Faulty cruise control switches that caused fires under the hood of Ford vehicles were the source of a massive recall starting in September of 2005.

Ford Motor Company estimates that 4.9 million vehicles have been fixed as a result of the recall — a number less than half of the 10 million that were originally recalled.

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated in their recall, “Failure to have the switch disconnected could lead to a vehicle fire at any time, whether or not the key is in the ignition, and whether or not owners use the cruise control system.”

Bringing that into perspective, an estimated 5.1 million Ford vehicles, cars and trucks including model years from the early 1990s, have the potential to spontaneously erupt into flames while on the highway, or in garages and junkyards with the ignition turned off. The potential fire danger is present regardless of the age of the vehicle.

Parts needed to fix this defect in Ford cars and trucks are available at dealerships around the country.

German automaker BMW has issued a recall of about 200,000 cars and SUVs due reports of airbag failure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Office of Defect Investigation.

According to reports, wear and tear caused by a people getting in and out of the front passenger side seat can cause the front passenger airbag sensors to deactivate and fail to deploy even in a severe car wreck. The passenger-side head protection airbags remain safe.

This warning applies to the following BMW vehicles: the 2004 to 2005 5-Series standard and sport seat models; the 2004 to 2006 X3 and the 2006 3-Series with sport seats.

The recall will begin in late September.

BMW will also extend the airbag warrantees to cover 10 years from the original registration with no mileage limit on the 2006 6-Series and 3-Series with a standard seat, the 2004 to 2005 Z4, the 2004 to 2006 7-Series; the 2006 X5 and the 2004 to 2006 5-Series with a comfort seat.

If you are a concerned and have questions about this recall or others, you can contact BMW at 1-800-525-7417 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) is stepping up it’s investigation of 21 models of General Motors trucks and SUVs made between 2006 and 2008. These models possibly have the potential for engine compartment fire, even when the ignition is turned off. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) reports that they have been made aware of “41 non-crash engine compartment fires” in the GM trucks and SUVs. Sixteen of those fires occurred with the vehicle’s ignition in the OFF position. Electrical systems, engine and engine cooling systems, battery cables, under-hood wiring, fuses, and circuit breakers are all being investigated. Owners of these GM vehicles should keep aware of potential recalls.

The following GM vehicles are under investigation (all years are model years):

2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade ESV and EXT

2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500

2007 Chevrolet Avalanche 2500

2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2500, and 3500

2007-2008 Chevrolet Suburban 1500 and 2500

2007-2008 Chevrolet Tahoe

2008 GMC Sierra

2007-2008 GMC Sierra 1500, 2500, and 3500

2007 GMC Sierra Classic

2007 GMC Silverado

2007-2008 GMC Yukon

2007-2008 GMC Yukon XL 1500, and XL 2500

2006-2007 Hummer H2 Utility

1999-2008 Hummer H2

If you or a loved one has been injured by a dangerous vehicle or in a car wreck or truck wreck, call the truck wreck lawyers at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP at 1-800-460-0606 today.