The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall alert for 2012 model year Honda Accord sedans and Honda Crosstour vehicles. The cars may have an air bag inflator that wasn’t manufactured to specifications and may fail to deploy the driver’s side- or passenger’s side air bags during a collision. According to the NHTSA, just under 350 of the Honda vehicles may have an issue with its side curtain air bag inflators. And American Honda Motors will begin notifying Accord and Crosstour owners affected by this recall on or about Feb. 10. Honda says it will replace the side curtain air bags from the recalled Accords and Crosstalks free of charge. For more information, consumers can call Honda’s toll-free customer service line (800-424-9153) or visit the NHTSA’s website: www.SaferCar.gov . Recall: 2011 Honda Accord / 2011 Honda Crosstour – Side air bags      Campaign ID#: 12V030000 [NHTSA] View original here:  Honda recalls 2012 Crosstour and Accord for air bag issues

The Fiat portfolio will expand next year when the larger, five-door 500L joins the Cinquecento range in the United States. This new model will make its world debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Fiat has been building out the 500 line here, adding the clever 500 Cabrio convertible, special Gucci and Pink editions, and soon a sportier 500 Abarth. The 500L will be the first truly different model. It measures about two feet longer than the familiar 500, promising a more family friendly package than the current car. We found that access to the rear seat in the two-door model was difficult and accommodations rather tight once there. Fiat has said three engines will be offered in Europe, but no details have been announced yet for the States. Hopefully it will offer more grunt than the 101-hp, 1.4-liter engine now used in the 500. Read our road tests of the Fiat 500 and 500C . See the original post: Sneak peek: Larger, five-door Fiat 500L

Toyota is recalling 427 of its RAV4 vehicles from model year 2011 because one or both curtain shield air bags may not deploy due to the inflator potentially not performing properly. In the even of a crash, the air bags may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries. In the curtain shield air bags, propellant with the incorrect specification was used for the initiator assembled in the air bag inflator. The recalled RAV4 vehicles were manufactured from November 24 through December 19, 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported. Toyota will notify owners and dealers will check the vehicle identification number to identify the curtain shield assemblies and replace the assemblies as necessary with new ones free of charge. The Safety recall is expected to begin in early March. Owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331, or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit www.SaferCar.gov . 427 2011 Toyota RAV4s for non-compliant curtain shield air bags [NHTSA] View original post here:  Recall: 2011 Toyota RAV4—Non-compliant curtain shield air bags

Honda has issued two recalls today — one for the 2012 Accord and 2012 Crosstour, and another for the 2011-2012 Ridgeline. The 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall is the most worrisome of the two. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Accords and Crosstours from the 2012 model year may have been built with a… View original here:  Honda Recalls 2012 Accord, 2012 Crosstour, 2011-2012 Ridgeline

Filed under: Latest News For many years the Toyota Corolla has been the best selling car in history. Thanks to its global presence, low price and easy-to-get-to-grips-with drive people have been lapping them up. There was a problem, though. The Ford F-Series trucks were the best selling vehicles of all time. Being a truck, it’s classified as a small commercial vehicle, thus keeping the Corolla’s car-trophy safe, but still – it’s not worth being winner of one category when there’s a bigger prize out there, is it? Recently the F-Series’ luck ran out, possibly due to high ‘gas’ prices, the fact that hillbillies are dying out and people realising that they don’t NEED a giant V8 pick up/SUV/waste of space. As a result, the Toyota Corolla’s sales overtook it. The Corolla has now, globally, sold 37.5million units over its 35 year life span. Not only does it mean it’s the biggest selling vehicle of all time, but it also means a Corolla is sold every 40 seconds. So, over your average episode of Geordie Shore 45 Toyota Corollas will be sold. That’s a scary stat. The top 10 best selling vehicles of all time are… 10. Chevy Impala (1958-current), 14 million 9. Volkswagen Passat (1973-current), 15.5 million 8. Ford Model T (1908-1927), 16.5 million 7. Honda Accord (1976-current), 17.5 million 6. Honda Civic (1972-current), 18.5 million 5. Ford Escort (1968-2000), 20 million 4. Volkswagen Beetle (1933-current), 23.5 million 3. Volkswagen Golf (1974-current), 27.5 million 2. Ford, F-150 Series Pick-up (1948-current), 35 million 1. Toyota Corolla (1966-current), 37.5 million Source: 247wallst.com   Read the original post: Toyota Corolla is the best selling vehicle… ever Originally posted here: Toyota Corolla is the best selling vehicle… ever

