Equipment Complaints

I am reporting a failure covered by NHTSA Recall 26E048 and K&N's handling of my safety report. I installed a K&N 81-0300 fuel filter on my 1999 Yamaha YZF600R in early April 2026. About one month later, the motorcycle became unable to idle. The filter's internal rubber O-ring, washer, or gasket disintegrated, sending black debris into the carburetors and clogging the pilot jets. On May 4, 2026, I reported this exact failure during a recorded K&N support call. I cited similar Amazon reviews and warned about fuel leakage, fire, loss of engine performance, and danger to a rider. The representative said he had not seen or heard of the problem and would escalate it. I was not told to stop using the filter. K&N requested the failed filter and recovered rubber material for evaluation. I returned the filter and most material in June, but K&N never provided its findings or warned me of a broader safety defect. K&N issued a stop-sale bulletin on July 20 and filed Recall 26E048 on July 23. On July 23 and 24, K&N's warranty manager offered me $250 to close my damage claim, subject to a broad release and confidentiality provision, and said the claim would be closed if I declined. K&N did not disclose the stop sale, recall filing, third-party testing, safety-defect determination, or stop-use instruction. Although K&N had my contact information, safety report, and failed product, it never directly notified me of the recall. I first received a stop-use notice from Amazon on August 13, 2026. Repairs required carburetor removal and cleaning, fuel-system flushing, filter replacement, reassembly, and synchronization. The motorcycle operated properly afterward. No crash, fire, injury, or police report occurred. I ask NHTSA to review K&N's consumer notification and safety disclosures, including its attempt to obtain a broad release and confidentiality commitment without disclosing the active stop sale and recall.

The factory Blizzard Pearl paint on this vehicle is experiencing severe chemical delamination down to the bare primer and sheet metal on multiple body panels. This structural failure aligns exactly with Toyota Customer Support Program ZKG. Large sheets of brittle paint regularly flake and peel off while driving at highway speeds, creating a projectile and visibility hazard for following motorists. Despite this being a known manufacturing defect, the vehicle falls outside of Toyota's arbitrary 10-year secondary extension window, leaving a recognized factory flaw unremedied.

Hooked camper up to our tow vehicle. Went inside to prepare to leave our storage. Husband turned the propane on and I pressed Further start button on the refrigerator once the pilot light ignited. After less than one minute an error message began beeping on the digital LCD pad to alert that there was a disconnect from the power source being used. Five seconds later it stopped, and the LCD went blank. I shouted to my husband to check the propane because the refrigerator had stopped and he confirmed that it was still running. I hit the start button again several times and nothing occurred. As I turned to go out the door I noticed a faint, small plume of smoke. My husband rushed in and did confirm a slight ozone smell before turning back outside to note smoke from the top vent where the refrigerator lies. He immediately shut the propane off and returned to remove the upper vent while I grabbed the fire extinguisher. As I returned, I immediately noticed flames and smoke from the lower vent. My husband quickly removed that vent cover and extinguish the fire with the extinguisher. Once out, he returned inside to turn off the circuit breakers, followed by unplugging the refrigerator cord from the wall, which is accessible through the lower vent. We thoroughly inspected the entire slide to be assured the fire was completely extinguished. I made a claim to Progressive the next day. We arranged to have a progressive inspector look at the camper at our local RV service center Harler Auto and Glen’s RV service in Romeo Michigan. The assigned inspector, Andy M made his assessment on Friday, XXX and called us the same afternoon to inform us that based on his inspection, it was determined that the damages were due to and confined to a mechanical/electrical failure, and not the result of a sudden, direct, and accidental loss. He was confident that this was due to a manufacturing defect and informed me that there were multiple known recalls on this particular product.

The contact owns a 2013 Lexus LX570 with a ProPride 3P Trailer Sway Control Hitch attached. The contact stated that while hauling an ATC trailer, the trailer was pulling to one side. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic who installed the trailer hitch, but no cause for the issue was found. The vehicle and the trailer hitch were taken to another independent mechanic, but no failure was found. The contact stated that while using the trailer hitch in July 2026, the trailer hitch cracked at the welds. The contact had the hitch inspected by an independent mechanic who informed him that the welds were not properly performed. The manufacturer of the trailer hitch was contacted and made aware of the failure but declined to provide any assistance.

Fuel Indicator started malfunctioning, even after filling completely did not show full tank. the gauge kept fluctuating around the mid tank range. Now suddenly the car stalled, went into neutral and had an emission system warning light on. I am seeing past recalls similar or related to this.

