Chrysler is recalling close to 150,000 of its Jeep vehicle models – each for different car product defects, according to news reports in consumer watchdog web site, Consumeraffairs.com. Here is a compilation of the three different Jeep models that were recalled this week:

• 2001-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Chrysler is recalling about 100,000 of these vehicles because the defective front seat electric heater element could overheat and could potentially cause a fire. Dealers will replace the heater element free of charge for the consumer.
• 2009 Jeep Commander, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler: About 4,300 of these vehicles are being recalled for airbag defects. The wiring for the driver’s side airbag may be reversed causing the airbag to fail or not deploy. Dealers will inspect the airbag wires and replace the control module if necessary.
• 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty: Chrysler is recalling about 42,000 of these vehicles sold or currently registered in the “salt belt” states. The front suspension upper control arm ball joint may become corroded, possibly causing a loss of steering control. Dealers will replace the assembly at no charge.

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Patricia Warren, 52, a San Diego business owner, died April 8, 2009 in a fatal personal injury accident when her snowmobile crash in South Lake Tahoe, 10news reports. Warren, who co-owns the clothing company Warren Wear, died after she lost control of the Arctic Cat snowmobile she was driving and it crashed into a tree in the Blue Lakes area of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Warren apparently also had a 15-year-old female passenger in the snowmobile she was driving. The girl, whose relationship to Warren is not yet known, suffered major personal injuries as well and was airlifted to a Reno hospital.

Apparently, the snowmobile accident occurred in an area that was tough to access. California Highway Patrol officials and the Alpine County Sheriff’s Department’s search and rescue team had to ride snowmobiles and a snow cat to reach Warren and the girl.

My heart goes out to the family of Patricia Warren for their terrible loss. I’m glad to hear that the 15-year-old girl who suffered serious personal injuries has since been released from the hospital. I wish her the very best for a quick and complete recovery. I offer my deepest sympathies to Warren’s family, friends and co-workers. Please keep them in your prayers.

In this particular snowmobile accident, the question is why the woman lost control of the snowmobile. In some cases where younger drivers are involved, it could have been caused by driver inexperience, error or recklessness. But in this case, if I were one of Warren’s family members, I would look into whether this fatal snowmobile crash was caused by product defects or mechanical malfunctions in the Arctic Cat snowmobile that Warren was driving at the time.
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General Motors is recalling nearly 1.5 million defective cars manufactured between 1997 and 2003 over the possibility of engine fires, CNN reports. The defective car product recall includes certain models of mid-size and full-size passenger sedans under GM’s Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands. All these recalled vehicles have a naturally aspirated 3.8 liter V6 engines. These are engines that use atmospheric pressure rather than a mechanical blower to bring in air for combustion, according to documents filed by GM with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The problem with these recalled cars involved a potential for oil to leak on the exhaust manifold during hard braking. Even during normal conditions, the exhaust manifold of a car could become very hot and oil that leaks and flows out below the manifold’s heat shield could ignite and spread to the spark plug wires. When the recall begins dealers will change the bracket that holds the spark plug wires free of charge. Owners and dealers who are affected by this recall can expect to get a notice in the mail next month.

The affected brands and models of vehicles include: 1997-2003 Buick Regals; 1998-2003 Chevy Luminas, Monte Carlos and Impalas; 1998-1999 Oldsmobile Intrigues; 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix. In 2008, GM issued a recall on a similar engine. That car product defect involved a faulty gasket on the engine rocker cover.
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Critics and legal experts are saying that the psoriasis Raptiva drug recall, which was recalled last week because of its link to a fatal brain infection, was put on the market too early and consumers have suffered the consequences for that act. According to an article in Lawyers and Settlements, questions are being raised about the adequacy of clinical trials. Did Genentech, manufacturer of Raptiva, study the long-term effects of their drug and conduct sufficient follow-up studies? Why did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drag its feet to approve a warning label for Raptiva?

Many questions remain as reports of psoriasis patients taking Raptiva getting progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain infection, are piling up, as are the lawsuits. FDA approved the drug in 2003. The drug accounted for $108 million in sales in 2008 for Genentech. The company is now saying that physicians should stop writing new prescriptions for the drug and that Raptiva will no longer be available after June 8. Patients are asked to consult their doctors before stopping the drug altogether because suddenly stopping it can lead to a worsening of their psoriasis.

European regulators urged the removal of Raptiva in March saying the drug’s therapeutic benefits are only “modest” but its side effects are “serious.” Apparently, Raptiva’s side effects not only included PML, but also other serious, potentially fatal, infections such as bacterial sepsis, viral meningitis and invasive fungal disease. This was obviously a drug whose serious risks and side effects outweighed its few benefits.
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One driver was killed in a La Canada Flintridge truck accident the morning of April 9, 2009, according to a news report in the Pasadena Star News. A 56-year-old driver who was behind the wheel of a DHL truck rear-ended a big rig as he was headed on the eastbound 210 Freeway near Oceanview Boulevard, California Highway Patrol officials said. The other truck driver was not injured.

