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BMW Z4 Cracked Wheels Class-Action Lawsuit Can Proceed Lawsuit claims BMW Z4 wheels can crack and should be fixed under warranty.
— A federal judge in California says a proposed class-action lawsuit against BMW can proceed concerning alleged defective wheels on model year 2007-2012 BMW Z4 cars. Plaintiff Barry Jekowsky filed the lawsuit after complaining the original wheels on his leased Z4 started to crack and split. Jekowsky claims BMW refused to cover the problem under their four year/50,000 mile warranty, even though the alleged problem was noticed before the first 20,000 ...
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The Safest Cars to Drive in 2014 Crash-test ratings show which cars are the safest to drive for 2014.
— It's the end of another year and time for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) list of the safest vehicles for 2014. The Institute is funded by insurance companies and if there are any companies that want safer cars, it's insurance companies. A "Top Safety Pick" award used to be the highest honor bestowed on a vehicle based solely on the level of crash protection. However, the Institute is now taking into consideration the ability of a vehicle ...
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Kia Agrees to Proposed Settlement Over Inflated Mileage Claims Settlement could mean $185 million back to Kia customers.
— Following a yearlong battle concerning mileage estimates, Kia Motors America has announced a proposed settlement of disputes that were raised by current and former owners and lessees of vehicles affected by the automaker’s 2012 restatement of fuel economy ratings. In November, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Hyundai and Kia would lower their fuel economy (mpg) estimates for the majority of their model year 2012 and 2013 models after EPA ...
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Class-Action Securities Lawsuit Filed Against Tesla Electric automaker Tesla accused of violating the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
— Electric automaker Tesla has had one wild ride in 2013. After proclaiming their Model S as the "safest car in America" the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into possible fire hazards in the Model S . Before that, Tesla bragged how their car achieved a rating of 5.4 stars on government crash tests , even though the highest rating possible was 5 stars. That little marketing ploy convinced NHTSA to update their advertising ...
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Toyota to Enter Talks to Settle Unintended Acceleration Lawsuits Toyota looks to settle hundreds of lawsuits over unintended acceleration allegations.
— Toyota has agreed to enter talks to settle hundreds of lawsuits that claim Toyota vehicles experienced unintended acceleration that led to injuries and deaths. The years-long battles have resulted in ongoing lawsuits as well as a huge cost to Toyota. Toyota believes the problems are caused by stuck gas pedals or misplaced floor mats that trapped the gas pedals. Independent testing by NASA and other outside laboratories agreed with Toyota and concluded driver ...
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Preliminary Approval Given To Honda Civic Tire Wear Lawsuit Tire and suspension problems in Civic and Civic Hybrid cost owners thousands.
— Owners of the Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid have complained for years about rear tires that wear away like a tissue in a tornado. After a three-year battle, Honda has settled a class-action lawsuit that alleged Honda knew its 2006-2007 Honda Civics and 2006-2008 Civic Hybrids had defective rear suspensions. The lawsuit claimed Honda knew there was a problem but didn't inform consumers until a lot of money had already been spent to replace the tires. The ...
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BMW Agrees to Settle MINI Transmission Lawsuits Class-action lawsuits claim MINI cars have transmission defects.
— People who have owned or leased a 2002-2006 MINI Hardtop or 2005-2008 MINI Convertible that had transmission problems should be getting some financial relief soon. BMW has agreed to settle three class-action lawsuits that claimed BMW knew those cars had transmission defects. BMW denies there are defects, but has agreed to provide refunds to drivers who had to repair or replace their transmissions. The lawsuits claim BMW engaged in deceptive conduct and ...
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Hyundai Sued Over Alleged Air Bag Defect Class-action lawsuit says Hyundai Tiburon has a defective side air bag system.
— Hyundai is on the receiving end of a class-action lawsuit that claims the Hyundai Tiburon has a serious safety defect in the air bag system. The suit, filed November, 25, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges model year 2003-2008 Tiburon cars have a side air bag system with a faulty sensor. According to the lawsuit, the sensor can't recognize many types of crashes in which an air bag should be deployed. The suit ...
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Does The Toyota Prius Gas Tank Have a 'Shrinkage' Problem? Class-action lawsuit claims Toyota Prius gas tank can shrink in the cold.
