Hazardous hair dryers, unstoppable strollers, zombie coffee grinders, and breakable cribs are this week’s stars of the Recall Roundup. Watch out!
Transportation & Infrastructure
FDA: Stop Using Zicam Nasal Gel, It's Associated With Loss Of Sense Of Smell
By 6.16.09
The FDA has recommended that consumers stop using several different Zicam products because they have been associated with the loss of smell (anosmia). Anosmia may be long-lasting or permanent.
Flammable Robes Keep Killing People — Recall Reissued
By 6.12.09
Everyone in the market for a robe wants to be kept warm, but having that robe catch on fire and kill you is quite a bit over the line. Such a foible was discovered in Blair women’s chenille robes, so Blair and the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall in April.
Should I Be Worried If I've Leased A Car From Chrysler?
By 6.10.09
I lease a Chrysler minivan, and am wondering if their bankruptcy will give them the ability to “devalue” my van at the end of the lease (July 2010). I already see 2009 versions of the same van going for nearly $10K less than what we leased it for, and I’m worried.
By 6.10.09
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What will the post-bankruptcy Chrysler mean for us, the car-buying public? Consumer Reports Cars has the info, including repair and warranty information, and a preview of the new models to come from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Fiat. One highlight is the teeny subcompact Fiat 500. [Consumer Reports Cars]
Fiat, Jeep, Dodge… No More Chryslers?
By 6.10.09
Fiat has completed their purchase of Chrysler, clearing the way for the troubled automaker to exit bankruptcy — but what will the new company look like for consumers? Well, according to BusinessWeek you may be visiting your local Fiat, Jeep, Dodge dealer.
6 Things To Know Now Before Buying A GM Or Chrysler Car
By 6.5.09
With the future uncertain, or at the very least, pretty different from normal, for Chrysler and GM, does it make sense to buy a car from one of these companies? How doe s the restructuring affect you as a potential new car owner? Consumer Reports Online Auto Crisis Center has the answers to six questions every Chrysler and GM car owner will want to know before signing on the line which is dotted.
Saturn To Be Saved By Detroit Businessman
By 6.5.09
Good news for Saturn-lovers, the brand is close to being saved by Roger Penske, a Detroit businessman who runs the Penske Automotive Group (PAG) chain of dealers, and distributes the Smart line of mini-cars in the US. The Detroit Free Press says that the deal will have GM manufacturing Saturns for two years, after which Penske will be looking for a new manufacturer.
5 Things For Chrysler & GM Car Owners To Know Now
By 6.4.09
Now that Chrysler and GM are getting remixed, what does this mean for me? Consumer Reports Online Auto Crisis Center has the answers to five questions every Chrysler and GM car owner will want to know as the two car companies move their restructuring.
Repo Man: Borked Chrysler Site Can't Take Your Money, But Can Rack Up Late Fees
By 6.3.09
Late last Thursday night, two guys rang reader Sean’s doorbell and asked if he’d like to get anything out of his 2007 Jeep Compass before they repossessed it. Since then, Sean has tried to get current on his payments, but Chrysler’s web site snafus have kept him from getting the cash to Chrysler, which won’t let him get his car back unless he forks over hundreds of dollars in fees. Oy. Sean’s story, inside..
Who Will Perform Warranty Service On My Pontiac, Saab, Hummer, Saturn….
By 6.3.09
Do you own a GM car (or subsidiary, such as Hummer or Saturn) and are worried about who will perform warranty service? The super-awesome car department over at Consumer Reports checked into this, and learned that the service department of any GM dealership can perform warranty service on your car. They just might not realize that, or might not choose to service Saturns or Hummers.
10 Crappy Cars That Blew Up GM
By 6.1.09
GM is bankrupt so now the hindsighted punditing can kick into overdrive, hence Jalopnik’s gallery of the 10 vehicles that bankrupted General Motors. I always liked the GMC Envoy XUV, pictured, because beneath its pricey and puzzling retractable rear roof each one came with a free set of antique cabinets.
Should You Buy A GM Car?
By 6.1.09
So, General Motors is bankrupt, and the “GM” brand now essentially stands for “Government Motors,” since the restructured company will largely be owned by the U.S. and Canadian governments. But what you really want to know is whether you should consider buying one of those cars your tax dollars are building. Consumer Reports has an FAQ on the subject, along with this quick video from the company’s head of auto testing. Tweetable version: There are great deals, but get a decent car. CR likes the Malibu and CTS. Be prepared for inconveniences, like local dealers closing shop.
Car Dealerships Feebly Fight Back Against Bankrupt Automakers
By 6.1.09
As GM’s bankruptcy looms, let’s take a look at what might be in store for its network of dealerships. Chrysler dealers are understandably angry at the company’s shutting down of dealerships, refusal to take back unsold inventory, and general inability to, in the words of Jon Stewart, “be a f@#king person.” Or ethically behaving corporate entity, whatevs.
By 6.1.09
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On Sunday, a judge approved the sale of nearly all of Chrysler’s assets to a group led by Italy-based Fiat. [BBC]
GM Files For Bankruptcy Today
By 6.1.09
After failing to get its debt-for-stock offer approved last week, and missing the June 1st deadline for concessions from creditors and its union, GM will file for bankruptcy later today. Reuters notes that its filing will be the third-largest in U.S. history, after Lehman Bros and Washington Mutual, and the largest ever in manufacturing.
Recall Roundup
By 5.29.09
Umbrellas, toy beach chairs, swingsets, and mysteriously collapsing benches. What do they have in common? All of them have been recalled for various reasons in the last month.
By 5.29.09
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GM Counts Down to B-Day Follow along as the CR car blog keeps track of the other implications of the impending GM bankruptcy. [Consumer Reports Cars]
