Sure, saving $1,000 on a car that may cost you far in excess of $70,000 might seem like a minor victory, but it’s still better than nothing. But now that Tesla is becoming more of a household name and hoping to reach a more mass-market car-buying audience, it’s getting rid of even this relatively small savings program. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Maryland To Try Sending Recall Notices With Car Registration Renewals
By 10.30.17
Your state’s department of motor vehicles already knows what make and model of car you own, and sends you registration documents every few years that you have to open. Safety advocates have suggested including information about important vehicle recalls in vehicle registrations to make sure more people know about recalls and comply. In an experimental program, Maryland will start sending these notices to vehicle owners. [More]
841,000 Ford Fusion Vehicles Under Investigation Because Steering Wheels Shouldn’t Fall Off
By 10.27.17
There are a lot of things you’d rather not have happen when driving your car. “Steering wheel falling off and into your lap” likely ranks pretty high on that list. For that reason, federal safety regulators have opened an investigation into more than 841,000 Ford Fusion vehicles. [More]
You Can Finally Add Multiple Stops To Your Uber Ride
By 10.27.17
About a year after Lyft started allowing riders to request multiple stops on their trips, Uber is joining its rival in offering the option for extra destinations. [More]
American Airlines To Meet With NAACP To Discuss Claims Of Racial Bias
By 10.26.17
After the NAACP issued a travel advisory warning non-white travelers that their safety and well-being may be at risk when flying American Airlines, the social justice advocacy group and the airline will be meeting to discuss numerous claims of racial mistreatment. [More]
More Than 342,000 Kia Souls Recalled Over Steering Issue — For Second Time
By 10.25.17
When you bring in your recalled car to get a safety defect fixed, you might assume that the problem has been remedied. Yet owners of more than 342,000 previously recalled Kia Soul vehicles are finding out that their cars need to have the same issue repaired again. [More]
Flammable Tiles Linked To Deadly London Fire Still On Plenty Of Buildings
By 10.25.17
The lightweight metal architectural cladding that is believed to have played a significant part in a deadly June 2017 fire in a London apartment tower is still being used on thousands of buildings around the world, but what can be done about it? [More]
JetBlue Can’t Add More Seats To Its Planes Until It Deals With A Broken Toilet Problem
By 10.25.17
Like many airlines, JetBlue is currently trying to add more seats to some of its planes so it can accommodate more passengers per flight, and make more money for its bottom line. But there’s something standing in the way of JetBlue’s “cabin restyling program”: Broken toilets. [More]
United App Will Now Let Travelers Save Boarding Passes For Flights On Partner Airlines
By 10.25.17
When you’re flying from say, Siberia to the U.S., you will definitely have to take more than one flight, and probably on different airlines. But because juggling different boarding passes for different legs of your trip isn’t always easy, United Airlines will now let travelers save their boarding passes for flights on partner airlines directly in the United app. [More]
If You’re Flying To The U.S. This Week, Be Prepared For Delays, New Security Measures
By 10.25.17
In June, the Department of Homeland Security gave an ultimatum to airports around the world: Beef up your security or face a ban on carry-on electronics on flights heading to America. Tomorrow is the deadline for those advanced security measures to be in place, so U.S.-bound travelers should prepare themselves accordingly. [More]
NYC Finally Phasing Out MetroCards, Will Let Riders Pay Transit Fares With A Tap
By 10.23.17
While a number of other U.S. cities’ mass transit systems have already moved beyond plastic swipe cards and now use fobs or other smart keys, New York City with more than 450 subway stops, nearly 250 miles of track, and around 600 buses, has not made that next-gen leap. But now the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will finally begin to phase out the use of MetroCards over the coming years. [More]
Could A Laptop Ban Be Coming For Checked Luggage?
By 10.20.17
Given the possibility of theft, damage, and loss, packing your laptop in a checked bag is not a good idea to begin with. Even so, travelers continue to stow their computers and other large electronics in their checked luggage. But that could come to an end, now that the Federal Aviation Administration has urged airlines around the world to stop this practice, citing the fire and explosion risk posed by the batteries in these devices. [More]
GM, States Reach $120M Settlement Over Claims It Kept Ignition Switch Defect Under Wraps
By 10.19.17
Three years after General Motors recalled millions of cars that contained a ignition switch defect that was ultimately linked to more than 120 deaths, the carmaker is finally closing another chapter of the saga. The company will pay $120 million to resolve allegations that it failed to disclose the safety defect in a timely manner. [More]
Google’s Alphabet Takes Aim At Uber With $1B Investment In Lyft
By 10.19.17
A long time ago, in a ride-hailing era that now seems far away, Google and Uber were friends, with the internet giant plugging $258 million in Uber in 2013. Four years later, the two sides are embroiled in a legal battle over self-driving cars, and the tech company is pouring money into Uber’s biggest rival, Lyft, instead. [More]
Toyota Recalls 310,000 Minivans Over Rollaway Risk
By 10.19.17
When you park your car, you expect for it to stay parked. Yet, that might not happen in nearly 310,000 Toyota minivans that may contain an extra greasy shift lever. [More]
Apple’s New Self-Driving Car Technology Spotted In The Wild
By 10.18.17
Apple’s efforts to get into the self-driving car industry have been shrouded in layers of mystery and speculation for years. But at long last, physical proof that a car does indeed exist has been spotted the wild, after Apple took its autonomous driving tech out for a spin on California streets this week. [More]
Ford Recalls 1.1M Trucks Over Doors That Don’t Stay Shut
By 10.18.17
One of the last things you want to happen when driving down the road is to have your vehicle’s door unexpectedly open. For that reason, Ford has issued the recall of 1.1 million trucks. [More]
Two Chicago Aviation Officers Fired For Role In Dragging United Passenger From Flight
By 10.18.17
More than six months after a ticketed United Airlines passenger was forcibly removed from a flight by Chicago law enforcement personnel, two of the four Chicago Department of Aviation Security officers involved have been fired. [More]