— Does the Toyota Prius have a "shrinkage" problem? The cold can cause serious shrinkage to all kinds of things, just ask George Constanza. But ask owners of the Toyota Prius what happens to their gas tank when it's cold, and they'll tell you a shrinking fuel tank is something they certainly don't need. Henry and Veronica Troup were so tired of the issue they sued Toyota claiming 2004-2009 Prius models contain a defect in the fuel tank. The class-action suit ...
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Chrysler Sued Over Stalling Vehicles, Long Wait for Parts Class-action suit for TIPM defect covers Jeep Grand Cherokee, Durango, Grand Caravan & 300M.
— A class-action lawsuit filed November 1, 2013, accuses Chrysler of ignoring problems with their model year 2008 Chrysler 300 and 2011-2012 model year Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Dodge Durango vehicles. The lawsuit alleges the named vehicles have defective Totally Integrated Power Modules, also known as TIPMs. The TIPM controls and distributes power to all of the electrical functions of the vehicle, including the vehicle safety and ignition ...
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Kia Sued Over Claims of Explosive Gas Tanks Lawsuit claims defective gas tank on the Kia Soul can kill you in a crash.
— A class-action lawsuit against Kia Motors claims model year 2010-2013 Kia Souls have gas tank defects that can kill or injure passengers in an accident. The suit, filed Nov. 13, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, focuses on Kia Soul cars with a gas tank that is either not connected to the vehicle with reinforced straps, or is not protected by a whole-tank shield. The suit also targets Kia cars that have a plastic fuel pump ...
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Government Updates Crash-Test Rating Guidelines After Tesla Claims Ignoring federal rules could cause a car to receive a "Buyer Alert" warning.
— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has updated their advertising guidelines after electric automaker Tesla jumped through hoops to announce a safety rating of 5.4 stars out of a possible 5 stars. In August, NHTSA published a press release warning automakers and advertising agencies about giving the public inaccurate or misleading stats concerning the 5-star crash-test rating system. The press release was in response to a claim by Tesla ...
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Which Vehicles Can Best Avoid a Frontal Crash? Should you pay thousands more for the newest crash avoidance technology?
— The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is typically known for crash-testing vehicles to inform the public which cars are the safest when the unthinkable happens. As the U.S. focuses toward a driverless car, the IIHS has expanded their research to technologies that can help a vehicle avoid a crash before it occurs. Crash avoidance systems can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a vehicle and although some new technological wonder might sound ...
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Honda Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Over Oil Burning Claims Honda owners claimed cars burned too much oil and Honda knew it.
— A California judge has given preliminary settlement approval to a class-action lawsuit against American Honda Motor Company. Plaintiffs Alex Soto and Vince Eagen filed suit against Honda claiming the automaker knowingly hid problems from consumers. According to court documents, the plaintiffs argued Honda made over 1,500,000 cars that contained a defect that caused frequent oil changes and blown spark plugs. The vehicles include the 2008-2012 Honda Accord; ...
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Consumer Reports Can't Recommend These Cars Toyota and Audi models dropped from list of recommended cars by Consumer Reports.
— The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is known for its stringent crash test methods, and one of those tests has been the undoing for a few models from Toyota and Audi, at least as far as Consumer Reports is concerned. The small-overlap frontal crash test has claimed many victims because it's a test not performed by the government, and a test that automakers didn't have to face until last year. The small-overlap test is designed to replicate what ...
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Most Pet Restraints For Cars Don't Work New study says most pet restraints made for cars failed during crash testing.
— Anyone who has ever driven with a pet in their car knows what it's like. You're driving 65 mph, Fido is running wild, and you're trying to drive safely to keep from killing him, yourself, and others. Many consumers believe the answer is a pet restraint to keep the pooch off your dashboard and safe and sound in a seat. Manufacturers of these products proudly proclaim how their products have passed safety testing, but a new study says those claims don't really ...
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U.S. Government Shutdown Shuts Down Car Recalls National Highway Traffic Safety Administration victim of government shutdown.
— The U.S. government shutdown is now off and running and one possible group of victims could be auto owners. Try getting the latest car recall or investigation information and you'll see this on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): "Due to a lapse of Federal Government funding, NHTSA is unable to post any new recalls after close of business September 30, 2013. Recall searches will remain available but are only current ...
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Drive a Ford F-250? Better Lock the Doors Ford F-250 takes first place for highest theft rate of any vehicle.
