Would-be buyers can be forgiven for thinking it's 1960 all over again, despite cars and trucks in today's showrooms being the safest in the history of the industry.
Air bags don't deploy because of faulty ignition switches. When they do, automotive shrapnel flies around the cabin. Headlights don't work. Brake boosters corrode prematurely. Engine management systems need software updates. And more.
Except it's almost 2015. The era of optional seat belts, no air bags, few headrests and an incipient federal regulatory regime are long gone, replaced by increasingly robust government oversight, criminal liability and social media that make the industry metal sound unsafe at any speed — even if it isn't.
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