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Recall Notice: Ford Recalls Ranger for Faulty Parking Brake
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This would result in extended pedal travel meaning the parking brake would not operate, a potentially serious problem during hill starts or other incline related situations.
Prius Drivers Tries To Flex His Hybrid Muscle, Lands In Jail
If one were to look up the definition of “pathetic” in the dictionary, the following story would be it. A Georgia driver of a Toyota Prius, tired of being mocked for his hybrid car, had enough teasing one day, and attempted to prove just how awesome his car’s acceleration capabilities are – by trying to…
Toyota Recalls 11,500 Lexus LS460 Models For Steering Defect
When it rains, it pours, as Toyota knows all too well. As if their spate of problems wasn’t enough, fate seems to be pouring even more salt in their wounds, as the company has been forced to recall their flagship Lexus LS460 sedan due to a steering defect in the Variable Gear Ratio Steering system….
NHTSA Investigating Mercedes E-Class for Airbags that Fail to Deploy
Federal investigators are looking into faulty airbags on the 2005-06 Mercedes-Benz E-Class luxury sedan. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said that it has received four complaints regarding a wiring harness in the steering column, that could lead to the aig bags failing to deploy in a front-impact crash. No injuries have been…
New Australian Law Forces Drivers to Lock Unattended Cars
In the last year, police in Australia’s Yarra Range have had to deal with a 10% increase in car theft. The Australian government has decided to place partial responsibility for this with its citizens, by imposing fines for unattended vehicles left unlocked. Starting today, motorists who do not lock their cars can face a fine…
NHTSA Investigating Ford Windstar For Rear Axle Failure
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now officially launched an investigation into snapping rear axles on Ford Windstar models dating from 1999-2003. In total NHTSA has 234 complaints about broken rear axles, with two noted accidents but no injuries. Of the complaints, 56 involve vehicles where one of the rear axles snapped at…
Mercedes-Benz Automated Driving Helps Crash Testing By Improving Data
In any sort of scientific test, it’s important is to control the conditions to make sure that any variables are neutralized, and that the experiments can be repeated with consistent results. An experiment that gives the same data over and over again can usually be seen as an accurate way of obtaining information on a…
Pakistan Government’s Real (Funny) Driving Tips
Here is a “driving guide” for drivers in Pakistan’s Northwest Province of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, who clearly have a “confidence” problem. The solution is the most unintentionally funny safety PSA possibly in the history of all motoring. Anyone who’s seen videos of Pakistani traffic jams will understand why this PSA is designed to keep the flow…
Toyota Took Nearly A Year To Issue Recall, Sparking New Questions Over Quality Control
Toyota recalled a number of trucks in Japan for a defective steering column but chose to wait nearly a year before recalling them in North America, despite a series of complains in the United States regarding the issue. The revelation comes on the heels of a $16.4 million fine imposed by the U.S. government as…
Toyota Expands Tundra Rust Recall
It’s happening again. Toyota is expanding it’s recall program even further, this time covering 2000-03 Toyota Tundras for frame rot. The problem stems from complaints of premature frame rusting on trucks sold in Northern states, primarily around the rear crossmembers and spare tire mounts. Toyota, in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, originally issued…
Volvo Safety Demonstration Car Comes Down With A Case Of Epic FAIL
Looks like Toyota might not be the only company having problems with “unintended acceleration.” At a recent demonstration of Volvo’s collision avoidance system, the Swedish automaker shot a Volvo S60 out of a specialized tunnel and aimed it directly at the back of a dump truck. Ostensibly, the collision avoidance system was supposed to bring…
New National Graduated Driver License Gives U.S. Teens Something to Rebel Against
Parents of teens have enough to worry about. A new bill that creates a national standard for young drivers that’s being lobbied in the U.S. could help ease at least one of their concerns. The result would be one standardized national graduated driver licensing (GDL) system that would replace the varying state-to-state programs in effect now….