— Apparently city street gangs have grown tired of stealing and cruising around in Cadillac Escalades, typically the number one target of thieves. The Highway Loss Data Institute, an organization funded by auto insurers and insurance associations, said the Ford F-250 has the highest theft rate of any 2010-12 vehicle. The Institute says anti-theft technology in the Escalade has helped drop it from first to sixth place in the ranking of vehicles with the highest ...
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U.S. Government Backhands Tesla Over Safety Rating Claims Tesla Model S performs well in testing, but gets a 5.4 star rating out of a possible 5 stars?
— Is the Tesla electric car the safest car ever made? Tesla says so, and made that clear when they announced their Model S electric car achieved the best safety rating of any car ever tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tesla said that claim could be backed up because the Model S received an overall "Vehicle Safety Score" of 5.4 stars. However, Tesla also says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "does not publish a star ...
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Ford and Toyota End Marriage of Hybrid Engines Two-year partnership ends in divorce during study of hybrid truck engines
— Divorce is a painful thing. Just ask Ford and Toyota which just ended their two-year marriage that was arranged to create new hybrid engines for trucks and SUVs. Toyota and Ford announced in August, 2011, they were conducting a feasibility study for collaboration on the development of a new hybrid system. Toyota was succinct in a statement about the breakup. "...we have agreed to develop hybrid systems individually." Although this partnership has ...
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Ford Sued Because of MyFord Touch Complaints MyFord Touch complaints lead to proposed class-action lawsuit.
— Owners of vehicles with the MyFord Touch system have long complained how difficult it is to do a simple update of the system. The system, introduced by Ford in 2011, was meant to provide the ability to operate audio controls, use a GPS system, control climate systems and operate a Bluetooth-enabled device. Based on consumer complaints, as well as complaints about MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch, Ford is on the receiving end of a proposed class-action ...
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Judge Approves $1.6 Billion Settlement Against Toyota Toyota to pay out big in unintended acceleration class-action lawsuit.
— Toyota will pay over $1 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit in the continuing unintended acceleration fiasco that started in 2009. U.S. District Court Judge James Selna, of the Central District of California, granted final approval to the $1.6 billion settlement for members of the lawsuit that alleged the trade-in value of Toyota vehicles dropped after reports that vehicles were suddenly accelerating out of control. Toyota has always claimed the vast ...
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Toyota RAV4 Takes a Hit in the Small Overlap Crash Test Crash test dummy left in bad shape in test of 2013 Toyota RAV4.
— A demanding crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has sent Toyota back on their heels. IIHS says the 2013 Toyota RAV4 did not hold up well in the small overlap frontal crash test and received a "poor" rating, the lowest possible. The small overlap test replicates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle hits another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole. In the test, 25 percent of a vehicle's front end on ...
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Should the Jeep Tow Hitch "Fix" Be Crash-Tested? The Center For Auto Safety wants feds to treat recalled Jeeps like Ford Pintos of old.
— The recent recall of 1.5 million Jeeps has The Center for Auto Safety ( CAS ) wanting more vehicles recalled, as well as additional testing of the tow hitch design that Chrysler will use during the recall. Chrysler is recalling model year 2002-2007 Liberty and 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles because of a rear-crash fire risk. Chrysler says the "fix" will come in the form of a tow hitch that will allegedly help protect the gas tank during a low-impact ...
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Are You Safer in a Car or SUV in a Head-On Crash? Size matters on who survives in a head-on crash between a car and SUV.
— In a head-on crash, are you safer riding in a passenger car or an SUV? What if the car has a better crash-test rating than the SUV? Researchers at the University at Buffalo, NY, crunched the numbers and said even if the car has a higher safety rating, drivers in passenger cars are four times more likely to die in a crash with an SUV. Additionally, drivers in passenger cars were nearly 10 times more likely to die in a head-on crash if the SUV involved had a ...
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Are Millions of Jeep Vehicles Firetraps on Wheels? Consumer group wants recall because fuel system is located behind rear axle.
— Should millions of Chrysler/Jeep vehicles be recalled because people are dying in rear-crash fires? The Center for Auto Safety (CAS) thinks so . CAS, a nonprofit automotive consumer advocacy group, wants a recall of millions of model year 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1993-2001 Jeep Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. Poor Design Exposes a Serious Safety Issue According to CAS, people in those vehicles are at severe risk of serious injury or ...
