10 Automakers Sued Over Claims of Deadly Fumes from Keyless Ignitions

By and | August 27, 2015

  • August 27, 2015 at 8:59 am
    CommonSense says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    Let’s see, I’ll just leave my engine running and “assume” it will shut down on its own… Who would ever think that? I left the iron on this morning and left for work. I “assume” it will just shut off on its own. I left my lawn mower running out in the yard while I went inside for a drink. I assumed it would know I was done with it and shut off on its own. I left the bathtub running while I went for coffee and doughnuts and I assumed it would shut off when the tub was full. Come on people!

    You can’t fix stupid, but you should be able to throw it out of court.

    • August 27, 2015 at 1:11 pm
      SWFL Agent says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      The automakers have made it easier to start/stop a car – push a button instead of turning a key. Now they’ll pay for it with these lawsuits. Because when you make these tasks easier for the public it enables the public to shift more personal responsibility to someone else.

      • August 28, 2015 at 4:00 pm
        Agent says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 1

        SW, I saw an ad for Honda the other day and they offer texting on their screen. Is that a recipe for disaster or not?

        • August 31, 2015 at 4:06 pm
          Rosenblatt says:
          Like or Dislike:
          Thumb up 1
          Thumb down 2

          Agent – while I agree texting and driving in ANY way, shape, or form is very dangerous, which would you prefer:

          Option 1: no in-car technology so people will have to hold and look at their phone to read & reply to texts, or

          Option 2: have a vehicle read the text message out loud and let the driver reply with one of ten pre-set responses?

          Obviously option 3 (no texting at all, ever) is ideal, but barring that, which of the two scenarios above would you rather see?

          • September 4, 2015 at 5:15 pm
            Agent says:
            Like or Dislike:
            Thumb up 2
            Thumb down 0

            Rosenblatt, neither of the first two options. Option 3 is preferable. There is a time and place for talking on a cell or texting and it is not when the vehicle is going down the highway at 75MPH. Even talking, replying is distracting. Underage drivers are really causing a problem in our society and some of the adults who are married to their cell are almost as bad.

    • August 27, 2015 at 2:29 pm
      Agent says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      CommonSense, there is no common sense anymore and some look to blame others for their own stupidity. I have seen people start their car remotely and leave it running to warm up in the winter and cool off in the summer. Last weekend, I went to the grocery store and the car in the next space was running with no one in it. Did all my shopping and came out 45 minutes later and still sitting there running. How stupid is that, not to mention all that gas burned?

      • August 27, 2015 at 3:44 pm
        Robert Trotta says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 1
        Thumb down 1

        Was there a pet in the car? I have done that also if I have my dogs with me and it’s hot outside. I have a GM push start so the key is with me. However, I don’t leave them in the car for 45 minutes while I run an errand!

    • August 28, 2015 at 1:35 pm
      natalie says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      Common knowledge, to get your driver’s license you have to turn on and turn off your car. But let’s just say I did accidentally left my car on in the garage. If I opened the door a few hours later I would immediately close it and go outside and manually open the garage door to let the carbon monoxide out. Then I would go shut the car off. Because at some point when you are a kid someone would have said to you that CO is bad for you. Totally agree with you. Take responsibility! And of course this is filed in CA!

      • August 31, 2015 at 4:37 pm
        County Line says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 1

        Yes, of course this was filed in CA. Instead of The Golden State, California would be more appropriately named The Lawsuit State, or perhaps the Sue You State.

        No society has ever sued itself to greatness, but it sure looks like CA has its sights set on trying. What a sad demise for a once-great state. Shakespeare was right……..

    • March 3, 2016 at 10:30 am
      Not ALL Stupid says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 0
      Thumb down 0

      Not everyone is “stupid”. Making mistakes is NORMAL. People can say “there should be a traffic sign or light put there etc”. What’s so wrong about IMPROVEMENT OF A PRODUCT TO PROTECT? Nothing is fool proof, but when a pattern develops costing lives, only IDIOTS blame everyone else and turn a blind eye. It’s also ignorant to “imply” it’s Californians who file lawsuits without merit. Here in Florida, there are multiple TV commercials telling me my first call after an auto accident is to contact my attorney. I suppose calling 911 and your insurance company is much less important? That said: Self start by FOB is a terrific convenience in warm and cold weather climates. My thought is that after 15 minutes, key in the ignition should be required to keep the auto running. To avoid automatic turn off, the self start by FOB, should deactivate once the car is out of “Park”. We can save lives. While I do not think legal action is always appropriate, it seems to be the only way business practices change. I do not think it’is stupid to discuss this issue. Keep in mind, it is very possible for an FOB inside someones home, to be strong enough to keep the signal active and a car running. But I suppose most of you turn off every light in your home without EVER forgetting ONCE. In the case of Monoxide poisoning you don’t get a second chance.

