Safety
New Toyota Yaris Builds On The Model’s Key Strengths
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Toyota’s new Yaris is built on the strengths the Yaris has become known for including its durability, versatility, efficient engines and easy to drive nature. Toyota has now taken these key aspects into the new model and gone further to offer a sharper, more agile, more contemporary looking vehicle. The Yaris will also appeal both to technology-focused customers and…
Nissan Expects To Continue Gaining Market Share On Honda and Toyota
The damage caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has affected manufacturing throughout Japan, however Nissan says that it anticipates being able to continue to gain market share from Honda and Toyota in North America. Honda and Toyota stopped production entirely in the months following the earthquake and tsunami, however, Nissan was able to…
11-Year Old Does Donuts In His Dad’s Audi R8 [Video]
It is understood that kids living in the country side climb behind the wheel of vehicles at an earlier age, whether it be to cut grass or haul hay. This, however, is not a story about a lawn mower or farm tractor. The boy featured in this vehicle gets to hoon around in his dad’s…
NASCAR Tests Fuel Injection At Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway will be testing fuel-injected engines in the premier NASCAR series this Thursday, and will be the first on-track test of the technology. Fuel injection is very common on standard fuel injected automobiles but NASCAR has stuck with carburated engines throughout its racing history. However, a decision was made last February to switch to…
Ferrari FF Tears Up The Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill Climb [Video]
James Martin, famous TV personality and celebrity chef piloted the Ferrari FF during the famous 1.16-mile long Goodwood Festival of Speed uphill race. In the video, James Martin tears up the hill shifting gears like a mad man. The car seems to be very poised and balanced through the turns. At the end of the…
2011 BMW X3 Recall: Power Steering Issues
BMW has released a recall for the 2011 X3 after only being on the market for a few months. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a control module in the SUV’s electric power steering system may malfunction, resulting in a loss of power steering. BMW has explained that the affected vehicles were built between April 27,2011…
GM Facing Class-Action Lawsuit Over Defective Tires
So far, GM has declined to comment on the suit, because, as spokesman Alan Adler said, the automaker has yet to review it. The company also said that the police spec Impala features a number of different components compared with civilian version including a heavy-duty cooling, electrical system and special suspension.
GM Recalls 6,800 Compact Pickups
General Motors has recalled 6,800 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickup trucks. Apparently the transmission shift lever was not properly finished and as a result, might not display the correct gear on the PRNDL bar. NHTSA said the pickups do not comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, “Theft Protection”. This may appear…
Nissan Begins Global Proving Tests For NV200 Based Electric Vehicles
Nissan has launched a global proving test program for their compact electric commercial vehicle NV200. The Japanese automaker began the test with Japan Post Service. The postal service will be provided with the NV200 to carry out postal collection for two months in Yokohama. The vehicle will be tested in real world conditions to help fine tune small aspects of the…
Mazda Offers First Ever Pre-Paid Maintenance Program
Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is launching an all new pre-paid scheduled maintenance program, adding value to customers of new, used and certified pre-owned Mazda vehicle. The Mazda Total Advantage Program for new, used and certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Owners program benefits customers and adds value to their purchase by lowering scheduled maintenance costs. The MTA…
China Opens World’s Longest Cross-Sea Bridge, Stretching 26 Miles
China has just opened the world’s longest cross-sea bridge spanning 26 miles (42 kilometers) end to end. The Jiaozhou Bay bridge links China’s eastern port city of Qingdao to the island of Huangdao. The bridge is 110 feet wide, is the longest of its kind and cost a whopping $1.5 billion to build. The bridge…
JFK Jr.’s Used Saab On eBay For $100,000
A used car dealer in New Jersey is trying to make a profit off of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s Saab 900 by selling it for $100,000 on eBay. For those of you that think the price is fitting, a 1994 Saab 900 in excellent condition and low miles typically would sell for about $4,700 on…