The affected product is a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 hitch-mounted bicycle rack (2-bike, [1.25" / 2"] receiver), purchased new in January 2023, mounted on a 2022 Subaru Forester. On two occasions in the past several months, the front ratchet/hook arm that secures the front wheel released on its own while the vehicle was in motion, allowing the bicycle to come off the tray. On July 17th 2026, at approximately 15 mph on a gravel driveway, the bike released and was retained only by the rear wheel strap. On August 26th 2026, at approximately 15 mph, the bike released again and was retained only because a supplemental lock cable was attached; the bike ended up on the ground behind the vehicle with the rack still mounted and deployed (photo attached, timestamped 8/26/26 21:56). The rack was installed and used per the manufacturer's user guide: correct hitch class, provided hitch pin, torqued to spec, genuine unmodified parts, and within the stated weight limit. There was no crash, curb strike, or overloading. No injury or property damage to other vehicles occurred, but a bicycle detaching from a rack at highway speed presents a clear risk of a crash to following traffic. Note for investigators: NHTSA recall campaign 24E044 addressed a similar carrier-drop failure on Kuat's Transfer v2, in which a pivot mechanism could disengage and let the carrier/bike drop while driving. The failure I experienced on the Sherpa 2.0 is the same class of failure. I have not seen a recall covering the Sherpa 2.0.

Autonomous Vehicle Safety Complaint My family ordered a Waymo from the Phoenix airport. There were five passengers, including two children and two elderly adults, as well as luggage. One passenger sat in the driver’s seat. The vehicle accepted us and began driving without providing any warning that we were violating a passenger or seating policy. Several minutes into the trip, Waymo detected the violation and pulled over in an isolated parking lot with no safe pedestrian access to the airport or another pickup location. We were told to exit and arrange alternate transportation. However, Uber/Lyft/Waymo could not pick us up from that location. Despite approximately 110°F heat, two children, two elderly passengers, and our luggage, Waymo support refused our repeated requests to simply return us to the airport or move us to a safe pickup location because we had violated their policy. I ultimately had to walk to a nearby police station, where a police officer drove me back to the airport to get help. I understand Waymo’s passenger policies, but the vehicle should never have begun the trip if it detected too many passengers or someone in the driver’s seat. More importantly, passengers should never be stranded in an unsafe or inaccessible location because of a policy violation. I am reporting this because I believe Waymo needs safeguards requiring the vehicle to either refuse to begin the trip or, if a violation is discovered after departure, transport passengers to the nearest safe and accessible location. This incident created an unnecessary and potentially dangerous situation for our family.

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival with an external Harmar Swing Away Lift, Model Number: AL100, with a mobility scooter attached. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, after driving for two hours on [XXX] approaching Grand Rapids, Michigan, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver became aware that the scooter had detached. The driver was able to pull over and became aware that the scooter was in the left bound lane. Other vehicles had to swerve to avoid a crash. Another driver was able to assist with securing the scooter on the vehicle. After the failure, the contact noticed there was a four-inch gap on the lift while lying on a flat surface. The lift was taken to the installer, who confirmed that the lift was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to another local dealer for further inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I replaced my rear rotors and brake pads with Duralast black painted rotors in June. I inquired about the painted rotors and the salesperson at AutoZone said the paint would wear off from the rotors where the brakes pads contacted the rotors after a few miles of use. The paint did wear off in the area of the brakes pads under normal use. In August, after driving 30-40 minutes, the parking break was applied because the vehicle was parked on an incline. This was the first time the parking brake had been used since the rotors were replaced. It was a hot day in the 90's and when the parking break was disengaged, the vehicle would not move. The vehicle had set for 2-3 hours with the break applied. Several attempts to move the vehicle and free the parking break failed. The vehicle had to be towed to local auto shop. The mechanic found the parking break pads adhered to the inner rotor surface and had to pry the pads off. After some searches on the internet, I found that this had happened to other people that had rear painted rotors installed. The rotors heat up while driving, causing the paint to become "tacky". If the parking break is applied for a few hours, it becomes like a glue and the parking brake will not release. Again, this is only for the parking brake on painted rear rotors. This would apply to any vehicle, not just my make and model. This could be a safety concern since a vehicle could become stranded on the side of the road with no way to move the vehicle except by a tow truck. The attached pictures show the inner rotor surface after the mechanic grinded the surface for a good parking brake contact area, thus removing the paint. The other picture shows the material on the parking brake surface when it was removed. The fixes would be. either to not paint the inner rotor surface where the parking break contacts the rotor or remove the paint prior to installation.

Aftermarket motorcycle seat manufactured by Corbin Pacific falls off motorcycle while riding or dismounting. This is specific to the Harley-Davidson Pan America but unrelated to Harley-Davidson in terms of manufacture. I am not in possession of the seat as it was returned to Corbin Pacific. They replaced the seat but the replacement exhibited the exact same behavior. In short, the seat can fall off or dislodge from the motorcycle while riding in a standing position (which is common on gravel or dirt roads) or when dismounting the motorcycle. This can place the rider in grave danger. Per Corbin Pacific's tech support manager, Christopher Michael, what I described to him over the course of multiple phone calls and emails was "impossible". Detailed photographic evidence as well as a video showing the problem was disregarded by Corbin Pacific as they told me that viewing such material constituted a breach of their email security policy. The first seat was returned to their facility in Florida for inspection, the second seat was returned to their facility in Hollister California. They remain in possession of both seats.