Topic: Automakers named in class-action suit over keyless ignition systems

[Autos_Editor]

Suit claims manufacturers ignored risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
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[Fobroader]

The people who brought this suit up should be made to pay all the automakers lawyers fees plus for whatever courts time they wasted, have their licence taken away as they are obviously far too stupid to be entrusted with a car and be immediately sterilized to prevent the spread of their filthy seed any further. If you cannot figure out your car is running and you should shut if off, get off my planet.

[chrischasescars]

Thank you for saying what my journalistic instincts told me not to put in the article.

[Fobroader]

Thank you for saying what my journalistic instincts told me not to put in the article.

HAHAHAHA 

[Allen]

The people who brought this suit up should be made to pay all the automakers lawyers fees plus for whatever courts time they wasted, have their licence taken away as they are obviously far too stupid to be entrusted with a car and be immediately sterilized to prevent the spread of their filthy seed any further. If you cannot figure out your car is running and you should shut if off, get off my planet.

Yep,  sometimes you have to wonder how deep the gene pool is out there

[Northernridge]

I bet the suit is litigator driven not consumer driven.

[carcrazed]

This is right up there with the 'no warning for hot coffee on a coffee cup' suit. 

I do like the idea of auto shutoff, though.

[SaskSpecV]

Thank you for saying what my journalistic instincts told me not to put in the article.

Chris, you should turn off that little filter (aka "journalistic instincts") in your brain.

It may result in your 2nd tenure at autos.ca being very brief...but what a glorious, incendiary fireball of a tenure it would be!!

[Fobroader]

This is right up there with the 'no warning for hot coffee on a coffee cup' suit. 

I do like the idea of auto shutoff, though.

Or the "do not use hands to stop spinning chainsaw blade", "do not use hair dryer while in the shower", "do not eat rat poison" or my favorite one on a bottle of acetone I have in the garage, "WARNING: may contain acetone".

[tpl]

Or the absolute classic on a   Claymore mine.      " This side towards enemy "

[Sir Osis of Liver]

On one of our missile tubes on the ADATS, someone had stenciled "aim away from face". 

[ThePointblank]

my favorite one on a bottle of acetone I have in the garage, "WARNING: may contain acetone".

Clearly, you have been ripped off. The bottle of acetone you bought MAY contain acetone? Go back to the store and demand a refund!

[X-Traction]

I wouldn't be quite so quick to ridicule this concern.

How about cars with engine stop-start?  They might not be running when you park, so it would be less apparent that the car is "running".  This feature is becoming increasingly common.

In addition, those of us who grew up with cars that needed to have a key turned to start or turn off are deeply habituated to the action of shutting off the car when leaving it.  On the other hand, with the proliferation of remote starters, push button starters etc. there is a whole new generation of drivers who will never develop the habit of turning the key and so may be far more prone to forgetting to shut off a car.  Not all of these people can be written off as idiots.

Obviously the solution is some sort of automatic shut-off, although it will have to be done carefully so as to not cause frustration when there is a good reason for a car to be running for a long time with no driver interaction.  Or you Albertans will sometimes have to sit on cold seats in the winter.

[mixmanmash]

I wouldn't be quite so quick to ridicule this concern.

How about cars with engine stop-start?  They might not be running when you park, so it would be less apparent that the car is "running".  This feature is becoming increasingly common.

In addition, those of us who grew up with cars that needed to have a key turned to start or turn off are deeply habituated to the action of shutting off the car when leaving it.  On the other hand, with the proliferation of remote starters, push button starters etc. there is a whole new generation of drivers who will never develop the habit of turning the key and so may be far more prone to forgetting to shut off a car.  Not all of these people can be written off as idiots.

Obviously the solution is some sort of automatic shut-off, although it will have to be done carefully so as to not cause frustration when there is a good reason for a car to be running for a long time with no driver interaction.  Or you Albertans will sometimes have to sit on cold seats in the winter.

All the stop start cars I have driven have the engine running once shifted into park...

[mixmanmash]

The people who brought this suit up should be made to pay all the automakers lawyers fees plus for whatever courts time they wasted, have their licence taken away as they are obviously far too stupid to be entrusted with a car and be immediately sterilized to prevent the spread of their filthy seed any further. If you cannot figure out your car is running and you should shut if off, get off my planet.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[tazcubed]

I notice that no aftermarket manufacturers were named in the lawsuit. If the lawyers and plaintiffs were serious about this they would have gone after them as well - or is this because, if one has it installed as an aftermarket product you are essentially aware of the pros and cons and sign off on liability? Seems like a trivial case that has not so trivial costs.

[tooscoops]

mix is right about the auto start stop... engine is on in park. only when in drive and stopped will it shut off.

this is upsetting... just the fact that this makes it's way to the courts... just pure stupidity. while yes, it takes some getting used to, if you are unable to register that the car is running in a closed garage, then you are either driving a car that is smoother and quieter than any i have been in, or deaf and dumb (and not in the mute kind of way).

[99 Silver]

I don't have a problem with stupid people. 

Just get rid of all the warning labels and the problem will take care of itself.

[conwelpic]

as its been mentioned, if these people are so stupid as to not know that an engine is running (and you've just driven into a garage too), then you shouldn't be driving any vehicle.  I realize some vehicles are so quiet that you can't hear inside the vehicle, but I've never ever come across a vehicle that you can't hear it running when you step outside and particular in an enclosed space like a garage. (unless its electric then there isn't a problem with than anyway - but I'm sure somebody will find a way).

[X-Traction]

I wouldn't be quite so quick to ridicule this concern.

How about cars with engine stop-start?  They might not be running when you park, so it would be less apparent that the car is "running".  This feature is becoming increasingly common.

In addition, those of us who grew up with cars that needed to have a key turned to start or turn off are deeply habituated to the action of shutting off the car when leaving it.  On the other hand, with the proliferation of remote starters, push button starters etc. there is a whole new generation of drivers who will never develop the habit of turning the key and so may be far more prone to forgetting to shut off a car.  Not all of these people can be written off as idiots.

Obviously the solution is some sort of automatic shut-off, although it will have to be done carefully so as to not cause frustration when there is a good reason for a car to be running for a long time with no driver interaction.  Or you Albertans will sometimes have to sit on cold seats in the winter.

All the stop start cars I have driven have the engine running once shifted into park...

That seems kind of dumb.  There's not a lot of reasons for having the engine running while in park, but I guess it provides a reminder that the car is enabled to run the engine.

Have you driven a hybrid?  The engine shuts off a lot of the time while stopped, and shifting into park doesn't by itself cause the ICE to start running.  I think the Prius also has a Start button, while the Escape Hybrid used key-in-ignition.  If you walked away from either of these with the ignition still on, they would cycle the ICE on and off to maintain temperatures until they ran out of gas.