The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "car owners" ...
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NC Auto Inspection's-Failing the Test
Every year, North Carolina auto owners must take vehicles to private garages for state-mandated safety and emissions testing meant to prevent traffic crashes and curb pollution. Drivers cannot put a car on the road legally unless it passes inspection. A review inspection data showed the program is undermined by unscrupulous garages who do a volume business, passing unsafe cars, and by other who take bribes or cheat customers with uncessary repairs.
Tags: auto owners; emissions testing; unsafe cars
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Brian Ross Investigates: Taking Toyota
The investigative team reveals how Toyota had for years ignored complaints from hundreds of its owners about serious safety defects in cars that that were marketed around the world as among the safest on the road.
Tags: Toyota; cars; safety defect; driving; vehicle
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Runaway Toyotas
Toyota has recently been in the news following “hundreds of owners having their vehicles suddenly accelerating out of control”. The investigation revealed “over two thousand cases of runaway Toyotas and Lexus cars, including reports of 200 accidents and 16 deaths”. Toyota blamed many of these accidents on the floor mat becoming stuck under the gas pedal and this was the cause of the acceleration.
Tags: automobiles; electronic computer system; safety; highway; drivers; manufacturers; transportation
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"Wild Rides"
When the Toyota Prius broke onto the automobile scene, it quickly became wildly popular and well-known for being environmentally friendly. But the zippy, "green" car had a dark side. Owners complained of "unintended acceleration" that often caused wrecks. Despite complaints, Toyota ignored its customers and suggested the problem was caused by an unwieldy floor mat. Paul Knight investigates.
Tags: Toyota; Prius; unintended acceleration; floor mat; hybrid; green vehicle
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2008 Auto Issue
Two groundbreaking stories in Consumer Reports' annual auto issue used sophisticated survey techniques to help people cut through the hype of spending money on their automobile. The first story, "What that car really costs," looked at new owner cost estimates that help consumers asses how much they are going to spend. The second story used owners' actual experiences with buying and using extended warranties to show that they are usually a bad deal.
Tags: car costs; consumers; automobiles; auto maintenance; auto repair; cost estimates; buying cars
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A Death in McAllen
This investigation by the Texas Observer looks into nursing home abuse and state legislation protecting owners from non-economic damages in civil suits. What they found was a 2003 Texas law placed a $250,000 cap on damages, heavily lobbied by nursing home companies, directly affected the number of nursing home inspections and leaves little punishment for nursing homes who abuse, or even kill, their patients. The story also tells the tale of Noe Martinez Jr., a patient who died in McAllen Nursing Center due to gross negligence in July 2004. The state only fined the center $1,300 for his death. Because caring for Medicaid patients like Martinez costs nursing homes up to $1,800 per year, the center more than likely saved money because of his death.
Tags: abuse; elderly; McAllen Nursing Center; civil lawsuits; lobbying; CAR; politics; negligence; non-economic damage caps; health care
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KC Federal Housing Series
A follow-up to an Oct. 2004 series, this investigation uncovers misspent federal housing dollars intended to benefit lower income families. Among their findings was a sale in which a local developer made a $156,000 profit by flipping the property the same day; a home-repair program which took advantage of home owners; and sweet heart loans to local politicians and business owners.
Tags: housing; real estate; property taxes; property assessment; HUD; restoration; CAR
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Group Homes Investigation
This Detroit News report investigates allegations of abuse, dilapidated conditions and massive cover-ups among adult foster care and group homes for the mentally ill. Because the state relies so heavily on privately-owned facilities for the care of thousands of mental patients, government officials were often accused of protecting the owners, despite numerous complaints.
Tags: mentally ill; adult foster care homes; mental hospitals; patient abuse; CAR; FOIA
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Taking the Bait
This hidden-camera investigation uncovered many secrets and surprises in the auto theft world. Dateline teamed up with auto theft detectives and put a hidden camera inside a "bait car" so they were able to see everything that happens once a car is stolen. Not only did Dateline and the detectives bring down the auto theft ring, but they also came across other crimes at the same time. This investigation also found that theft rings find car owners who are behind on their payments, and convince them to make it seem like their car was stolen in order to cash in on their insurance. Dateline also found that these thefts occur in broad daylight, and that the stolen cars are often used to commit other crimes before they are taken apart and sold for parts.
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Gone in 60 seconds
KNXV-TV investigates a rumor that "Mexican authorities don't act swiftly in returning stolen American cars." The story reveals that Phoenix has the highest auto theft rate nationwide, and that many of the stolen cars are indeed sitting in Mexican impound lots.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; automobiles; car owners; insurance; Nogales; Sonora; Mexico; vehicles; police