Sure, sometimes breaking up might be hard to do, but it always helps when you’ve got another suitor lined up to take your former flame’s place. Such is the arrangement for the National Football League, which announced today that it’s ending its relationship with General Motors and hooking up with Hyundai. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Fiat Chrysler Recalls 7,000 SUVs, Tells Customers To Immediately Stop Driving Them
By 6.29.15
About 65 Jeep and Dodge SUV owners can expect to receive a phone call from Fiat Chrysler telling them to stop driving their vehicles. [More]
All Major U.S. Airlines Offer Free Cancellations Within 24 Hours, Except One
By 6.29.15
Update: In March 2016, American announced that it was phasing out the hold option and transitioning to the 24-hour cancellation window option.
Even the most prepared traveler occasionally has to change their itinerary for unforeseen circumstances. While dealing with airlines to make a simple change can be both a test of your patience and a drain on your bank account, if you catch the issue soon enough you might save hundreds of dollars in change fees. That’s thanks, in part, to Department of Transportation rules that allow a ticket to be held at the same price for 24 hours before purchase or canceled within 24 hours after purchase — most of the time. [More]
America’s Biggest Companies React To SCOTUS’ Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
By 6.26.15
While it might not seem like there’s a direct link to same sex marriage and our country’s biggest businesses, even before the Supreme Court of the United States ruled today that marriage is a constitutional right for any American, many major companies came out in support of same-sex marriage, saying those rights help them do business better. Today, some of those companies — and more — spoke out in celebration of the landmark ruling. [More]
NHTSA Investigating 250,000 Ford Trucks For Power Brake Failure
By 6.26.15
As we mentioned earlier today, brakes are one of the most essential components of a vehicle. When they don’t work as intended, it puts the safety of everyone on the road at risk. For that reason, federal regulators have opened a probe into 250,000 large Ford trucks. [More]
Subaru Recalls 72,000 Vehicles Because Automatic Braking Systems Are Supposed To Actually Help Drivers
By 6.26.15
The ability to brake may be one of the most essential safety features of a vehicle. But part of that intricate system – specifically the automatic braking component – just isn’t working like it should for tens of thousands of newer Subaru vehicles. [More]
Ford Recalls The 2014 Escape For The Ninth Time
By 6.24.15
Ford Motor Company redesigned the Escape for 2013 and to say they’ve had a few problems with the new model is an understatement. Today, the company announced its ninth recall for the 2014 version of SUV. [More]
Wish-Bone Recalling Some Bottles Of Ranch Dressing Because They’re Full Of Blue Cheese
By 6.24.15
One of the worst tricks you could pull on a ranch dressing devotee? Filling a bottle labeled as such with blue cheese instead. It could also be quite the problem for anyone allergic to eggs, as that known allergen isn’t declared on bottles of Wish-Bone Ranch Dressing, some of which were accidentally filled with blue cheese dressing instead. Pinnacle Foods has issued a voluntary recall of the mixed up bottles, after a consumer noticed the mistake. Yet another reminder why it’s good to speak up. [via FDA.gov] [More]
Ford Launches Peer-To-Peer Car-Sharing Program
By 6.24.15
Between Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, ZipCar and Car2Go there’s no shortage of ride-sharing and car-sharing services out there to meet your specific needs. But having options is great, too, and with that in mind Ford announced the launch of its own car-sharing program that lets owners of its vehicle rent out their rides. [More]
NHTSA Considering Options To Speed Up Takata Airbag Replacement, Seeks Updated Recall Details
By 6.23.15
Now that automakers have identified all 33.8 million vehicles equipped with potential shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags, federal regulators are looking for ways to speed up the repair process. [More]
NHTSA Opens Yet Another Investigation Into Fiat Chrysler, This Time For 121K Dodge Darts For Possible Brake Issues
By 6.23.15
A week before Fiat Chrysler is schedule to answer for its perceived lackadaisical attitude toward 22 recalls, federal regulators announced they’ve opened a separate investigation into one of the car maker’s vehicles: the Dodge Dart. [More]
Privacy Group’s FTC Complaint: Uber Shouldn’t Track Users When They’re Not Using The App
By 6.22.15
A digital-privacy group has filed a complaint against Uber, saying the company’s new privacy policy says it could use a rider’s location information to track where they are even when the app is running in the background, and also takes issue with the company’s policy regarding collecting address book information. The Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C wants the FTC to investigate. [More]
Another Report Finds NHTSA Failed To Hold Automakers Responsible For Defects, Other Issues
By 6.22.15
The hits keep on coming for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Less than a month after internal reports determined the agency failed to adequately address the General Motors ignition switch defect that has been linked to more than 100 deaths, an audit from the U.S. Department of Transportation identified a plethora of shortcomings within the auto-safety regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that prevent it from properly protecting consumers from vehicle defects. [More]
Niagara Bottled Water Recalls Products Under Several Brand Names Due To E. Coli Concerns
By 6.22.15
If you’ve got bottled water in the fridge or pantry, you might want to check if it’s included in a recent recall of several brands under the Niagara umbrella, after the company issued a voluntary recall for all spring water products produced from its Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities between June 10-18. [More]
NHTSA Adds One Million More Fiat Chrysler Vehicles to Agenda For July Hearing
By 6.19.15
Just two weeks before federal regulators are scheduled to take Fiat Chrysler to task over its leisurely pace in addressing a plethora of recalls – including millions of Jeeps that can explode following low-speed rear-end collisions – the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would add two additional cases to its review roster. [More]
Lyft To Pay $300,000 To Resolve Claims It Illegally Operated In Some Areas Of New York
By 6.19.15
Nearly a year after the New York Attorney General’s office and state insurance regulators filed a lawsuit accusing ride-sharing app Lyft of violating state law in certain areas, the company has agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve the complaint. [More]
Regulators Identify All Vehicles Recalled For Defective Takata Airbags
By 6.18.15
Consumers worried that they may be driving around with what some have likened to an explosive device in their steering wheel and dashboard can breathe a small sigh of relief, as federal regulators say all 33.8 million vehicles equipped with potential shrapnel-shooting Takata airbags have been identified. [More]
NYC Officials Take 496 Uber Cars Off The Streets For Illegally Picking Up Passengers On The Street
By 6.17.15
Every city has its own rules on how Uber drivers are allowed to operate, and in New York City that means black and livery cars can’t cruise around trying to pick up passengers on the streets. As such, officials impounded the cars of 496 Uber drivers this spring in a crackdown on illegal pickups. [More]
