The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Mercedes-Benz recalls about 745,000 vehicles due to sunroofs that could detach

Photo: OSX

Mercedes-Benz is recalling nearly 745,000 vehicles in the United States due to faulty sunroofs where the glass panel could detach from the vehicle. Cars affected by this recall range from model years 2001 to 2011.

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration said the bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame could deteriorate and possibly cause the glass panel to detach from the vehicle.

This recall affects C-, CLK-, CLS- and E-Class models over about 10 years:

Facts and figures for the holidays 2019: Travel

A record number of Americans  – 115.6 million – will travel this holiday season. That’s an increase of 3.9 percent over last year, or 4.3 million more people taking a holiday getaway, according to AAA.

Auto

More than 104 million of those holiday travelers will drive to their destinations and delays to be the worst on Thursday, Dec. 26, INRIX, a transportation analytics company, predicts. The number of Americans driving for the holidays is up 3.9 percent or 3.9 million people compared with last year.

Gas prices steadily declined in November. AAA expects most motorists will see gas prices drop before the New Year, but gas prices will likely be slightly more expensive than last December’s national gas price average of $2.37.

Air travel

With 4.9 percent growth, air travel will see the biggest increase in travel volume during the year-end holidays, with 6.97 million Americans expected to fly – the most since 2003.

Americans resolving to pay off debts and save money in 2020, survey shows

The New Year is approaching rapidly, and money continues to be America’s top concern with almost 99 million people planning to make a financial resolution for 2020.

WalletHub, a personal finance website, conducted a survey of the “Top 10 Financial Resolutions for 2020” and found the No. 1 financial resolution for men is to save more, while women are focused on paying off debt.

Other highlights of the survey include:

Yes, boomers are doing O.K.

Carol Cassara of A Healing Spirit is still a Beatles fan, and, all these years later when she hears one of their songs, she’s instantly transported back to the 1960s. An image of a van, like the one in the photo, which was popular at the time, does the same thing. She just goes there.

Cassara also thinks about the 1960s when she reads posts by her favorite boomer bloggers. Some of their latest articles include:

• The most memorable Christmas.
• How to make Polish Sauerkraut Soup.
• The top three challenges to expect from “gray” divorce, divorce when couples are age 50 and older.
• A narrow escape on the freeway when a box truck veered off the highway toward the center median, then careened back onto it.
• How to plan goals for 2020 and beyond.
• The new, frozen Asian desserts.

Cassara writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #627. Click here to get the links to the articles. And, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers appreciate hearing from readers. It makes their day.

Copyright 2019, Rita R. Robison, Consumer and Personal Finance Journalist

Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees are being recalled due to possible engine stalls

Photo: IFCAR

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling about 528,594 model year Dodge Durangos and Jeep Grand Cherokees. The fuel-pump relays may have silicon deposits that interrupt electric current, and, as a result, the engine might not start or could stall.

This recall affects 2011 to 2013 models that have had the relays corrected in a previous recall.

By Jan. 3, customers will be contacted about going to their dealership for a free inspection and repair, the FCA said.

Nissan, Infiniti vehicles are being recalled again due to fire risk

Photo: Alexander Migl

Nissan is recalling 450,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada.

The anti-lock brake system actuator may leak brake fluid and cause a fire. If this happens, the ABS warning lamp will light up and remain lighted on the instrument panel.

If the ABS warning lamp in a vehicle lights up continually for more than 10 seconds after the engine starts, Nissan advises consumers to stop driving the vehicle immediately and call Nissan Roadside Assistance at 800-647-7261 to arrange towing the vehicle to a Nissan dealer for repair.

Nearly 1 million Toyota, Scion, and Lexus vehicles recalled due to possible failure of replaced airbags

Photo: IFCAR

About 928,000 vehicles are being recalled because the driver or front passenger airbag inflators were replaced as part of the Takata airbag recall using the same defective inflators. The replacement inflators may explode due to the propellant degrading after long-term exposure to high humidity and temperature. An inflator explosion could result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, causing serious injury or death.

Dealers will replace the defective airbag inflator or the airbag assembly using an alternate inflator. There will be no charge for the repairs. Toyota will begin notifying owners Nov. 15.

Vehicles affected include model year:

At AutoNation, 1 in 9 used cars have unrepaired safety recalls, consumer groups say

AutoNation, America’s largest auto retailer, is selling used vehicles with unrepaired safety recalls including explosive Takata airbags, faulty GM ignition switches, and defects with no fix available. “Unsafe Used Cars for Sale,” a report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety Foundation, found that one in nine cars for sale at AutoNation dealerships across the country have unrepaired defects that make them dangerous to drivers, passengers, and others on the roadways.

“By selling recalled cars with safety defects, AutoNation puts customers in danger before they even reach home,” said Adam Garber, consumer watchdog for the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. “The only way that AutoNation can ensure a ‘worry-free’ purchase is to repair every recalled vehicle before selling it.”

The survey found numerous unsafe cars among more than 2,400 vehicles analyzed at 28 dealerships in 12 states. The recalled vehicles had defects that could cause vehicles to stall in traffic, seat belts to fail, Takata air bags to propel metal fragments at passengers, cars to catch on fire, or steering to malfunction.

Corporations keep breaking the law due to declining federal prosecutions

Corporations keep breaking the law, and the U.S. Department of Justice keeps refusing to prosecute them, a Public Citizen report finds. The DOJ’s continued refusal to bring criminal prosecutions against big banks, big pharma, and other big businesses that violate the law has led to a failure to deter repeat offenders, according to the report.

Instead of prosecuting corporations, the DOJ, starting in the early 2000s, has increasingly relied on agreements that prosecutors and corporate defense attorneys negotiate behind closed doors to keep corporations – usually the largest – out of the criminal justice system.

“If the Justice Department wants to deter corporate crime, it must stop bending over backward to protect corporations and start enforcing the law,” said Rick Claypool, a Public Citizen research director and author of the report. “Our country is facing an unprecedented corporate crime wave. To stop it, we must prosecute corporate criminals.”

Watch out for flood-damaged used vehicles in the Washington, D.C., area

With thousands of vehicles in a Monday storm, which released a month’s worth of rain in an hour, flood damaged vehicles in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area could run in the hundreds.

“While, hopefully, these vehicles will have their titles marked flood damaged and go to salvage yards, many will likely re-enter the market as used cars,” said Jack Gillis, the Consumer Federation of America’s executive director and author of “The Car Book.”

Because of the computerization, electronics, and sophisticated safety technology found in today’s vehicles, it’s critical that you avoid getting stuck with one of these lemons, Gillis said.