Safety
Mazda Recalls Nearly 500,000 Mazda3 Models
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Mazda has announced a recall for its Mazda3 model, which is also sold under the name Axela in Japan. The recall affects 494,500 units globally with roughly 157,700 in North America. The recall surrounds an electronic problem that could prevent the windshield wipers from working. Affected vehicles include those between the 2008 and 2010 model…
California Considers Bill To Shorten Yellow Light Times
The state of California is considering lowering speed limits and shortening yellow light times. The Senate Transportation Committee will hold a hearing tomorrow on Assembly Bill 529. This bill proposes to rewrite the state’s speed trap law so that cities would be able to round down all speed limits. The measure passed the full Assembly by a…
SUV Drivers Least Likely To Die In Accidents
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has confirmed what all of those Ford Explorer drivers thought all along: SUV drivers are least likely to die in a crash. But all that mass is dangerous! What about all those rollovers? Well, with the advent of electronic stability control (already mandatory on U.S. cars) to prevent the…
Cadillac To Recall 50,500 SRX Crossovers For Airbag Issue
Cadillac is recalling 50,500 SRX crossovers due to the passenger side airbag functioning differently than the owners manual states. SRX air bags are programmed to disable the right side roof-rail airbag if the front passenger seat is occupied. The owner’s manual says that airbags will deploy whether or not the seat is occupied. This discrepancy violates federal safety…
Flo-Rida Receives DUI In Bugatti Veyron
Rapper Flo Rida (real name Tramar Dillard) received a DUI in his $1.7 million black 2008 Bugatti Veyron last night, after police observed the car swerving in and out of lanes. During the 3:30 AM downtown Miami stop, the police could smell the odor of alcohol, so the rapper was given a field sobriety test…
VW’s Rearview Cameras No Longer Available Because Of Earthquake
The Japanese Earthquake disaster of March 11, 2011, has wreaked havoc all around the world and has affected Volkswagen by interrupting supply of their backup cameras. Consumers that want a rear view camera fitted to their VW may have to wait for shipments to resume. The VW models affected include the CC Lux Plus, Lux…
Prisoners, The Deceased And Underage Applicants Defraud U.S Gov’t Of $152 Million
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (a non-partisan watchdog group) says the Internal Revenue Service failed to stop millions of dollars of fraudulent claims from being issued to prisoners, the deceased and underage applicants. The IRS’s system is designed to catch fraudulent claims before sending taxpayer money to criminals. However, a Reuters report explains that the qualified motor vehicle…
Nissan And Chevrolet Drivers Have Highest Car-Crash Death Rates
In a report released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers of sport-utility vehicles, had the highest instances of death in crashes because of rollovers, however they are now those with the highest probability of survival. In fact, drivers of Nissan’s 350Z sports car and the Titan pickup as well as GM’s Chevrolet…
NASCAR Magician’s Shackle Stunt Goes Horrible Wrong: Video
An Atlanta magician who calls himself “The Great Moodini” was entertaining the crowds at the Atlanta Motor Speedway last week when his Camaro-Shackle stunt went horrible wrong. He was supposed to escape his chains while shackled to the end of an accelerating Camaro. He didnt have enough time to escape the shackles and the Camaro…
Remotely Control Your Volvo Via Smartphone App
Volvo has just released a fascinating new version of their OnCall app for iPhone and Android phones that provides the owner with a range of beneficial features. The features include a car locator, incase you forget where you parked, remote door lock or vehicle health check. This app works on 2012 Volvo models and can…
Signal Unnecessary When Nobody is Looking, California Court Rules
The California Court of Appeal has ruled that drivers do not need to use their turn signals if no other car is nearby. A three-judge panel found that La Habra Police Officer Nick Wilson was in the wrong when he pulled over Paul David Carmona, Jr. after the accused made a right-hand turn without signaling…
Toyota Prius, Venza and Sienna Recalled
Toyota has announced a recall on 52,000 2001-2003 Prius’ as well as a handful of Venza and Sienna vehicles. The recall is regarding the possibility of nuts securing the pinion shaft for the steering box assembly. These nuts may become loose from repeated full-lock turning of the steering wheel. Toyota says that over time, the…
Chrysler Replaces Dodge Charger Police Car After Suspicious Fire
A Dodge Charger police car catching fire and burning to the ground, has prompted Chrysler to replace the car and the gear inside for free. The Curry County, Oregon squad car only had 6,000 miles on it, when it burnt to a crisp/ The car was stopped to assisst in a successful search and rescue…
BMW ‘M2’ Trademark Filing Sparks Rumors
BMW has filed “M2” and “BMW M2” trademarks recently, indicating the German automaker is considering the badge seriously enough to make moves to protect the use of the name. According to reports, the German automaker is considering launching a 2-Series lineup that will consist of a 2-Series Coupe and convertible as well as an M…
U.S. Senator Pushing to Stop Rental Car Agencies from Using Recalled Vehicles
However, Schumer feels that the proposed system simply doesn’t go far enough. “The latest proposal by car rental companies to create a vague double-standard that defines some recalled cars as safe and others as dangerous allows these companies to shirk their responsibility to consumers’ safety,” he said.
