The folks at Toyota have sounded the recall horn, summoning back a total of 82,200 Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h vehicles over concern about faulty wiring which could result in an inoperable vehicle. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Some Endocet Recalled For Having Double The Acetaminophen
By 6.28.11
Bottles of the pain-killing drug Endocet are being recalled because they erroneously contain 650 mg of acetaminophen while their label says 325 mg. While no injuries have been reported, consuming more acetaminophen than prescribed can lead to liver toxicity. [More]
House Committee Votes To Gut Safe Products Database
By 6.23.11
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s public database, SaferProducts.gov, which allows people to report unsafe products and search recalls and safety reports, has only been around since March. And already the House Appropriations Committee has moved to cut funding for the project. [More]
Dole Recalls Some Bag Salads Because Listeria Isn't Part Of The "Italian Blend"
By 6.23.11
The folks at Dole have announced a recall of certain batches of its Italian Blend bag salads — including those it makes under the Kroger Fresh Selections Italian Style Blend name for the Kroger grocery store chain — over concern of possible Listeria contamination. [More]
Porsche 911s Recalled For Wheel Hubs Wearing Down
By 6.20.11
For want of a nail, a kingdom was lost. And for want of durable wheel hubs, high-powered Porsche 911s were recalled because the could lead to a compromised wheel-retention system and a crash. [More]
Target Recalls Additional 375,000 Booster Seats Because Kids Keep Falling Out Of Them
By 6.16.11
Almost two years ago, Target recalled around 43,000 Circo booster seats because a fault in the seat’s buckle could end up with a child on the floor. But after kids continued to fall down and go boom, Target decided this week to expand that recall by 375,000 seats. [More]
DOT & Disney Team Up To Fight Distracted Driving, Promote New Movie
By 6.15.11
The Department of Transportation’s campaign against distracted driving is becoming animated. Literally. [More]
GM CEO Thinks $1 Increase In Gas Price Would Do Us All Some Good
By 6.7.11
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson believes in educating the consumer. That’s why, rather than GM being compelled by Washington to make more fuel efficient cars that might cost us more to purchase, he thinks the drivers of America need to learn a lesson in frugality by being forced to pay more money at the pump. [More]
Toyota Recalls 106,000 Prius Vehicles Over Steering Concerns
By 6.1.11
Toyota has issued a recall on some early model (2001-2003) Prius vehicles over concerns that a problem in the steering system could could lead to drivers having difficulty controlling the car. [More]
Changing Dead Battery Kills Jeep's Stereo
By 5.26.11
Bob somehow got the crazy idea in his head that when he changed the battery in his Jeep Liberty, the factory-installed 6-CD changer would not stop working. He and other Chrysler vehicle owners should have known better. Of course their stereos, made by Chrysler part supplier Mopar, couldn’t handle a battery change. Since no one has any idea how to fix this issue, Bob had the choice to get the same system replaced for only $575, or go out and buy a significantly nicer aftermarket stereo for a lot less money. Hmm, what to do? [More]
Chrysler Repays $7.6 Billion To U.S. And Canadian Governments
By 5.24.11
Chrysler today paid back $5.9 billion it had borrowed from the U.S. government, along with another $1.7 billion due to the governments of Ontario and Canada. No, Chrysler isn’t suddenly flush from selling cars. The money to pay back the governments comes from bonds the automaker sold to banks and private investors last week. [More]
Toyota Creates Social Network So Your Car Can Be All Up In Your Face
By 5.24.11
We’ve gone far beyond that “check engine” light now: Toyota has created a social networking function for its cars so you can friend it on Facebook or have it Tweet you when the gas is low or just chitchat about shoes with it. Because you know, checking the gauge when you’re actually in the car would just be too much work. [More]
Judge: Owners Of Recalled Toyotas Can Sue For Financial Loss
By 5.17.11
Plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit against Toyota over sudden unintended acceleration won a minor court battle on Monday when the judge in the case ruled that owners of the recalled vehicles can sue the car maker for economic loss because they may not have gotten what they paid for. [More]
Entenmann's Pop'Ems Recalled In Four States For Mold Concerns
By 5.13.11
Bimbo Bakeries doesn’t just have an amazing name, it’s also the company that makes, among other products, Entenmann’s donuts. Alas, Bimbo has had to issue a recall for three different varieties of both Entenmann’s Pop’Ems donuts and its Bimbo Donitas. [More]
Toyota's New Pitch Woman Is Unreal
By 5.11.11
Meet Toyota’s new TV pitch woman: Hatsune Miku, a young Japanese singer who has been extremely popular in her homeland. She’s also a computer-generated anime character. [More]
Best Buy Considers Getting Into The Electric Car Business
By 5.9.11
Electronics giant Best Buy has been watching as online retailers chip away at its market share and a growing number of customers use the store as a showroom for products they will ultimately buy online. But some at the company see a future in a product that isn’t as easy to sell over the internet: electric vehicles. [More]
Honda Spokesman Gets Screwed By Honda Dealer
By 5.9.11
An actor who pitches Honda cars in their ads says he got screwed over by a Honda dealership when he tried to get the very same deal he helps sell on TV. [More]
NHTSA Investigating 2.7 Million Ford F-150s For Potential Fuel Tank Problems
By 5.9.11
It’s been a bad spring for the Ford F-150 pickup truck brand. First, there was the recall of around 1.3 million vehicles for faulty airbags. Now comes news that NHTSA is investigating a problem with rusting fuel tank straps that could impact 2.7 million F-150 trucks. [More]
