Alert: Danger in Your Garage!

Did you know that owning a car with the fancy new keyless ignition system puts your family at risk? Indeed, the new system makes your car into something of a deadly unguided missile in the garage, according to a class action lawsuit that has been filed against major automobile companies. Thirteen people are already dead because of this. Are you shocked yet? You should be. Read the rest of the article to find out exactly what we are talking about here.

A lot of new cars come with keyless ignition systems that make it possible for the driver to start them without even inserting the key. Basically, keyless ignition systems allow drivers to start the car by simply pressing a button with the help of the electronic key fob that remains in their pockets or in a purse. The car doesn’t start if the electronic key fob isn’t detected by the ignition system.

This can be a problem, because in some cars the engine doesn’t stop even if the electronic key fob is removed from the vehicle. There’s always a possibility of leaving your car running in an enclosed garage, especially with the new keyless ignition system. Since new cars are so quiet, drivers often forget that the ignition is on when parking the car in the garage or elsewhere.

This is very dangerous, and has actually led to several accidents. Indeed, a class action suit has been filed against almost all top automakers over this potentially dangerous defect in the keyless ignition systems. It has been alleged in the lawsuit that the new ignition system allows the car to keep running even when the electronic key fob is no longer in the car.

The lawsuit specifically mentions cases (including one that involves a Toyota Prius) where drivers have mistakenly left their cars running inside enclosed garages because of the new ignition system. This led to the build-up of the highly toxic gas carbon monoxide, which endangered the life of those inside the house after it seeped into the living quarters.

There have been as many as 13 deaths because of these sorts of incidents, and several injuries. The accidents are commonly known to occur in cars that have quiet and smooth running engines, such as those found in gasoline-electric hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius.

In these cars, the engines may not be running when the driver first gets out of the vehicle, but will come to life after the batteries run low – which makes them very dangerous in an enclosed space such as a garage.

Automakers are very conscious of the lawsuit and have taken corrective measures. Ford Motor Co. has released the following statement on the issue: “Ford takes the safety of our customers very seriously; the keyless ignition system has proven to be a safe and reliable innovative feature that has been well-received by customers. Ford vehicles equipped with keyless ignition alert drivers when the driver’s door is open and the vehicle’s engine is running.”

General Motors has already recalled older versions of their hybrid, the Chevrolet Volt, to update the software to find a suitable solution to the problem. So the Volt now has updated its software to shut off the car completely a few minutes after the electronic key fob is out of the vehicle.

Other carmakers have made changes as well, such as an auto-off feature to shut the vehicles off when the electronic key fob isn’t present. Many carmakers have added a horn beep to their cars that alerts drivers if they were to leave the car while it’s still running.

This information was brought to you by ASAP Garage Door and Gate Repair that serves the Memphis Metro/ South Tennessee and North Mississippi area. At ASAP Garage Door and Gate Repair, we are proud to be the #1 provider of Liftmaster® garage doors and automatic gate operators for residential and commercial buildings.

We have over 15 years of experience in the industry, and it’s our goal to provide the best, professionally installed access system products in the Mid South and Northern Mississippi area. We have a 24 hour on-call service, so you are welcome to call us any time of the day at 901-461-0385 for garage door and gate service.