Little guy: 1. Honda: 0. That’s the results from Round One of Honda v. Civic Hybrid Owner . Which isn’t to say that Honda didn’t make a valiant effort. And we’ve got the 120-page evidence packet they submitted to prove it. So how exactly did Honda try to take down Heather Peters? More » Read more here: How Honda Fought Heather Peters In Small Claims Court [Honda Civic Hybrid] Here is the original post:  How Honda Fought Heather Peters In Small Claims Court [Honda Civic Hybrid]

Heather Mills took on corporate giant Honda in a southern California small-claims court over the fuel economy of her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. And she won. A former lawyer, Mills chose not to join a class-action suit that would reportedly pay out $100-$200 per owner and include a $1,000 credit toward a new car. Instead, she presented her own case in a Torrance, California, small-claims court where judgments are limited to $10,000, and she was awarded $9,867 yesterday. By going this path, Mills avoided paying legal fees. For contrast, she cites fees as being $8.5 million for the trail lawyers proceeding with the class-action suit. An Associated Press report quotes Mills as saying she hopes the victory will encourage other Civic Hybrid owners to follow her example, and she has set up a website to help get them started: dontsettlewithhonda.org . (Car enthusiast blog Jalopnik has posted an interesting, related piece: “ How You Can Sue An Automaker In Small Claims Court And Win .”) The core issue for Mills is that Honda had advertised the Honda Civic Hybrid as delivering 50 miles per gallon, and she did not experience that figure. Worse, she says a battery-related software update further reduced her mileage down to no better than 30 mpg. Consumer Reports’ testers were disappointed in the fuel economy results when we tested the 2006 Civic Hybrid . The car achieved 37 mpg overall, with 26 mpg in the city and 47 mpg on the highway. At the time, it was EPA-rated at 50 mpg combined, 49 mpg city and 51 mpg highway, hence the source for Honda’s claims. With the revised EPA fuel economy figures put in place for the 2008 model year for all passenger vehicles, the 2006 Civic Hybrid was adjusted to 42 mpg combined, with 40 mpg city and 45 mpg highway. The revisions the EPA made to its fuel economy ratings have brought their numbers closer to what we feel car owners, in general, will experience in the real world. Even still, there can be notable variance with hybrids, particularly in city driving. Clearly, results will vary based on driving style, fuel, terrain, speed, traffic flow, altitude, and weather. Like Mills, many Honda Civic Hybrid car owners allege that a software update resulted in a reduction in fuel economy, but we have not verified that claim....

Å small number—just over 200—Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks are being recalled by America Honda Motor Co. According to the U.S. National Traffic Highway Safety Administration, those 2011 and 2012 model year pickups have incorrect information regarding their spare tires, which could lead to tire failure and cause a crash. The NHTSA says that the data printed on the tire information placards, mandatory on all vehicles in the U.S., don’t match the data for the Honda Ridgelines’ actual spare tire—a violation of federal safety standards. Honda says in a press release that it has begun notifying customers affected by this recall to bring their Ridgeline pickups to local dealerships. Mechanics there will inspect the spare tires and placards and replace either the tire or the placard for free, For more information, consumers can contact Honda (toll-free: 800-999-1009 Web: www.recalls.honda.com ) or visit the NHTSA’s website: www.SaferCar.gov . Recall: 2011-2012 Honda Ridgeline – Tires    Campaign ID#: 12V025000 [CPSC] Statement regarding recall of 2011-2012 Honda Ridgeline [American Honda] Continued here:  Honda recalls 2011-12 Ridgeline pickup trucks for spare tire issues