Volvo Cars Crash Test Lab Celebrates 10 Years of Controlled Chaos
Where you one of those kids who would smash your toy cars together? If so, I bet your dream job lies in Sweden in Volvo’s crash test laboratory. More than 3,000 full-scale crashes have taken place, making this the most used and (still) most advanced crash research centre on the planet. “We can replicate most…
Toyota’s Unintended Problems Caused By Radar-Guided Cruise Control
Toyota‘s new spokesman suggested that their “unintended acceleration” could be caused by consumers misunderstanding of their vehicle’s radar-guided cruise control system. The cruise control, which speeds up or slows the vehicle down depending on its proximity to other cars, might not have been properly explained to customers, leading to concerns about unintended acceleration, said Steve…
Hummer Fake Hood Vents Pose A Hazard, Recall Issued
GM is recalling 2006 through 2010 Hummer H3s are being recalled because the faux-hood louvers can detatch and hit another vehicle. The retaining clips on the hood louvers can malfunction, and according to a severe warning issued by NHTSA “… could strike a following vehicle and cause injury and/or property damage.” GM says that no…
Aptera Suffers Handling Issues at X-Prize Test Track
For many, the Aptera 2e is a glimpse into the future of cars, and a frontrunner for the Automotive X-Prize. For those who don’t know, Progressive Insurance sponsors the $10 Million X-Prize, which will be awarded to the first company to produce a near-production vehicle that can achieve 100 miles per gallon. At Michigan International…
NHTSA Investigating Dodge Caliber Gas Pedals, Made By Same Supplier As Toyota Units
NHTSA is investigating the 2007 Dodge Caliber for sticking gas pedals. While no injuries or crashes have been reported, there have been five complaints made about the gas pedals, and the problem appears to be confined to about 10,000 vehicles made between March and April of 2006. The pedals were made by CTS Corp. of…
Chevrolet Recalling 40,000 Corvettes Due To Steering Column Issue
GM has announced a recall for 40,000 Chevrolet Corvettes spanning the 2005 and 2006 model years. The recall applies to cars with a telescopic and tilt steering column. Over the, signals sent by the wheel can become corrupted, causing an error message, and more seriously, brake activation on one side of the vehicle. The brake…
Drifting Gone Wrong: Camera Man Becomes Collateral Damage
Drifting is a dangerous sport, and not just for the drivers. Having photographed several drift events this author is well aware of the risks involved – I’ve have even had a few close calls, on one occasion a friend of mine pulling me away right as the vehicle struck the K-rail. At another event the…
Oprah Says Put Away Your Cell Phone When Driving [video]
Happy No Phone Zone Day! When Oprah Winfrey talks, people listen. Now, Oprah is telling you to shut up – well, at least while you’re driving. The talk show diva has partnered with the Governors Highway Safety Association and a variety of other agencies to get the message out about distracted driving. On a special…
Consumer Reports Lists Best Cars for Teen Drivers
Getting a drivers license and a car is possibly the most important milestone in a young persons life. It means freedom, having, a place to call your own, and, most importantly, it has a back seat. If you’re a parent of a teen, odds are you’ll be buying their first car, or at least funding…
Recall Notice: Ford Recalling 2010 Explorer Sport Trac for Faulty Seat Recliner
Ford Motor Company recently announced that it is recalling 2010 Explorer Sport Trac models, built between December 15 2009 and February 3 this year, for faulty seat recliner mechanisms
Mercedes Test Driver Crashes ML Prototype, One Dead
A heavily disguised prototype of the 2012 Mercedes ML crashed into a Mazda that was stranded on the side of a road near Stuttgart, Germany. The driver of the Mazda was killed, and the ML rolled down the road for 800 feet before coming to a stop. Three fatal crashes involving manufacturer test vehicles have…
Citroen Nemo Latest Rollover Casualty Of The Elk Test [Video]
The elk test is one of the most infamous procedures used to evaluate new cars. A double lane change at 50 mph, the elk test was designed to help Scandinavian auto journalists evaluate the highway speed stability of a car, when the threat of a large animal in the road is a very real safety…






