFoodAlert.com blog, for example, is an excellent source of food-safety information and offers a number of helpful links.