The 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. Image: American Honda Motor Co. If you side with plaintiff and 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid owner Heather Peters, the automaker misled buyers in its claims that the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid could return up to 50 mpg fuel economy. If you side with Honda, the automaker claims that actual fuel economy delivered (by any car) is largely determined by driving style and maintenance performed. While enough 2006 – 2008 Honda fell short of projected mileage to file a class action lawsuit against Honda, Peters knew better than to jump on that particular bandwagon. Under the proposed class-action settlement, Civic Hybrid owners would receive just $100 and a coupon valid for $1,000 off the purchase of a new Honda automobile. The trial lawyers involved, on the other hand, would get some $8.5 million. Instead, Peters took the novel approach of taking Honda to small claims court, seeking the maximum of $10,000 in damage for her time and trouble. As the Los Angeles Times reports, the court sided with Peters, a former attorney, awarding her $9,867 in damages. Honda will appeal the ruling, so the case is likely far from over. Peters claims that some 500 other Civic Hybrid owners have contacted her in regards to pursuing a small claims case, and given the population of Civic Hybrids on the road, such a groundswell could get very expensive for Honda. Which, in turn, means that Honda products could get more expensive for everyone else. There is, after all, no such thing as a free lunch. If you read any new car window sticker, called a “Monroney” in the business, fuel economy numbers are clearly labeled with a disclaimer and an “expected range.” A vehicle rated at 28 mpg highway may have an expected range of 23 to 33 mpg on the highway, a variance of nearly 20 percent. Window stickers also include the statement, “Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.” In other words, no one is guaranteeing that a car will hit the numbers advertised. While we don’t know if Peters was informed of this, or if her car even came with a window sticker, every single published mileage claim we’ve ever seen contained the same disclaimer, albeit in fine print. Peters’ victory may be a win for her, and potentially for...

When the Wrangler was redesigned for its current generation (aka JK), the iconic SUV saw its road test score more than triple. The larger, more powerful Wrangler had joined the 21st-century, though it remained a trail-bred machine lumbering in a world now dominated by civilized crossovers. As Chrysler Corp. has rapidly updated its models on this side of bankruptcy, we were interested to see if the new touches applied to the Wrangler could elevate its standing. To ensure we sampled the full breadth of the updates, we bought a well-equipped 2012 Wrangler Unlimited Sahara . No longer are barebones two-door models in favor. Instead, sales skew toward feature-laden four-door models. Ours stickered at $36,340, and it wouldn’t be hard to nudge up to $40,000, at which point there are many alternatives far better suited to suburbia. But clearly, Jeep buyers are drawn to the heritage, mystique, rugged looks, and go-anywhere ability that the Wrangler offers. It is very telling that the Wrangler has, indeed, become more civilized, with subtle touches through the interior to better approximate what consumers would find in competing models. Our tester has power heated mirrors, heated seats, iPod control, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic climate control, and remote start—features that long seemed inconceivable. Still, the Wrangler remains outdated. The ride is jiggly, handling clumsy, steering vague, and stopping distances long. The 285-hp, 3.6-liter V6 is a vast improvement over the ancient 3.8-liter V6 it replaced. It moves the large Wrangler pretty well, but this Pentastar engine still has to work hard. And fuel economy still isn’t a strong suit. Arguably, many people buy a Wrangler for allure of its off-road potential. To live that dream, some on-road sacrifices have to be made. We’d bet, though, that even ardent trail blazers will likely spend the vast majority of their time driving on pavement. While the Wrangler can perform off-road feats, we were disappointed in how our Unlimited Sahara struggled on our punishing rock hill. The culprit was tire traction. We had much better adventures in mud and sand. Handsome as the Wrangler is, the traditional body configuration makes for challenging ingress and egress, with small door openings, no door checks...

This is the Morning Shift , our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that’s actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn’t your time more important? More » More: Fiat 500L, Camaro ZL1 Production Starts, And A Nissan Leaf Doesn’t Explode In Flames [Video] Go here to see the original:  Fiat 500L, Camaro ZL1 Production Starts, And A Nissan Leaf Doesn’t Explode In Flames [Video]

This year, Volkswagen released a new New Beetle, and over the decades they built like a gazillion old Old Beetles. Today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Type 1 is a new Old Beetle, but is its price old news? More » Here is the original: For $5,500, is this VW a Mexican, or a Mexican’t? [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe] Go here to see the original:  For $5,500, is this VW a Mexican, or a Mexican’t? [Nice Price Or Crack Pipe]

