Latest Car News
Cash for Clunkers Sold a Lot of Full-Size Pickup Trucks
Posted: Nov. 06, 2009 10:11:14 a.m.
When the federal government launched a program to clear gas guzzlers off the roads and replace them with more fuel-efficient cars this summer, Americans responded. We traded in our old big trucks. We bought new big trucks.
The AP explains, “Billed as a way for the government to put more fuel-efficient vehicles on highways, the popular $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program mostly involved swaps of old Ford or Chevrolet pickups for new ones that got only marginally better gas ...
Ford to Introduce Airbags in Seatbelts
Posted: Nov. 06, 2009 10:11:16 a.m.
In today’s new cars, front seat occupants are usually well-protected by a number of airbags. Some models protect front seat occupants with as many as four airbags each. They pop out of the dashboard and steering wheel, out of the seats to the side, out of the ceiling across the windows, and in some cases, below the dashboard to cushion the driver’s knees in a crash.
In the rear, most cars have just a head-curtain airbag to protect ...
Suzuki Kizashi to Start Around $19,000
Posted: Nov. 06, 2009 10:11:22 a.m.
The new Suzuki Kizashi has won positive early reviews from the automotive press with its upscale interior and sporty tuning for stoplight-to-stoplight performance – but many have said that the car won’t make sense for many buyers unless Suzuki can keep it affordable.
Suzuki is listening.
Motor Trend reports, “Suzuki has just announced pricing for its all-new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi, with the base price of the sport-themed sedan coming in at $19,734 [including a $735 destination charge] for the ...
Fiat Unveils Plan to Remake Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
Posted: Nov. 05, 2009 11:11:42 a.m.
Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep will look radically different by 2013 -- if they can last that long.
Though the company emerged from bankruptcy just months ago, analysts are already wondering if it might suffer a fatal relapse. Last month, MarketWatch notes, "Its sales fell an alarming 30 percent…by far the biggest decline of any major car company active in the U.S. market." Chrysler suffered its sales decline while watching cross-town rivals Ford and General Motors post sales increases, in ...
U.S. Criticizes Toyota for "Misleading" Statement on Floormat Recall
Posted: Nov. 05, 2009 10:11:28 a.m.
Federal auto safety regulators have issued a rebuke to Toyota Motor Company for a press release the company issued this week regarding highly publicized reports of a possible unintended acceleration problem in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The company recalled nearly 4 million vehicles, with recall letters shipped to owners this week, claiming that the problem occurs only when floormats are not properly secured, or when a vehicle has the wrong floormats installed. The Los Angeles Times explains, "In formal ...
Report: Some Owners Say Floormats Aren't to Blame in Toyota Crashes
Posted: Nov. 04, 2009 10:11:21 a.m.
Last month, Toyota recalled nearly four million vehicles after a high-profile accident in which a Lexus accelerated uncontrollably, causing a fiery crash that killed four people. Investigators believed that that the driver’s side floormat in the car might have snagged on the vehicle’s gas pedal, causing the unintended acceleration. Now, one prominent news organization claims, some Toyota owners don’t believe the company has actually found the cause of the problem. ABC News reports, "Safety analysts found an ...
October Auto Sales: Recovery Well Underway
Posted: Nov. 04, 2009 10:11:49 a.m.
The economic recovery has reached the auto industry, and some domestic automakers are leading the way. Americans aren’t buying cars in pre-recession numbers -- far from it -- but October sales figures released late yesterday showed the industry is moving out of the red. Last month marked the first time since October of 2007 that the industry saw a sales increase without the help of the government’s Cash for Clunkers incentive program.
The Los Angeles Times reports, "Sales rebounded smartly ...
Recall Alert: Mazda B-Series Pickups
Posted: Nov. 04, 2009 10:11:23 a.m.
Mazda has issued a recall for about 40,000 B-Series pickups from model years 1995 through 1997 and 2001 through 2003, in order to correct a defect that could result in a vehicle fire.
In a recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker explains, "A component of the cruise control deactivation switch may deteriorate over time and develop a leak. This occurrence could cause the switch to overheat, smoke or burn which could result in ...
First Drives: Honda Accord Crosstour
Posted: Nov. 03, 2009 10:11:42 a.m.
Honda faced intensely negative reaction when it first released pictures of its upcoming Accord Crosstour CUV. A few automotive journalists had the chance to drive the Crosstour yesterday, however – and their reactions are far more mixed than the overwhelming criticism those first pictures triggered. Cars.com can now see the point of the odd-looking vehicle. "Fans of the [Accord] sedan who need some extra cargo room might want to put it on their shortlist," they write. And, as the second ...
Recall Alert: Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, Charger
Posted: Nov. 03, 2009 10:11:58 a.m.
Chrysler has issued a recall order for about 13,000 Chrysler 300 sedans, Dodge Charger sedans and Dodge Challenger coupes from model years 2009 and 2010 in order to correct a defect that could cause a wheel to separate from the car while driving. In a recall notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker explains, "these vehicles may have been built without a front wheel spindle nut." The spindle nut is a part of the wheel ...