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The Car Crash Test Dummy is No "Dummy" Take a peak at what happens during a car crash test.
— The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is known for their stringent testing of what happens to a vehicle when it’s involved in a crash. IIHS, an organization funded by insurance companies, is releasing a series of videos that show what happens during a car crash test. It might be scientific, but it sure isn’t boring. It turns out the crash test dummy of today is really a $200,000 mini-computer that can give researchers vital clues to the safety of ...
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Ford Sued Over EcoBoost Engines Ford lawsuit says V-6 EcoBoost engine shakes, rattles, and finally rolls.
— A lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Columbus, Ohio, claims Ford’s six-cylinder EcoBoost engine can cause all kinds of problems when the vehicle is accelerating. The suit points to more than 100 complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the alleged problem. CarComplaints.com has Heard Similar Complaints the Past Few Years A New York owner of a 2011 Ford F-150 said the vibration started from a dead stop and went ...
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Volvo Class-Action Lawsuit Gets Green Light Suit claims Volvo hid problems about leaking sunroofs.
— According to a report from the New York Times , Volvo owners will get their day in court following a ruling that a class-action lawsuit can proceed. A New Jersey federal judge gave the green light to the suit which alleges the sunroofs in Volvo vehicles can leak and damage the electronic stability control system. The vehicles include model year 2004-2013 Volvo S40, S60, S80, V50, and V70 vehicles, 2005-2011 Volvo V50, and model year 2003-2013 XC 90 ...
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Ford Sued Over Vehicles That Take Off On Their Own Lawsuit claims defect in Ford vehicles cause sudden acceleration.
— Ford Motor Company is the target of a class-action lawsuit that includes Ford owners in 14 states, but could easily grow to cover the entire country. The lawsuit was filed in a Huntington, West Virginia, federal court claiming the affected Ford vehicles are prone to sudden acceleration because they don’t have a brake override system. The suit alleges the electronic throttle system can cause a vehicle to take off on its own, leaving the driver in a panic. ...
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Did Audi Hide A4 and A6 Transmission Problems from Customers? Audi agrees to class-action settlement concerning failing transmissions.
— As first reported by the New York Times , a federal judge has given the go-ahead to a class-action lawsuit settlement about transmission problems in certain 2002-2006 Audi A4 and A6. The lawsuit was originally filed in early 2011 after complaints about transmission problems in A4 and A6 models with a continuously variable automatic transmission. The suit claimed the transmissions were built wrong in the factory and that Audi knew the problems existed but ...
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Do 1 Million General Motors Vehicles Have Brake Light Problems? The U.S. government looks for answers in strange-acting GM brake lights.
— Following an investigation into weird-acting brake lights in model year 2005-2009 Pontiac G6 vehicles , the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now investigating two other General Motors models for similar problems. According to the Associated Press , complaints about the 2004-2011 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2007-2009 Saturn Aura are pouring in about brake lights that don’t work, or work when they shouldn’t. The Office of Defects Investigation ...
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Coming Soon: The Ram 1500 Diesel Pickup Chrysler hopes increased torque in Ram 1500 will be huge selling point.
— Diesel vehicles might only amount to 3 percent of U.S. consumer auto sales, but Chrysler believes their new Ram 1500 will increase that number substantially. Chrysler said they will offer a diesel in the standard-duty Ram 1500 pickup in the third quarter of 2013, which will make it the first half-ton truck with the option of diesel power. Chrysler hopes the 3-liter turbo V-6 EcoDiesel engine from VM Motori will catch the attention of truck buyers who ...
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Government Petitioned to Investigate Alleged Toyota Prius Steering Problems Prius owner says his steering failed due to manufacturing problem.
— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will determine if a federal investigation is needed after the agency was petitioned to look into alleged steering problems in the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius. According to government documents, an auto lab in Virginia petitioned the government after the owner of a 2005 Prius complained his steering failed. The lab said an inspection of the vehicle showed the steering column linkage had not been assembled correctly ...
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Why Making a Complaint About Your Vehicle is a Smart Move Consumers can influence which vehicles get recalled for safety defects.
— Many consumers have questioned if making a complaint about their car will really do any good. That question is answered in a recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the subject of vehicle safety recalls. The NHTSA says that in 2012, manufacturers filed more than 650 recalls that affected almost 18 million vehicles. The recalls included everything from the vehicle itself to child seats, but what's really ...