In a perfect world you could build an automobile for the masses, no matter how daring or bold the design was, and the majority of auto enthusiasts would naturally be attracted to your new creation. The same thing can be said for many new crossover SUVs, especially in the luxury market. Here in America we have taken a special liking to luxury crossovers such as the Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Evoque and even the BMW X5/X6. Undoubtedly, there is a vast market for such vehicles. The latest luxury automaker to reportedly have plans to roll out a new luxury crossover SUV, is Lamborghini. We already got wind of Bentley having an SUV on the drawing board while Maserati recently uncovered the Kubang concept, so this news is no surprise to us. Automotive rumors are sometimes like the bubonic plague; sure it spreads fast, but you never really confirm its legitimacy until you experience the real thing for yourself. According to Autonews , a senior source at Audi confirmed reports of Lamborghini getting into the SUV market with an aggressively styled crossover vehicle. Lately, images of such a vehicle have been circulating over the social networks and various automotive blogs from the Italian magazine Quattroruote. There is really no reason for us to doubt this rumor especially considering that Lamborghini has stated that they will have “two surprises” for upcoming auto shows. One surprise for Beijing and one for Geneva. Quite possibly, one of the two surprises will be a new Lamborghini Aventador Roadster while the other may be the rumored crossover SUV. Lamborghini Aventador Roadster rendering – source: ps-garage         Read the original: Report: Lamborghini Crossover SUV Rumored View post: Report: Lamborghini Crossover SUV Rumored

Sometimes a 24 Hours of LeMons team’s Good/Bad Idea can be an ill-advised engine swap, as we saw in last week’s Z-powered Datsun 510 … and sometimes it’s an extremely dramatic race finish that brings a standing ovation from the grandstands. Team Olds went for the latter approach at the finale of the 2011 Boston Tow Party and Overhead Cam-Bake at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut. The Team Olds ’92 Delta 88 looked good all weekend. The car didn’t break down (much), it managed to put down some respectable lap times on Stafford’s tight, paint-tradin’ course— not an easy feat for a big GM boat surrounded by Alfa Milanos, Honda Civics, and BMW E30s— and it looked luxurious doing so. Here we see General Motors showing the flag at Stafford’s start/finish line; that’s the Chev-itte Where The Sun Don’t Shine Chevrolet Chevette (which finished sixth overall out of 52 entries and annihilated the Class C competition) in front, with the Team Olds Delta 88 right behind it. Just behind them is the winged #6 Limp1 Brokebird Pontiac Firebird, which finished in an impossible-to-believe fourth place, and that majestic yellow machine is the Speedycop and the Gang of Outlaws ’80 Pontiac Bonneville Donk— which took home the Index of Effluency, LeMons racing’s top prize— rollin’ on 22s in extremely gangsta fashion. Behind the Donk we’ve got the Elmo’s Revenge Saturn SL2, and that Pontiac Fiero decked out in Alitalia livery is none other than the legendarily terrible “Five Lap Fiero” built by C/D scribe Mike Austin for the ’08 Altamont race and then sold to the members of Rusty Tear Racing (in what we assume was the swindle of the century) after Mike decided that a VW Quantum Syncro wagon would be more reliable. Yes, the Team Olds Delta was in excellent company for a weekend of racin’ glory that no doubt made The General proud (never mind that a Milano took the win on laps). As the shadows lengthened on Sunday afternoon, Team Olds could taste that checkered flag coming. Not many full-sized grandma haulers can survive a weekend of thrashing on Stafford’s wicked-mean half-mile course without tossing a rod through the oil pan or busting major suspension...

Price premium for that lifetime battery guarantee? Just a hybrid marketing ploy? Last month we covered Hyundai’s lifetime Sonata hybrid battery warranty that guarantees that Hyundai will replace the lithium-ion battery pack in the Sonata hybrid and recycle it, if needed. Then, however, we weren’t sure if that warranty would be transferable. Unfortunately, the warranty is not transferable, but it’s still a good industry standard that other automakers should follow, as long as it doesn’t affect pricing. Considering the Honda Civic hybrid small claims suit regarding poor fuel economy and faulty battery packs, plus Chevy Volt battery fire concerns, Hyundai’s guarantee is a good way to squash battery concerns. Hopefully, other automakers will follow this lead. Some might argue such a warranty is just PR since most hybrid batteries — outside of Honda — have proved quite reliable. King of hybrid cars Toyota, for instance, claims its hybrid batteries should last at least 150,000 miles, so why not just offer a lifetime warranty? Of course, one might imagine a scenario where old hybrids could be kept ‘forever’ with free battery packs from the dealership. Still, as Consumer Reports found, managing a healthy supply of used hybrid battery packs could manage such scenarios cost-effectively. Still, I don’t believe it’s battery worries that are keeping a cap on hybrid sales. Instead, it’s price. If Hyundai’s hybrid prices reflect this warranty, then I’d call it counter-productive. See more here:  Priceless? Hyundai lifetime hybrid battery guarantee nontransferable