  • August 27, 2015 at 1:43 pm
    Dave says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    Oh my. When I thought humanity could not get any dumber, they prove me wrong yet again. Turn the damn car off you stupid morons. And if you’re too stupid to do so, don’t spend the extra money on a keyless ignition system.

  • August 27, 2015 at 1:47 pm
    DavidNevin says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    So, do these people leave the car running when they go to the store or the movies or out to dinner? I have a keyless ignition Hyundai. If I don’t turn it off when I open the door it beeps at me to let me know. My fob only enables me to start the car by pushing the button in the car. Clearly there may be times when, such as in Winter I want to run it in my absence to de-ice it.
    I am deeply sorry for those who died however, I cannot find a basis for suing anyone for my own negligence or lack of effort to learn how to operate a motor vehicle properly and safely.
    People have remote starters installed all the time and have done so for many years. Those would seem to be far more dangerous

    • August 27, 2015 at 2:12 pm
      Raymond James says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 0

      I completely agree David.

      I drive a BMW with a push-button start but no one has ever made the claim that you don’t need to push it again to turn off the engine. At some point people need to take responsibility.

      You press the button to start and press it to turn off. This is another frivolous California lawsuit…how sad.

      • August 27, 2015 at 3:11 pm
        Agent says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 1

        Raymond, perhaps there should be a little sign above the button saying – Push to start and push to shut off. Personally, my car starts sounding bells and lights on the dash and warns about no seat belts.

        • August 28, 2015 at 1:37 pm
          Rosenblatt says:
          Like or Dislike:
          Thumb up 1
          Thumb down 1

          Not all automakers use the same language on the push-button start. My vehicle has one and just says “START – STOP” on it, clearly indicating the button needs to be pressed to stop the engine. Just saying – some car makers are already doing what you’ve suggested.

  • August 27, 2015 at 1:48 pm
    Crain says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    Many vehicles lock themselves. What a pain. The mower already shuts itself off when you are not holding or sitting on it. Your coffeemaker shuts itself off on a timer. The iron shuts itself off. All of these occurred because some irresponsible individual cannot turn off an appliance and successfully sued. Just because we can make the technology, it doesn’t mean that we should be sued for not adding to a product. If you want those features, pay for them. I agree with the first three comments, personal responsibility is obviously gone.

  • August 27, 2015 at 2:31 pm
    TNReader says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    While the loss of life is tragic, if you don’t have enough knowledge to turn off your car when you’re done with it, should you be operating it in the first place?

    • August 27, 2015 at 2:51 pm
      Dave says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 0

      This is where Darwinism kicks in. Best to get those genes out of the gene pool.

      • August 27, 2015 at 3:12 pm
        Agent says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 1

        Dave, won’t the public be overjoyed with the driverless cars take over the market in 20-30 years? These dufus idiots won’t have to do anything for themselves except sit there and download apps and text.

  • August 27, 2015 at 3:51 pm
    Robert Trotta says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    I am very sorry for any loss of life, but come on here! Is this going to be ANOTHER MULTI-MILLION dollar lawsuit like the McDonald’s hot coffee fiasco? How ridiculous! I hope NO judge rules in favor of the people bringing any lawsuit! There is NO way to fix stupidity. You get in the car, you start it. You get out of the car, you shut it off! END OF STORY!

    • August 27, 2015 at 4:21 pm
      Agent says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      Robert, as they say in the NFL, “Common Man” when they show disgust with a stupid play.

  • August 27, 2015 at 4:34 pm
    Read Into Hot Coffee says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    Robert; the hot coffee fiasco was actually more about the over-heating of the coffee as opposed to the coffee being hot itself.

    Regardless, no matter how automated your car may be, turning off the car seems like just part of that mental checklist one should have when entering/exiting a vehicle

    • August 28, 2015 at 6:20 pm
      Robert Trotta says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 0

      Overheated or not, coffee IS HOT! Common sense in this country has gone the way of the dinosaur! There is no remedy for STUPID!

  • August 27, 2015 at 4:35 pm
    Tori says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    more sue happy people…..

  • August 27, 2015 at 7:03 pm
    Walt says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    I think I’ll put on cruise control and take a nap….

