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Ford is setting records in 2025, but not in a good way. The auto maker has already blown by the previous record for the most safety recalls in a calendar year, and now another major round of recalls is calling the brands reliability into question. On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that Ford will recall 694,271 crossover SUVs over a fuel leak problem that could cause a fire under the hood. Fords 2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2020-2022 Escape models running 1.5 liter engines were named over concerns that their fuel injectors could crack, leaking fuel into the engine compartment where it could then catch fire. Ongoing concerns The latest recall is the result of a year-long investigation, and the company told Reuters that it will cost an estimated $570 million for Ford to resolve, a loss that would be reflected in its second quarter earnings report. Recalls in 2022 and 2024 addressed the same concerns with software updates but didnt swap out the fuel injectors. Ford shares dipped on the news Wednesday. The NHTSA opened a query into the issue in 2024, prompting the company to reevaluate its recall plan and eventually leading to the broader recall to deal with the injectors themselves, which have been linked to fires even in vehicles with the updated software, Reuters reports. At the time of the prior recalls, Ford said that it was confident the lesser fixes would prevent the failure from occurring and protect the customer. To deal with a separate safety concern, Ford recalled more than 850,000 vehicles earlier in July over worries about the low-pressure fuel pumps in some models, including the Bronco, Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. The recall notice noted concerns that a loss of fuel pressure and flow could dangerously lead affected vehicles to stall out. Those worries were especially pronounced in warm weather and low fuel conditions, and reduced fuel pump internal clearances that result in an increase of internal friction and sensitivity to vapor lock. Why so many recalls? While going public with vehicle problems certainly makes for bad headlines, Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra defended the companys unprecedented flurry of recalls in comments to the Wall Street Journal. The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix any hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to protect customers, Galhotra said. Last year, Ford CEO Jim Farley said that the company hopes to trim its recall track record by keeping redesigned models for up to six weeks for additional extensive quality checks. That move was expected to dent its business in the short term, Farley warned, but the long-term benefits would balance out. What were going to see long term is fewer recalls and lower warranty costs because of this new process, Farley said in a 2024 earnings call. Since joining Ford in 2020 after two decades at Toyota a car brand synonymous with reliability Farley has reportedly crusaded to up the auto makers quality game. Ford test drove the new process with a redesigned version of its best-selling model, the F-150 pickup. After holding onto 60,000 fully built vehicles for weeks, the company rooted out issues that would have led to 12 recalls, including assembly problems and software bugs. The company followed suit with updated versions of the Explorer, Bronco and Maverick We are somewhere in the middle of the pack and obviously were not happy with being in the middle of the pack, Galhotra told Bloomberg last year. The goal is to move very rapidly to catch Toyota. If all goes as planned, Fords new process will reduce recalls for new models as they hit the streets. Ford vehicles already on the road wont benefit from the additional testing period and are still leading to costly recalls, as recent headlines make clear. Vehicle recalls are on the rise in recent years. Between 2013 and 2023, recalls shot up by 43%, according to data from the NHTSA. The increased technological complexity in modern cars means more that can go wrong, but auto makers are also being more proactive in recalling vehicles over potential problems before they can become serious down the road. Even with recalls rising across the board, Ford still stands out. Since 2020, the company has held the ignominious title for the most-recalled car manufacturer in the U.S.
