A 26 year old California woman, who became a paraplegic after her car seat collapsed during a rear-end collision in 2006, has been awarded $24.7 million by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury. The trial occurred in the city of Pasadena, California in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County jury determined that a defective car seat caused the Los Angeles woman to become a paraplegic.  The crash occurred at Corson Street and Lake Avenue in Pasadena, California.  The jury ordered seat manufacturer Johnson Controls to pay $24.7 million for the woman's injuries. A Johnson Controls spokesman said that the company intended to appeal the verdict.

In a slew of recent recalls, General Motors yanked over 230,000 vehicles off the market due to various brake, transmission, and steering issues.

Chevrolet Cruze vehicles made up the bulk of the recalled vehicles. According to a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration report, owners complained of steering loss, due to loose bolts in the steering shaft, and transmission issues, caused by a transmission shift linkage system that was not properly installed. Altogether, about 230,000 certain model year 2011 Cruze vehicles were recalled.

Hyundai recalled 7,829 certain model year 2010 Tuscans that did not comply with the Federal Motor Safety Standard pertaining to lighting control. According to the NHTSA report, the rear reflectors on these vehicles were not sufficiently reflective, which increased the risk of rear-end crashes.

Kia recalled 58,322 certain model year 2004-2007 Spectras due to possible corrosion issues. Corrosion occurred in these vehicles near the fuel tank in states where road salt was used heavily. Extended corrosion caused leaks, fires, and, in rare cases, a complete separation of the fuel tank from the vehicle.

In the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin, Nissan is recalling certain model year 1997-2003 Infiniti QX4 vehicles and certain model year 1996-2004 Nissan Pathfinder vehicles. Heavy road salt concentration in these states may corrode the strut tower housing in some vehicles, which could lead to grinding sounds, increased steering effort, and possible breakage of the steering column. Ultimately, this could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

For more information regarding this recall, which is supposed to begin on or before May 16, 2011, owners can contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

After two NHTSA investigations and hundreds of consumer complaints, Ford was forced to recall a possible 1,325,000 vehicles. Certain model year 2004-2006 F-150s and certain model year 2006 Lincoln Mark LT vehicles were affected by this recall.

According to the investigative reports, these vehicles may have an internal circuit issue which could inadvertently deploy the driver's front airbag, increasing the risk of car accidents and injuries, or cause the airbag warning light to illuminate, indicating service is required.

Numerous reports of owners having difficulty disengaging their vehicle's cruise-control system forced Mercedes-Benz to recall almost over 136,000 vehicles. Certain model year 2000-2002 M-Class vehicles and 2000-2004 M-Class AMG vehicles were affected by this recall, which is expected to begin on or before September 2011.

A recall was expected to begin on April 8, 2011 that included over 2,000 certain model year 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Vehicles. According to an NHTSA report, the recalled vehicles may have an improperly fastened steering wheel, which could detach from the steering column and possibly cause the driver to lose his or her ability to control the vehicle.

During the recall, dealers will inspect the steering wheel to insure that it was sufficiently attached. For more information regarding this recall, contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or visit the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Recent reports of short-circuiting issues, including incidences of stalled engines and malfunctioning headlights and wiper blades, led Volkswagen to recall  71,043 2011 Jettas. The affected vehicles, manufactured from March 2010 to March 2011, may have a converter box protected by the same fuse used by the signal horn and anti-theft alarm system. Under this wiring system, if the converter box were to become disconnected for any reason, other applications (such as the engine management system, lighting system, and wipers) would shut off.

Honda is recalling more 2011 Odyssey vehicles due to a potential for the driver and front passenger windows to dislodge from their tracks. In the case of an accident, these windows could shatter inside the passenger cabin, resulting in possible injuries. These windows, if dislodged, will also become inoperative and drivers and passengers will be unable to roll the window up or down.