Just when you think carmakers have recalled the last of the vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that could spew shrapnel when deployed, more cars are added to that list. Today, Toyota and Nissan expanded their already massive recalls to include an additional 6.5 million vehicles, while Honda has plans to do the same. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Toyota, Nissan Add 6.5 Million Vehicles To Takata Airbag Recall; Honda Expected To Follow Suit
By 5.13.15
La-Z-Boy Recalls 2,600 Recliners Because The Goal Is To Lean Back, Not Tip Forward
By 5.12.15
Along with the ease and comfort of a lazing person implied in the La-Z-Boy name comes the expectation that such relaxation will come in the form of reclining backward, and not tipping forward out of one’s seat. That’s why the company is recalling 2,600 recliners after reports from some dealers of tippy furniture that could cause someone to fall and potentially get hurt. [More]
Elon Musk Denies Ever Scolding Employee Over Missing A Work Event To Witness Child’s Birth
By 5.12.15
The news cycle was abuzz yesterday with quotes from a new book about Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk, particularly one from an anonymous employee who said he’d been chastised for missing a work event in order to be present at the birth of his child. Musk fired back on Twitter today, denying he ever said any such thing. [More]
Uber Discouraging Drivers From Using In-Car Advertising Services
By 5.11.15
While some taxi services are using every available square inch of their cars to advertise to passengers and the public, Uber cars have remained ad-free thus far. Some Uber drivers had hoped to make some extra cash through in-car marketing, but the ride-sharing service is saying no.
[More]
GM Ignition Switch Death Toll Reaches 100
By 5.11.15
Nearly four months after General Motors’ victim compensation fund stopped accepting death and injury claims related to its massive ignition switch issue, the number of people killed because of the long-ignored defect continues to climb, now officially reaching triple-digits. [More]
FTC Urges Michigan To Repeal Ban That Prevents Tesla From Selling Directly To Consumers
By 5.11.15
Last year, Michigan joined the list of states that require car manufacturers to use dealerships to sell their vehicles, effectively banning Tesla from selling its pricey electric vehicles to Michigan residents. Now, staffers at the Federal Trade Commission are chiming in, urging Michigan lawmakers to consider repealing this ban. [More]
Report: Uber Bidding $3B For Nokia’s Maps Service
By 5.8.15
After rumors earlier this year that Google was perhaps planning a ride-sharing service to rival Uber and Lyft, and that Uber was working on its own driverless cars, it comes as no surprise that Uber might be trying to disentangle itself from relying on Google’s mapping technology: A new report says the company may have bid up to $3 billion to acquire Nokia’s mapping services unit. [More]
Uber Halts Operations In Kansas After Legislature Votes To Mandate Background Checks, Insurance Coverage
By 5.6.15
It seems like every few months a new city or state announces it will no longer allow Uber to operate in its jurisdiction. But in a slight change of pace, the ride-sharing company is actually taking itself out of the equation in Kansas. [More]
NHTSA Investigating Chrysler Recall Remedy After Reports That Sun Visors Continue To Catch Fire
By 5.6.15
When a consumer takes their recalled vehicle to a dealer for repairs, they probably assume they won’t have the same issue with the car in the future. But that apparently hasn’t been the case when it comes to several Jeep and Dodge SUVs recalled last summer, and now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is probing the effectiveness of the recall remedy. [More]
Now You Can Buy A Used Tesla Directly From The Company’s Website
By 5.5.15
If you were looking to get a Tesla Model S electric vehicle but didn’t feel like paying full price for a new one, your options were limited. It’s not like Craigslist is full of ads for these relatively new cars. But in recent weeks, Tesla has launched an online portal that allows customers to check out the pre-owned Teslas available in their area. [More]
NHTSA Won’t Open Investigation Into Unintended Acceleration In Toyota Corollas
By 5.4.15
Toyota will not face another probe regarding unintended acceleration in its vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced over the weekend. [More]
Fiat Chrysler Offers Employees Chance For Free College Education At A For-Profit University
By 5.4.15
Providing the opportunity for employees to obtain a college degree is a worthy intention. Just as Starbucks announced in 2014 that it would finance the college dreams of workers around the country, Fiat Chrysler has unveiled a similar program today. There’s only one slight difference: the university that Chrysler has partnered with is a for-profit college. [More]
IKEA Expands Crib Mattress Recall To Include Five Additional Styles
By 5.1.15
All recalls are important to take note of, but ones related to baby products are often of the greatest concern. And IKEA’s expansion of a six-month old recall to include an additional 150,000 crib mattresses because of the risk of entrapment would fall into that category. [More]
Driving Around With A Recalled Takata Airbag Is Scary For Consumers
By 5.1.15
Earlier this week, we shared the news that federal regulators are not thrilled with the speed at which cars with potentially dangerous Takata airbags are getting the repairs that they need. What’s that like from the other point of view: specifically, from behind the wheel of a recalled car that has an airbag that may harm you instead of protecting you? [More]
Ford Expands Door Latch Recall To Include 156,000 Additional Fiesta, Fusion & Lincoln Vehicles
By 5.1.15
Less than a week after Ford finally issued a recall for nearly 400,000 vehicles that may contain malfunctioning door latches, the car manufacturer is adding another 156,000 of the same vehicles to the recall roster. [More]
Tesla’s Worst Kept Secret Is Out: It’s Making Solar-Based Batteries For Homes, Businesses
By 5.1.15
For months Tesla CEO Elon Musk has subtly (and not so subtly) hinted that the company’s next big foray wouldn’t be another car, but a battery system aimed at homeowners, businesses and utilities. On Thursday night, he finally made the announcement most of us saw coming. [More]
Brazil Suspends Uber, Uber Keeps Driving
By 4.30.15
Car-hailing app Uber has racked up another municipality on its list of places where the service has been banned, yet drivers remain on the roads anyway. That distinction belongs to the entire nation of Brazil, where a judge has ruled that providing rides to strangers is the exclusive right of licensed taxi services. [More]
Report: Uber Testing Same-Day Delivery For Retailers
By 4.29.15
Not content to ferry passengers, packages and food, Uber is reportedly casting its net in the pool of merchant delivery, by taking advantage of both its drivers and its UberRUSH courier service to connect online shoppers with their goods the same day they order them from popular retailers. [More]