Category:
E-Commerce
Pop Mart has struck it rich. The Chinese company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers said this week that it expects its profit for the first six months of this year to jump by at least 350% compared with the prior-year period, largely because of its smash hit plush toy, the Labubu. Pop Mart joins a small list of companies that have tapped into the zeitgeist, drawing in millions of buyers who, for one reason or another, simply must get their hands on a toy or gadget of the moment. But what makes the Labubu a must-haveor any toy for that matteris a decades-old question that toymakers have yet to figure out. Here’s a look at some of the most popular toys over the years. Cabbage Patch Kids Cabbage Patch Kids began as chubby-faced dolls with yarn hair that came with adoption papers. During the 1980s, the dolls were so popular that parents waited in long lines at stores while trying to get ahold of them. More than 90 million Cabbage Patch Kids were sold worldwide during their heyday. Cabbage Patch Kids were created by Xavier Roberts and initially sold by Coleco. They were relaunched in 2004 amid the successful return of other popular 1980s toys including Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. A Cabbage Patch Kid museum named BabyLand General Hospital still exists in Cleveland, Georgia. The dolls were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2023. Beanie Baby Beanie Babies captivated consumers in the mid-1990s. The cuddly $5 toys were under-stuffed for maximum hug-ability, stamped with cute names on their Ty Inc. tags, and given limited edition runs. Many people collected, traded, and sold the toys with the hopes that their value would just keep going up at the dawn of the e-commerce age. It made some people money, and the founder, Ty Warner, a billionaire in three years. In 2014, Warner learned that he would not go to prison for hiding at least $25 million from U.S. tax authorities and instead received two years’ probation. Warner, one of the highest-profile figures snared in a federal investigation of Americans using Swiss bank accounts to avoid U.S. taxes, had pleaded guilty to a single count of tax evasion. Tamagotchi Looking for a pet without the real-life responsibilities? Well then, the Tamagotchi electronic pet from Bandai was for you. Consumers were hooked on the egg-shaped plastic toy that first launched in Japan in 1996 and became a craze worldwide in the late 1990s and 2000s. Users were tasked with taking care of their virtual pet by pressing buttons that simulate feeding, disciplining, and playing with the critter on-screen. If a Tamagotchi is neglected, it dies. In 2013, Tamagotchi was reborn as a mobile app, duplicating the experience of the plastic handheld toy. The toy was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in May. Fidget Spinner Fidget spinnersthe 3-inch twirling gadgets that took over classrooms and cubicleswere all the rage in 2017. The toy was considered somewhat of an outlier at the time, given that it wasn’t made by a major company, timed for the holiday season, or promoted in TV commercials. Fidget spinners were more easily found at gas stations or 7-Elevens than at big toy chains. Fidget spinners had been around for years, mostly used by kids with autism or attention disorders to help them concentrate, but they became more popular after being featured on social media. While hot toys are often made by one company, fidget spinners were made by numerous manufacturers, mostly in China. The toys were marketed as a concentration aid, but they became so popular among children that many schools started banning them, saying that they were a distraction. Labubu The Labubu, by artist and illustrator Kasing Lung, first appeared as monsters with pointed ears and pointy teeth in three picture books inspired by Nordic mythology in 2015. In 2019, Lung struck a deal with Pop Mart, a company that caters to toy connoisseurs and influencers, to sell Labubu figurines. But it wasnt until Pop Mart started selling Labubu plush toys on key rings in 2023 that the toothy monsters suddenly seemed to be everywhere, including in the hands of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and NBA star Dillon Brooks. K-pop singer Lisa of Blackpink began posting images of hers for her more than 100 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, where Labubu pandemonium has broken out. Labubu has been a bonanza for Pop Mart. Its revenue more than doubled in 2024, to 13.04 billion yuan ($1.81 billion), thanks in part to its elvish monster. Revenue from Pop Marts plush toys soared more than 1,200% in 2024, nearly 22% of its overall revenue, according to the companys annual report. By Michelle Chapman, Associated Press business writer
Category:
E-Commerce
Its never a good time to lose a flight, get one cancelled, or loiter aimlessly at the airport due to delaysexcept maybe this week. Tucked inside John F. Kennedy Airport’s iconic TWA Hotel, which boasts a retro aesthetic reminiscent of the golden age of air travel, a temporary lounge by Cayman Jack is set up. The catch? Only unlucky passengers experiencing travel disruptions are allowed in. Its no surprise that flight disruptions are becoming increasingly common in U.S. travel. Almost 1 in 4 passengers experience a flight delay or a cancellation within American airports, totaling in 236 million people affected. Disturbances can oftentimes affect just a few flights, but sometimes its widespread. Last year, the CrowdStrike IT outage led to nationwide disruptions, and earlier this year, a 90-second loss of communication from tower control at Newark led to a series of local cancellations. “Weve all experienced these moments first-hand and wanted to make lifes most unexpected detours an opportunity to flip vacation mode,” Stately Jukes, Director of Brand Commercialization for Cayman Jack told Fast Company. [Image: Cayman Jack] Open July 17 and 18, the Cayman Club operates as a “missed-flight lounge,” offering visitors above 21 years old ice-cold Cayman Jack Margaritas, bites curated by Chef Aarón Sanchez, and complimentary massages. “We wanted to flip the script on the traditional lounge experience,” Juke says. “Forget elite status and instead make the lounge something to reward people who are in need of a little levity in their travels.” [Image: Cayman Jack] For those struggling with summer travel outside of JFK, Cayman Jack is extending online opportunities to passengers nationwide through Sept. 1. On their website, travelers are able to upload their travel mishaps for the chance to earn anything from a cold margarita, to gift cards and spa services. “You know how some of the best vacation memories come from unplanned moments?,” Juke added. “When plans go sideways, everyone deserves to enjoy a margarita.”
Category:
E-Commerce
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