The driver of the big rig told officials that he was traveling 50 mph when he felt a bump as if he had a flat tire. When he stopped to check what it was, he said he found that the DHL truck had hit him. The front end of the DHL truck was in fact trapped under the back end of the other big rig. The deceased DHL truck driver has not yet been identified.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the DHL driver who was killed in this Los Angeles County truck accident. Please keep them in your prayers.
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Defective Drug Raptiva Recalled for Links to Fatal Brain Infection

Pharmaceutical company Genentech Inc. is recalling the defective drug Raptiva, which is used to treat psoriasis because of the drug’s links to a fatal brain infection, according to a news report in the San Francisco Chronicle. This voluntary drug recall from San Francisco-based Genentech comes six months after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated labeling for the drug to warn consumers about Raptiva’s links to a rare nervous system disorder called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy or PML. So far, there are three known confirmed fatal cases of PML in patients taking Raptiva. One other patient who was taking the drug developed similar neurological symptoms and died of an unknown cause, FDA officials said.

Genentech officials are saying that about 2,000 patients suffering from psoriasis, a skin and joint disorder, are taking the drug defective drug Raptiva here in the U.S. and about 46,000 patients worldwide have taken it since Raptiva’s introduction in 2003. The drug accounted for $108 million in sales in 2008 for Genentech. The company is now saying that physicians should stop writing new prescriptions for the drug and that Raptiva will no longer be available after June 8. Patients are asked to consult their doctors before stopping the drug altogether because suddenly stopping it can lead to a worsening of their psoriasis.

Genentech first identified Raptiva’s connection to the fatal brain infection in October after a 70-year-old patient died. That was when the labeling was updated to include the warning about PML. In February, the number of deaths rose to four. That has led to the company’s decision to recall the drug altogether.
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Defective Bridgestone Motorcycle Tires Recalled

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operation (BATO) is recalling certain batches of Bridgestone Exedra G850 G defective motorcycle tires sold for MY 2008 and 2009 Triumph Rocket III Touring motorcycles, according to a report in Consumeraffairs.com. Apparently, the motorcycles which come with these tires develop a great deal of torque and can cause “torque-induced degradation” in a body ply, which may result in inner-liner cracking and lead to a slow leak in the rear tire. When the defective tires are used continuously, they may start to vibrate at moderate speeds or even lead to a motorcycle crash.

Bridgestone is working with Triumph to notify owners. The defective tires will be replaced free of charge. Also, the front tire will be replaced free of charge because of the matching requirements of the motorcycle although the front tires are not included in this product defect recall. The safety recall is expected to begin this month. Owners may contact Bridgestone at 1-800-465-1904 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236.
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VW Recalls Defective Vehicles for Fuel Tank and Airbag Problems

Volkswagen is recalling several thousand vehicles involving two different models from 2008 and 2009 for defective car parts. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, Volkswagen is recalling about 5,000 of its R32 high-performance cars from the 2008 model year because of a defective fuel tank valve, which may allow gasoline to enter the evaporative system and create a potential fire hazard. The other recall involves about 5,000 CC vehicles from the 2009 model year because of a possible problem with the right front passenger seat belt buckling wire harness, which could become damaged by seat movement and cause the passenger’s frontal airbag to be deactivated. That means the airbag could fail to deploy in the event of an car accident.

Dealers will start inspecting the vehicles for the defective valves and defective seat belt wiring harnesses free of charge and replace them if necessary. If you would like more information about this recall, please call Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987 or contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236.
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California Rite Aid Stores Recall Pistachio Ice Cream after Salmonella Scare

Rite Aid stores in California have recalled two Thrifty brand ice-cream products that were identified as containing pistachios, which U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials believe may be contaminated with deadly salmonella bacteria. Rite Aid announced its voluntary recall on April 2, 2009. Rite Aid officials say they are not aware of any reported cases of salmonella infection related to these products. The California stores are removing these pistachio ice cream products from their shelves as a precautionary measure. The recalled items include Thrifty 1/2 –gallon Pistachio Nut (UPC 08032891929) and Thrifty 3-gallon Pistachio Nut (UPC 08032849278).

Those who have purchased these recalled products are asked to stop consuming them immediately and return the items or a receipt to a Rite Aid Pharmacy for a full refund. For more information, please call Rite Aid at 1-800-RITEAID (748-3243).

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause severe diarrheal illness in humans. There are many different kinds of salmonella bacteria. The type most commonly found in the United States is Typhimurium. Symptoms of a salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever or abdominal cramps. Laboratory tests are almost always required to diagnose a salmonella infection. Once the presence of salmonella has been determined, further testing can determine its specific type.
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SunKids Recalls Dangerous and Defective Cribs

SunKids is recalling about 1,900 cribs for entrapment and suffocation hazards. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, the defective products are made of mesh that expands, creating a gap between the side and the crib’s mattress if it’s not zipped into place. It is possible for young children to slip into this gap and become entrapped or suffocate. The crib’s drop side can also fail to latch fully, posing a fall hazard to young children.

No injuries or deaths have been reported yet as a result of these defective SunKids products. But federal safety regulators say they have received a report of a 5-month-old child in August who became entrapped in a crib made by SunKids that was similar to the recently recalled cribs. That infant, who became entrapped between the mattress and the mesh side suffocated and died.

The current recall involves the SunKids convertible crib/playpen/bassinet/bed with model number PY256. The brand name “SunKids” is embroidered on the bottom left of the crib’s drop side. The convertible cribs also have a drop side rail, stationary side rail, canopy assembly and bassinet. The sides of the convertible crib are made of fabric and mesh. The cribs, which were made in China, were sold at children’s product retailers in California New York and New Jersey between January 2007 and October 2008 for about $100.
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