2011 Infiniti EX35 Named IIHS Top Safety Pick
Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2011 Infiniti EX35 a “Top Safety Pick” rating. This rating was given to the Infiniti based on the car achieving the Institute’s highest rating of “Good” in front, rear and side impact protections. The car also has to be equipped with electronic stability control, and earn…
Toyota Issues Recall For Highlander And Lexus RX400h Hybrids
Toyota has officially announced a recall of certain 2006 and 2007 model year Highlander hybrid and Lexus RX 400h vehicles. The recall will affect 45,500 Highlander hybrids and 36,700 RX 400h’s. The issue stems from the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the hybrid system inverter that contains a control board with transistors. Certain transistors on the…
Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Lexus RX400h Recalled to Replace Hybrid Transistors
Toyota has announced a recall of its Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX400h vehicles, dating from the 2006 and 2007 model years. According to a statement released by the automaker, improperly soldered transistors on the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) located inside the Hybrid System Inverter could become damaged due to excessive heat, causing the car’s hybrid…
U.S Auto Industry Recalls Declining
American automakers are performing much better regarding vehicle safety recalls compared to their Japanese counterparts. Approaching the middle of 2011, there have been 59 recalls, potentially affecting 6.8 million cars and light trucks. In 2010 at this point in the year, there had been 65 recalls potentially affecting 9.6 million light vehicles. Toyota, whose reputation…
2012 BMW X5 Diesel Recalled Due To Issue With Belt Tensioner
BMW has officially initiated a recall of certain diesel X5 vehicles due to a component manufacturing error at the supplier, affecting the welds in the belt tensioner that could have incipient cracks. These cracks may cause a malfunction of the belt tensioner. If the belt fails, power steering assistance may fail, increasing chances of a…
Volkswagen Shows Off Near-Production “Temporary Auto Pilot” Technology
Years from now you’ll remember reading this article. It will be the first time you ever heard about Volkswagen‘s new Temporary Auto Pilot, a technology that lets a car essentially drive by itself. Science fiction? Hardly, VW claims its far closer to rolling this auto pilot option in production models that you’d expect. Anyone who’s…
Safety Group Asks GM to Recall Cars Following Child Trunk Deaths
Federal law has required automakers to install internal trunk releases in all cars and trucks sold in the US from the 2002 model year, incorporating an illuminated handle so those trapped inside can easily see the release.
Toyota And Honda Plan To Hire 5,000 Workers As Japan’s Industry Recovers
Toyota and Honda plan to hire as many as 5,000 temporary workers in Japan for the first time in more than a year as the automotive industry recovers from the March 11 earthquake. Toyota will be hiring between 3,000 and 4,000 temporary workers from mid-July as the company plans to increase production in October. This…
Ford Offers Inflatable Rear Seatbelts On Flex, Lincoln Vehicles
One of the newest safety features in the 2012 Ford Explorer are its rear seatbelts, which inflate during an accident. Now, spurred by the Explorer’s success and advanced safety ratings, Ford is making these available on the Flex and a number of Lincoln vehicles. The seatbelts expand to protect the head, neck, and chest for…
Oliver Gavin Takes Viewers On Fast Lap Around Le Mans [Video]
Oliver Gavin, British racing driver of the No.74 Corvette C6.R, and four time winner of 24 Hours of Le Mans takes us on a lap around the infamous track in his race car. This well done video allows the viewer to experience the track as Gavin explains the technique and driving style required to execute…
Chrysler Announces New Recalls
The automaker said the cause of the problem was “improper identification of rejected components by new employees during the second shift.” Out of some 14,000 steering columns Chrysler inspected, it found that seven of them boasted missing or incorrect rivets.
Volvo Drops Wagons, V8s from 2012 Lineup
Volvo has planned several major changes for its 2012 model year lineup in the US. The automaker has discontinued the S40 and V50, after already cutting the V70 earlier in the year. The move is a big change for the Swedish company that built its name on safe and sturdy station wagons. In addition, Volvo…