    • August 28, 2015 at 9:29 am
      Agent says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      Walt, there are actually people that stupid. I read a story a few years ago that a woman driving an RV put it on cruise control and went to make some coffee expecting the vehicle to drive itself. After the crash, she sued and won because there were no warnings on the dash. She should be a fan of self driving vehicles when they come out. Too stupid to be a driver herself.

      • August 28, 2015 at 11:17 am
        Nebraskan says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 1
        Thumb down 0

        While I agree with you on her level of stupidity, Agent…you also need to blame the jury of her peers that allowed her to win. Ridiculous.

        • August 31, 2015 at 3:16 pm
          Robert Trotta says:
          Like or Dislike:
          Thumb up 2
          Thumb down 0

          How about the judge who would even entertain such a lawsuit! What’s wrong with him/her?

    • August 31, 2015 at 4:41 pm
      County Line says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 1
      Thumb down 1

      Yes, a dirt nap.

  • August 31, 2015 at 12:47 pm
    Been There says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    While I am normally one of the people who encourage personal responsibility, I own one of those remote start vehicles. From personal experience, I can state that our vehicle has, on multiple occasions, started without our knowledge or direct input – simply from being in a pocket. The manufacturers should, at a minimum, take steps to make it more difficult for the engine to start. A shut off would at least prevent the owner from carbon monoxide or running out of gas. This is one suit that has a basis in reality.

    • August 31, 2015 at 2:42 pm
      Dave says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 1

      Thanks for the heads up. I will probably never buy a car with one of these devices. Costs more money and sounds to be unsafe. Pulling the key out of my pocket, inserting the key and turning it are not all that difficult for me. Never understood the demand for such devices.

      • August 31, 2015 at 2:56 pm
        Agent says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 1

        One thing that is nice about that key fob is that you can’t lock yourself out of the car. If the key fob is inside, the car will not lock.

        • September 23, 2015 at 10:57 am
          Agent says:
          Like or Dislike:
          Thumb up 2
          Thumb down 0

          Hackers can already shut a car down and many manufacturers like Fiat/Chrysler/Jeep have recalls on their cars to fix the problem.

  • August 31, 2015 at 1:16 pm
    DSB says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 1

    I would personally be more worried about a car that could turn itself off. Imagine the accident if a vehicle, traveling at 70MPH, completely shut down due to a malfunction in the start/stop system. That would be grounds for a true law suit.

    If everyone would just read and follow the directions, life would go a lot more smoothly.

  • September 1, 2015 at 11:33 am
    The Stig says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 2
    Thumb down 0

    Nothing is safe in the hands of an idiot.

  • September 23, 2015 at 1:22 am
    Joan Crawford says:
    Like or Dislike:
    Thumb up 0
    Thumb down 1

    My brother and sister-in-law died from carbon monoxide poisoning. They inadvertently left their 2013 car running in their attached garage. The engine was very quiet. I was not there. I don’t know what happened. They were intelligent individuals with a lot of common sense. They were not stupid, idiots–or any of the derogatory comments stated above. I am confident that they did not want to die. It was a tragic accident. There have been at least 25 deaths from these cars w/keyless ignitions. The automakers know this. Shame on them for not correcting this problem. They should recall and fix all of the cars that are out there. My brother’s car was tested and had no warning that the engine was still on. The 2014 make of the same car has a warning—the horn goes on and off. We all make mistakes and tragic accidents happen every day—But, if we have a way of fixing them, they should be fixed. If the problem was fixed after the first death, my family members would still be alive. I’m sure the person who came up with the keyless ignition idea didn’t think of the consequence of people dying—But, now that we know it can happen, it should be fixed. The automakers must think that it’s better to pay for a few lawsuits than to recall all those cars. Well, I just hope it never happens in your family. You might change your mind.

    • September 23, 2015 at 8:55 am
      Dave says:
      Like or Dislike:
      Thumb up 2
      Thumb down 0

      I feel sorry for your loss. But if they inadvertently left the car running as they left the car, the fault does not lie with the keyless ignition system, it clearly lies with them. They needed to turn off the car and they did not. You say they were not stupid, but then go on to suggest the car needed to be made more idiot proof.

      • September 23, 2015 at 9:42 am
        Agent says:
        Like or Dislike:
        Thumb up 2
        Thumb down 0

        Hey Dave, I suppose we need to add VW to the list of stupid automakers when they got caught on the emissions fiasco. They would have tests saying the clean diesel met the emissions standards and then it would turn off for actual operation and emit up to 40% more pollution. I always had reservations about “clean diesel”. That is a nasty fuel to start with. You might be able to get a good deal on VW stock right about now. I don’t know how they will recover their name and reputation.



Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*