A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association says that BMW is recalling an unknown number of X5 and X6 SUVs over incorrect tire pressure labels. According to Inside Line, NHTSA claims not only are the pressures wrong, but the wheel sizing is off as well. “The vehicles are equipped with 20-inch wheels, but...
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Ford announced today that five of their vehicles have been selected as Top Safety Picks By The IIHS, boosting their total to 11 vehicles. The 2010 Ford Flex and Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and MKT and the Mercury Milan all scored the highest possible ratings in the IIHS’s front, side and rear impact tests as well...
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Toyota‘s had a rough year, with recalls, fines, and a brand image that has taken a Tito Ortiz-style punch to the jugular, and the latest jab comes from Minneapolis, MO’s Brave New Workshop, former stomping ground of Senator and political satirist Al Franken. “Toyota: The Runaway Musical Hit” has become quite the hot ticket in...
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Sometimes, okay just doesn’t cut it. Like when it comes to how well the roof of your midsize SUV holds up in a rollover. New results from the first roof strength tests on midsize SUVs conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that automakers still need to make improvements to these types...
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To help promote Tire Safety Week (which is on right now), Yokohama Tire Corporation has released a series of short educational videos on its website and YouTube. To start things off with a bang, the first video features off-road racing champion and TV commentator Cameron Steele discussing the importance of properly inflated tires. “Consumer awareness...
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General Motors has announced a massive recall of 1.5 million vehicles over concern that their heated windshield washer fluid system could catch fire. No solution for the problem is available and so GM will give owners a $100 rebate (yup, $150 million in total) for the loss of the feature on their vehicle. GM had...
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Chrysler is recalling all Dodge Caravan and Town and Country minivans from 2008-09 due to a concern that an improperly installed wiring harness could cause a fire. According to a release issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall affects 284,831 vehicles in total. NHTSA says that the vehicles in question may...
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The results are in and a host of new SUVs have made the cut. Joining the list for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick Award recipients are the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 2011 Kia Sorento, and the 2010 Toyota Highlander and Venza. It takes a sturdy...
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How many times have you cursed the driver who just cut you off for being an idiot? Or the one that sailed by you on the highway doing 50 over the speed limit. You’ve known it all along – nobody knows how to drive (except you, of course). And now there’s proof – the 2010...
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What if your car knew exactly when the traffic lights would change, letting you crawl slowly towards a light at a pace that would let you hit the gas upon a green light, never having to come to a full stop? Or made irrelevant that game of brinksmanship, where you and the car next to...
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As quiet as ninjas, hybrid and electric cars can be just as deadly. But while ninjas sneak up on you quickly, hybrid and electric vehicles are most likely to get you at low, parking lot speeds. According to a report that came out last fall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), hybrids tend...
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This is pretty amazing. In this video, a car appears to come through the corner too hot and slide out of its lane into the cab of a semi truck carrying Pepsi. The truck loses control, jumps the median, and rolls over spilling America’s second-favorite beverage all over the freeway. Amazingly, a the driver of...
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Like the Frontier, the problem stems around potentially weak welds on the lower front ball joint collars that could come apart, affecting vehicle handling and alignment.
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The Click It or Ticket seatbelt safety campaign is in full force, and this summer, the focus of law enforcement officers will be on night time drivers who fail to buckle up. That’s right – justice never sleeps! One of the most successful highway safety campaigns in U.S. history, the Click It or Ticket message...
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We all know how dangerous it is to text while driving, but a recent survey shows that we just can’t keep our hands on the wheel and our eyes on the road ahead of us. It seems like we have to multitask no matter what we’re doing and among our favorite things to do while...
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Ford‘s Fusion sedan and Mercury Milan are currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for accessory floor mats that can become stuck. The investigation involves 249,301 Fusion and Milan models from the 2010 model year where an accessory floor mat may entrap the accelerator pedal – in essence causing a sticking...
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A sure sign of summer, the “Click It or Ticket” seatbelt campaign is in full force. And it seems to be working – 84 percent of Americans buckle up. This is the highest rate of seatbelt use recorded. The annual event, which runs from May 24 to June 5, is coordinated by the U.S. Department...
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Drivers who text have just met their worst enemy – the United Nations. In an attempt to end distracted driving, the United Nations has launched a new campaign aimed to stop texting while driving. This new program, named “Global Call to Action on Ending Distracted Driving,” has plenty of supporters in high places, including United...
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They are great to putter around the neighborhood in, or zip to the store to pick up a few groceries. But low-speed vehicles (LSV) and mini-trucks are no match for regular traffic when it comes to an accident. Recent crash tests preformed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) illustrate what happens when the...
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Finally, some good news for Toyota – three new Toyota vehicles have been given Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Getting the award are the 2011 Toyota Avalon and Sienna for achieving the institute’s highest ratings in front, side, rollover and rear crash tests. Also picking up an award...
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With so many people falling on hard times in this economy, some folks will do anything to earn a buck. That includes faking a car accident to make ends meet. According to a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), questionable claims (QC) resulting from staged accidents have increased 46 percent from...
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We all know the dangers associated with driving a vehicle, but that doesn’t mean we’re ever going to give them up. But have you ever stopped to really think about the numbers behind the car accidents and what they really add up to or are you afraid they may just scare you off the road?...
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With increased pressure from Congress in the wake of Toyota’s recall crisis, Honda has announced it will include a brake override feature in all of its models by the end of 2011. “We are committed to applying Brake Priority Logic on 100 percent of Honda and Acura passenger vehicles produced for the North American market...
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On the second song of their seminal album “London Calling”, The Clash famously sang “My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac.” For Amanda McBride and Joseph Brooks, a more appropriate lyric might be “my baby was born in a brand new Cobalt.” The Minnesota couple were on their way to the hospital in...
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