Toyota Prius Recalled for Power Steering Issue
Toyota has announced a recall on its first generation Prius models for an issue with the power steering system. The recall affects 52,000 Prius vehicles from the 2001 to 2003 model year sold in the U.S. In total 106,000 Prius models are included in the safety bulletin globally. According to a statement released by Toyota,…
37 Million Licensed American Drivers Would Fail Drivers Test If Tested Again
If American licensed drivers were required to retake the driver’s test today, one in five would not pass, according to results of the 2011 GMAC Insurance National Driver’s Test. 18 percent of the country’s total licensed motorists lack knowledge of some basic rules of the road. Motorists were asked what to do when approaching a…
2011 Lexus CT200h Receives IIHS Top Safety Pick Award
The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety today announced the all-new 2011 Lexus CT200h hybrid earned a “Top Safety Pick” award. The Lexus earned the award through enduring front, side, rollover, and rear impact evaluations and its standard electronic stability control. High-strength steel components are carefully located in the body structure to help ensure strength in key…
Nissan Juke Earns Top Safety Pick From IIHS
Nissan has had a successful year with the Nissan Juke, Cube, Leaf and Infiniti M37/56 on the list of 2011 top safety picks. Today, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2011 Nissan Juke a “Top Safety Pick” rating. The Juke earned this award by earning a “good” rating in front, rear and side…
Nissan Teams Up With Carfax To Provide Car Shoppers With Recall Info
Nissan North America announced today it will begin sharing information for Nissan and Infiniti vehicles with Carfax, in an effort to provide used-car shoppers with improved access to information on open safety and emissions recalls. “We strive to have recall campaign work completed in a timely fashion,” said John Spoon, vice president, Parts and Service, NNA. “By…
Volvo Says Driverless Cars Will Become A Reality
Yet Volvo is taking radical steps, setting a lofty goal of nobody dying in any of its cars by 2020, but says it “needs to understand the mechanisms about how people think,” in order to get there.
Toyota In Need of Safety Management Changes
r Since the fall of 2009, Toyota has recalled more than 20 million vehicles. According to an advisory panel appointed by the company, Toyota has not adopted enough change to address the slew of safety problems that have arisen over the past decade. This issue lies within Toyota’s centralized decision-making that remains based in Japan, and a 60…
Subaru Targets Young Chinese-Americans With Latest Commercial [Video]
In this interesting new advertising campaign, Subaru’s American division targets the Chinese-American Market with the 2011 Legacy. The ad called “Sweet Tomorrow” features a young Chinese-American couple, running errands and preparing for their home for the birth of their first child. It emphasizes safety and reliability of the Subaru brand preparing the couple for the…
Nissan Reinforces Plant In Defense Of Future Earthquakes
Nissan is looking to strengthen some key plants in an effort to minimize damage from future earthquakes starting with the heavily damaged Iwaki engine plant in the Fukushima prefecture. The Iwaki plant is being repaired ahead of schedule, receiving a reinforced foundation costing $37 million USD. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault and Nissan, stated that the…
