Ford posted $2.7 billion in 2009 earnings, making it its first full-year of profits in four years. [ABC] [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Every Time VW Fixes My Car, They Break Something Else
By 1.27.10
Amy’s ’06 VW Passat has been in the shop 106 of the past 141 days. After the engine broke down on a road trip and needed replacing, VW replaced it, but broke the transmission. When they replaced the transmission, they broke an axle. When they fixed the axle, the car started leaking oil worse than the Valdez. All Amy and her family want to be able to do is drive their car around like normal. So far, that’s not happening, and VW’s only offer of contrition has been to waive one car payment and $250 in services. So Amy launched her EECB, complete with a graph of how long VW has held her car hostage: [More]
Toyota Stops Selling 8 Popular Car Models
By 1.27.10
A week after issuing a recall on over 2 million vehicles due to faulty acceleration pedals, Toyota has announced it will stop selling 8 popular models in the U.S., as well as shut down 6 U.S. factories, while it deals with the problem. The faulty pedals were made by a U.S. manufacturer but have also been installed in cars sold in Europe, although Toyota hasn’t said what it plans to do outside the U.S. for now. Update: SafetyResearch.net says Toyota was required by law to stop selling the models after it announced the recall last week, so it’s actually kind of strange that it waited five days. [More]
GM Reaches Deal To Sell Saab To Spyker
By 1.26.10
Spyker, a specialty car maker that makes only a dozen cars a year, has actually managed to come to a deal to buy Saab from GM, says Dow Jones. [More]
1.2 Million Pounds Of Cured Meat Recalled For Salmonella
By 1.24.10
1.2 million pounds of Daniele International salami, sausage, and other cured meat products have been yanked out of stores and recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. The meats are linked to 184 sick individuals in 38 states. At least 35 people have been hospitalized, but none have died. [More]
Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million More Cars For Sticky Pedals
By 1.22.10
If you thought you were in the clear because you own a Toyota model that wasn’t included in last year’s mega-recalls, you’d better check your car against the company’s latest list of vehicles being recalled for stuck-accelerator issues. This time, the recall includes Rav4s, Camrys, Highlanders, Corrollas and more. So, what should you do if you own an affected car? Just be careful, since, as of now, “Toyota is working quickly to prepare the correction remedy” and won’t do anything to help you. [More]
Recall Roundup: When Glitter Attacks
By 1.21.10
This week in recalls: flaming sparkly things, collapsing chairs and bikes, and chicken pot pies seasoned with metal pins. A little something for everyone! [More]
1.5 Million Strollers Recalled Due To Finger-Chopping Danger
By 1.21.10
If you’re a parent with a Graco stroller who values your child’s fingertips, you might want to take a look at this recall, in which 1.5 million of the rolling digit-guillotines are being summoned far, far away from munchkins until they’re repaired. [More]
GM Is The Latest Hot Stock. Yes, That GM
By 1.19.10
Motors Liquidation Co., a company that exists solely to liquidate worthless assets of the old General Motors, has become the latest plaything of penny stock speculators and other market players, jumping about 40% since the beginning of the year, to 77 cents. Yes, this is going to end very badly for someone. [More]
E. Coli Recall: 864,000 Pounds Of Ground Beef
By 1.19.10
Huntington Meat Packing Inc. is recalling 864,000 pounds of beef due to potential E. coli contamination. Inside, the six different Huntington products subject to the recall. [More]
Tylenol Recall Now Includes A Bunch Of Other Products
By 1.15.10
Some batches of a certain type of Tylenol had an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that is associated with non-serious nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. The smell is apparently from a chemical that was on the wood pallets the pills were stored on. Originally, the recall was just for one type of Tylenol. Now there is a big ass list, which includes some types of Motrin, Rolaids and St. Joseph brand products. [More]
Slim-Fast Thinks Its Shakes Are Worth About 29 Cents A Can
By 1.11.10
Daniel agreed to throw away 35 cans of Slim-Fast after the company announced a recall last month over fears of contamination. He called the number provided by Unilever and provided his address, and then waited for the full refund they promised. What he got was a check for $10.20. [More]
Acer Recalls 22,000 Defective Laptops
By 1.10.10
22,000 Acer laptops have been recalled by Acer and the CPSC because of a wiring defect. The computers can short circuit, melt the casing, and theoretically burn users. [More]
Home Improvement Books Recalled
By 1.8.10
The publisher of a series of home improvement books has announced a recall of nine of them, because of errors in their instructions on installing or repairing electrical wiring. The Consumer Products Safety Commission says no injuries have been reported so far even though the books have been published since 1975, which I think proves that nobody has ever actually attempted a project from any home improvement book. [More]
Ford Doing Well. Chrysler… Yeah, Not So Much.
By 1.5.10
So after sucking for quite a while, Ford ended the year with higher sales, says the NYT. Meanwhile, Chrysler still sucks. [More]
Hey, Corvette Owners, Your Roofs May Fly Off
By 12.30.09
If you’re a Corvette owner who really, really likes to feel the wind in your hair as you drive, you may not want to partake in a recall that prevents roofs from flying off as you speed down the highway. [More]
"Moldy Smelling" Tylenol Recalled
By 12.29.09
All TYLENOL® Arthritis Pain Caplet 100 count bottles with the distinctive red EZ-OPEN caps have been recalled after consumer complaints of “an unusual moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor that was associated with nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.” [More]
