Ditch Rhinestones on Steering Wheels for Safety, Fed Warns

Though personalizing your car can be fun, government officials put out a consumer alert against a specific customization that could lead to severe injuries in the event of a collision. They’re warning about steering wheel decals. More specifically, a little rhinestone-studded ring that can be placed over the manufacturer's logo on your steering wheel.

On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a statement advising car owners not to attach hard stick-on decorations to the center of their vehicle's steering wheel. The agency urged immediate removal of any existing decorations, emphasizing that these decals could transform into dangerous projectiles in a crash, posing a risk of serious or even fatal injury.

The NHTSA recounted an incident where a driver suffered a significant injury, losing sight in one eye, as a result of a crash that dislodged a rhinestone-adorned aftermarket emblem from the steering wheel, striking the driver's face.

The agency described the potentially hazardous items as "metal or plastic plates, typically adorned with rhinestones or other shiny decorations, featuring an adhesive back that covers the vehicle’s logo in the center of the steering wheel."

While the NHTSA did not specify particular products or manufacturers, it emphasized the general danger associated with such steering wheel decorations. Most modern passenger vehicles are equipped with driver-side airbags that deploy from the middle of the steering wheel during a significant impact. The forceful inflation of the airbag towards the driver's head and face is designed to cushion the impact of a crash. Factory-added decorations are engineered to stay in place when the airbag deploys, but aftermarket embellishments pose a risk.

Recently, Nissan recalled certain vehicles due to concerns about the logos on their wheels coming loose. According to Kelley Blue Book, over 400,000 vehicles are subject to a recall due to the potential detachment of their steering-wheel-mounted emblems, posing a risk of becoming projectiles in the event of an accident.

For further details, refer to the complete consumer alert released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here.

There are many factors to consider when deciding to purchase a new car. Insurance rates have fluctuated, and the automobile industry constantly introduces new features, especially in electric vehicles. Forbes recently published a report detailing the five most popular cars in America.

They state that car ownership increased by 3.66% between 2017 - 2021. Furthermore, "Most U.S. households (91.7%) had at least one vehicle in 2021 (the latest data available), and 22.1% of households had three or more vehicles," the Forbes piece explains.

But what cars are people buying most? Forbes detailed the sales figures for the top 10 purchased cars in 2022. The number one selling vehicle in the country was the Ford F series, with 653,957 units sold.

Two additional pickup trucks claimed the second and third spot as well. There were 513,354 Chevrolet Silverados sold in 2022, and  468,344 Ram Pickups. Then, the list gets more into the small and mid-size space. Toyota had two high sellers with their practical RAV4 and Camry.

The compact SUV Tesla, the Model Y claimed the sixth best-selling spot on the most popular cars list. This fully electric vehicle has a starting price of approximately $47,500. The only mid-sized SUV with a larger footprint to make the list was the Jeep Grand Cherokee at number 10.

GMC and Toyota's pickup truck offerings joined the list as well. This means five out of the top ten best-selling cars in America are pickup trucks. The GMC Sierra was seventh, and the Toyota Tacoma was 9th.

This fascinating subject has many angles in which you can continue to break down the details. For example, Forbes shows that white is the most popular color of U.S. cars bought. Yellow was the least popular color.

Starting with the Ford F series truck, let's take a further look at the five most popular cars in America.

The F Series has been manufactured by Ford since 1948. Currently, Ford offers a F150, F250, and F350. The increased number reflects a larger framed pickup truck. The 150 had eight different models available.

The Silverado prides itself on performance and durability. It contains a powerful engine that has a higher level of torque than most comparable Ford models. Another appealing component to this pickup truck is that Chevrolet offers various ways to customize. Starting with nine different exterior colors to pick from, including a harvest bronze and glacier blue metallic.

Although Ram offers six different pickup options, including one with a cab, the 1500 series is most similar to the Ford F150 and Chevy Silverado. The Ram also has a favorable price point, with some 1500s starting as low as $30,000.

The RAV4 is considered to be the first compact crossover SUV. It was introduced in America in 1995 and available in 1996. Currently, there are an array of models including a sport package, premium, and hybrid electric. Furthermore, the city and highway gas miles per gallon numbers are great with a RAV4. They are typically in a 27/35 range.

The price difference between a standard Camry and a hybrid can be as low as $2,500. 2023 marks 40 years of the Camry being a reliable sedan in America. While there have not been many complete makeovers, Toyota consistently improves the technology options in each Camry model. Lastly, the Camry now has four different two-tone color options.