R. Scott King, BSME

Dr. Tom Griffiths, ED.D ::::

A middle aged Tri-athlete drowned during training in a swimming pool with lifeguards on duty; he was also an Epileptic    Epileptics are approximately 20 times more likely to drown compared to swimmers without seizure disorders.  In fact, the Tri-athlete experienced a previous seizure in the same pool within the same year.  Although he was hospitalized, he was successfully rescued and resuscitated during his first pool seizure.  During his second seizure, he was not so lucky.  Although there were only a few swimmers in the pool that day, the lifeguards on duty missed the athlete, in part because he was performing dangerous underwater endurance drills.

R. Scott King, BSME ::::

Nissan North America and attorneys representing a nationwide class of certain Nissan Pathfinder and similar SUV owners have reached a settlement agreement that will extend the original factory warranty to help cover the cost of damage resulting from allegedly defective radiators.  

In the world of retail there is a specialty known as Store Planning. This niche design discipline concentrates on generating the most dollars per square foot through innovative store design and display design concepts.

All too often Interior Designers and Architects take on the challenge of designing a display or store without paying attention to the dynamics that make up a successful creation. Safety first needs to be incorporated into every store display and design.

Ford recently announced it is recalling over 73,000 2013 Escape, and nearly 16,000 2013 Fusion SE and SEL, vehicles due to potential fires in its 1.6-liter turbo-charged engines.  Ford indicates there have been 12 reported fire incidents and believes the cause is related to an overheating condition that can cause engine fluids to leak on heated engine surfaces; however, the exact cause of the problem remains uncertain.  While it continues its investigation, Ford has asked effected owners to seek loaner vehicles from their dealer.  Ford has also instructed vehicle operators to safely stop and exit their vehicle if they experience indications of an overheating condition and/or instrument panel warnings.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation of certain Ford vehicles due to complaints of broken cruise control cables, which can prevent the engine throttle valve from closing upon accelerator pedal release.

The subject vehicles include as many as 310,000 model year 2000 through 2003 Ford Taurus/Mercury Sables equipped with the 3.0 liter V-6 Duratec engine and cruise control.  NHTSA received at least 50 consumer reports of this condition and, as a result, elected to open a Preliminary Evaluation, often a precursor to an official Safety Recall, to further study this potential defect.  Early information from NHTSA indicates the condition could potentially cause the throttle to remain open approximately 25% of full application.  In top transmission gear; this is more than enough throttle application to maintain highway speed.

For more information regarding this investigation, or any automotive matter, please contact R. Scott King, BSME, Automotive / Mechanical Engineer with DJS Associates, at 215-659-2010 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Honda, in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has announced a recall of certain 2002 through 2006 Honda CR-Vs equipped with power windows due to a defect that could result in overheating of the window master control switch that could lead to a fire.     

According to NHTSA documents, the master control switch located in the driver’s door panel is at risk of corrosion and overheating due to moisture contamination.  Honda discovered this defect after receiving field reports of thermal events in the driver’s door area and recreating the observed burn patterns during controlled tests. 

Until repairs have been made, Honda is recommending that owners park their vehicles outside. 

For more information regarding the Ford Recall, or any automotive matter, please contact R. Scott King, BSME, Automotive / Mechanical Engineer with DJS Associates at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or via phone at 215-659-2010

Late September 2012, General Motors (GM) announced plans to recall over 425,000 Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn vehicles due to a condition that could prevent proper engagement of the transmission PARK position.  This could allow the vehicle to roll-away unattended. 

GM detected this potential condition during analysis of unusually high warranty claims associated with the transmission shift control cable.  During subsequent laboratory analysis, engineers determined that portions of the plastic retention clips that secure the cable to the transmission were fracturing, thus allowing the cable to move abnormally within the retention bracket.  According to GM documents, this condition can cause the transmission shift indicator to falsely indicate the transmission gear position, leading the operator to conclude the transmission is in PARK when it is not.  Further, this condition could allow removal of the ignition key in a non-PARK position.  If the parking brake is not applied or does not hold, the vehicle could roll-away unintended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.    

The recalled vehicles include the 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission.  

For more information please contact Scott King, Automotive / Mechanical Engineer with DJS Associates at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or

by phone at 215-659-2010.

Ford has announced a recall of 6,146 model year 2013 Ford Escape vehicles equipped with 1.6-liter engines due to a defect that could result in a dislodged cylinder head freeze plug, possibly resulting in a fire.