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Toyota Agrees to $29 Million Settlement With State Attorneys General Settlement reached after Toyota sued over stuck accelerator fiasco.
— Toyota has reached a $29 million settlement agreement with the Attorneys General of 29 states and American Samoa to resolve issues related to recalls from 2005 to 2010. The attorneys general sued Toyota in 2010 due to the unintended acceleration fiasco. The lawsuit targeted Toyota for failing to notify customers about the problem in a timely manner. Toyota said the problems were caused by sticky gas pedals and misplaced floor mats, not by any type of ...
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J.D. Power and Associates Publish Vehicle Dependability Study Lexus & Toyota still best, Ram soars, Ford slips, Dodge Jeep & Land Rover retain worst rankings.
— J.D. Power and Associates released the results of their 24th annual Vehicle Dependability Study , which measures problems that owners experienced with three-year-old vehicles over the past 12 months. Vehicles ranked in this year's study are all from the 2010 model year. The study is based on responses from roughly 37,000 original owners, with overall dependability determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles. Who Ranked Highest Lexus ...
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2012 Nissan Versa Cleared in Air Bag Investigation Feds say that no recall is currently warranted.
— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has closed an investigation of possible air bag problems in the 2012 Nissan Versa . The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened the investigation after receiving early warning reports from Nissan concerning supplemental restraint system (SRS) lights being activated on the subject vehicles. The reports suggested the SRS cable harness from the spiral cassette to the driver’s air bag module became pinched ...
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Recall King of 2012: Toyota Takes the Crown Toyota recalled more vehicles in the U.S. in 2012 than any other automaker.
— Millions of vehicles are recalled each year in the U.S. for safety defects and 2012 was no exception. From exploding sunroofs to the more usual problems related to air bags and roll away vehicles, 2012 saw major automakers dancing on their toes to keep step with recall campaigns. According to data compiled by the Detroit News , no automaker recalled more vehicles in 2012 than Toyota. Toyota recalled 5.3 million vehicles in 2012, the third time in the last ...
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Jeep Grand Cherokee Cleared in Federal Probe of Engine Fires Faulty power steering hose not to blame in engine fires.
— Last July, CarComplaints.com reported that complaints of engine fires in the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open an investigation into the alleged problem . Reports indicated a possible problem with the power steering hose that could leak fluid and lead to an engine fire. According to safety regulators, a pattern of problems was seen in field reports submitted by Chrysler in its early warning ...
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U.S. Government: Electric and Hybrid Cars Aren't Noisy Enough New federal proposal would require all electric and hybrid cars to make noise at low speeds.
— The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed that hybrid and electric vehicles meet minimum sound standards so pedestrians can hear approaching vehicles traveling at low speeds. Electric and hybrid vehicles do not rely on traditional gas or diesel-powered engines at low speeds, making them much quieter and their approach difficult to detect, especially by people who are hearing impaired. The proposed standard would fulfill Congress' mandate ...
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Another Deadline Missed Concerning Rear-View Cameras Deadline for rear visibility rules missed for the fourth time, but who's counting?
— For the fourth time since 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) failed to meet a deadline to create new rules concerning rear-view cameras in every new vehicle. Congress first established legislation in 2007 after incidents of injuries and fatalities due to blind spots behind vehicles. The legislation is primarily aimed at children and those over 70, a demographic most affected by backup accidents. Although the legislation targets ...
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In GPS We Trust Road maps becoming a thing of the past for new generation of drivers.
— Drivers in the UK faced a scary sight when the voice coming from their GPS devices told them to go three miles out of the way near a village called Crackpot. Buses, trucks, and every type of vehicle had to drive on a gravel road with a steep cliff. Residents said they often saw vehicles trying to back out of the mess only to discover the vehicles, and their drivers, were still lost. In New Jersey, a wrong-way driver crashed into a motorcycle after the 2009 ...
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New Air Bag Technology Debuts in 2013 Chevy Cruze Air is pushed out and away from the bag thanks to a new flexible vent.
— The Chevy Cruze recently made our list for the top owner-reported problems for 2012 , specifically due to complaints about an overwhelming antifreeze smell inside the car . However, all is not lost for the Cruze because the 2013 model year has something that makes it unique. While standard air bags use one inflator for low-speed crashes and another for high-speed crashes, the Cruze’s single-stage aig bag uses one lower output inflator to manage both low-speed ...
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