Fourteen automakers have recalled nearly 40 million vehicles equipped with more than 80 million defective Takata airbags that can deploy with enough force to shoot pieces of shrapnel at drivers and passengers, leading to 10 deaths in the U.S. and hundreds of injuries. While the Japanese parts maker, federal regulators, and carmakers have worked to replace these dangerous safety devices, a new report reveals that at least four carmakers continue to equip new vehicles with affected airbags. [More]
vehicles
Mitsubishi Admits Falsifying Fuel Data On Some Vehicles For Nearly 25 Years
By 4.26.16
Automaker Mitsubishi recently admitted to fudging fuel mileage data for more than 600,000 vehicles sold in Japan, leading to an ongoing probe by U.S. regulators. Those investigators may now have a lot more paperwork to sift through, after Mitsubishi’s latest revelation. [More]
Ford Recalls 48,300 Vehicles Over Fire Hazard, Airbag Deployment Issues
By 4.1.16
Incorrectly positioned airbags, heaters that can cause a fire, and parking brakes that can fail. Those are three things you probably don’t want to occur in your vehicle. But for thousands of Ford owners it’s a possibility and the carmaker has issued three recalls to fix things. [More]
FBI To Carmakers, Owners: Your Vehicles Are “Increasingly Vulnerable” To Hackings
By 3.18.16
Nearly a year after the very public hacking of a Jeep that eventually led to the recall of more than 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles, federal law enforcement and vehicles safety officials are warning carmakers and owners that their vehicles are “increasingly vulnerable” to hackings. [More]
Kids’ Concepts For Fuel-Efficient Cars Aren’t Beyond Belief
By 3.2.16
Maybe your childhood dream of a city skyline filled with jet-packing commuters and hovering taxicabs is still a fantasy, but some kids have ideas for fuel-efficient cars that are simultaneously ahead of their times but not beyond the realm of possibility.
[More]
Volvo Will Sell Cars With Smartphone Keys Starting In 2017
By 2.19.16
Smartphones can do just about anything: open your hotel room door, or unlock your front door. Starting next year, the device will do even more if you’re in the market for a Volvo. [More]
Regulators Urged To Recall Every Vehicle Equipped With A Takata Airbag, But The Data Isn’t There Yet
By 2.17.16
A day after General Motors recalled nearly 200,000 of its previously discontinued Saturn and Saab vehicles as part of the ongoing Takata airbag defect debacle, federal regulators hinted that a complete recall of all vehicles with any airbag by the Japanese parts maker could happen, eventually. [More]
Honda Officially Recalls 2016 Civics Over Engine Failures, Continues Halt To New Sales
By 2.9.16
A week after directing dealers to stop selling the newest model Civic sedans after detecting a problem in the vehicles that could lead to engine failure, Honda has announced an official recall of the affected cars. [More]
See Ya, Scion: Toyota To Absorb Youth-Focused Brand After 13 Years
By 2.3.16
Starting later this year, Scion will join a long list of vehicle brands — think Mercury, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn — in the dustbin of history, as Toyota plans to end production of the brand after 13 years. [More]
Honda Orders Stop-Sale Of 2016 Civics Over Possible Engine Failure; Recall Pending
By 2.3.16
Just months after hitting the market, Honda has ordered all 2016 Civics to remain on their dealers’ lots after finding a problem in the vehicles that could lead to engine failure. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Honda Refuses To Fix Vehicles With Soy-Coated Wiring That’s Irresistible To Hungry Critters
By 1.25.16
If a car’s insides are an appealing snack for mice, squirrels, and rabbits, should the company that made the vehicle pay to fix the soy-coated wiring when those critters throw themselves a feast? The plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against Honda think so, and say the carmaker is refusing to pick up the tab for repairs. [More]
Regulators Propose Changes To 5-Star Safety Ratings To Incorporate More Crash-Prevention Technology
By 12.8.15
Crash safety tests are about to get a whole lot different. Automakers striving to achieve five stars for safety from federal regulators will have to add a few things to their vehicle rosters as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced high-tech changes to its system. [More]
There’s a Vending Machine For Used Cars In Tennessee
By 11.12.15
These days, just about anything — candy, DVDs, a new phone — can be purchased through a vending machine. And if you live in Nashville, you can now help yourself to a used car.
[More]
Takata Must Pay $70M Fine For Failing To Report Deadly Exploding Airbag Defect, Repairs To Be Made By 2019
By 11.3.15
UPDATE: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday ordered Japanese parts maker Takata to pay $70 million – and an additional $130 million if it fails to abide by the agreement – marking the agency’s largest civil penalty in history. The regulator also announced it would use its authority to accelerate recall repairs to millions of vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting airbags for the first time. [More]
Nearly One-In-10 Takata Airbag Ruptures Results In Death
By 10.22.15
Nearly one-in-10 driver’s side Takata airbag ruptures results in a death, federal regulators revealed during a meeting to discuss the massive recall of shrapnel-shooting devices. [More]
Senators Ask Automakers For Update On Cybersecurity Protection Measures
By 9.16.15
Following a string of high-profile incidents in which researchers were able to hack into – and in some cases take control of – a vehicle through its entertainment systems, lawmakers have renewed their push to ensure car manufacturers are adequately protecting consumers from such attacks. [More]
Toyota Reportedly Set To Buy 13 Million Airbag Inflators From Takata’s Rival
By 8.21.15
Automakers have struggled in recent months to get their hands on enough new parts to replace millions of defective Takata airbags. To make matters worse, the Japanese auto parts maker at the center of the massive safety issue has re-recalled hundreds of thousands of replacement parts in recent months because the devices could still harm drivers and their passengers upon deployment. To reduce these risks, Toyota is reportedly looking to purchase millions of new airbag inflators from a rival of Takata. [More]
Here’s Why You Don’t Buy Cars From Some Guy On Craigslist Who’s In A Huge Hurry
By 8.14.15
Car shopping is something that you don’t want to do in a hurry. Especially when shopping for a used car. Especially when buying a used car from a stranger on Craigslist. A couple in Texas learned this important life lesson when they bought what they thought was a nice, cheap, low-mileage van. Well… it was cheap, and it’s a van. [More]
