A pending recall for the Ford Mustang Mach-E. This week, the Ford Motor Company ordered dealers to stop selling the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicle. The order follows the recognition that a safety defect might make cars immobile. Currently, 49,000 vehicles are covered and will likely face a recall. Mach-E … Read more
Tesla is an early pioneer of Level 2 autonomous driving thanks to its so-called Autopilot technology. The equipment, though, is far from automatic as it still requires the driver to sit behind the wheel and intervene when necessary. Autopilot: SAE Level 2 Since its rollout in 2014, Autopilot has received … Read more
Tire ratings are downright weird and you may not have known that. Notably, tires are rated for maximum speed with those ratings listed in the form of a variety of letters and numbers on a tire’s sidewall. This “nomenclature” outlines nearly everything about them. Including tire size, construction, and the … Read more
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced this month the vehicle models that it deems safest. Backed by the major insurance companies, the IIHS runs comprehensive crash tests on hundreds of vehicles each year and serves as the industry’s counterpart to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unlike … Read more
The 2021 CX-30 is one of four Mazda crossover models. We’re long-time admirers of Mazda, the little Japanese automaker that could. Overshadowed by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, Mazda is much like Subaru and to a much lesser extent, Mitsubishi, in finding and exploiting a niche in the new vehicle market. … Read more
The Hyundai Venue returns for its second year minus a manual gearbox. The Hyundai Venue returns for its second year, continuing in its role as the brand’s smallest utility vehicle. It is also Hyundai’s second cheapest model, with only the Accent sedan priced lower. The Venue brings to the market … Read more
The Volkswagen Arteon is a premium-class four-door sedan with a coupe-like presence. The Volkswagen Arteon is the “odd duck” amongst mainstream midsize sedans. Firstly, it really isn’t a sedan. Instead, the Arteon has a coupe-like roofline that ends in a liftback. Secondly, the Arteon is a class or two above … Read more
Infiniti’s luxury sport coupe soldiers on. The incredibly shrinking car market means there are fewer sedans and coupes for the choosing, including among the premium and luxury brands. Indeed, the Lincoln marque is comprised entirely of utility vehicles, with the last sedan sold in 2020. Not every luxury brand has … Read more
The compact crossover sport utility vehicle market is booming and that’s no surprise. These models have largely replaced the family sedan, offering similar five-person seating, better cargo space, and decent trailering. Among the best-selling models in this segment is the Nissan Rogue, which launched its third generation for 2021. We’ll … Read more
All-wheel drive comes to the Camry sedan range. If you’re shopping for an all-wheel drive model, chances are you’re looking at a crossover or a pickup truck. As for most cars, outside of luxury models, you won’t that option apart from Subaru. However, in recent years we’ve seen models such … Read more
A performance-oriented version debuts for the Hyundai Sonata. Performance and a midsize sedan don’t mix, but that belief is fading fast. Indeed, several manufacturers offer sedans with sporty variants, giving customers a choice that goes beyond the average people mover. With the midsize Sonata, Hyundai has offered some decent performers … Read more
More and more technology is being integrated into vehicles in today’s world. Much of this technology is complex, leading to significant problems, as seen in the skyrocketing number of software-related vehicle recalls in the past few years. These problems were especially pronounced in 2018, which was a record year for … Read more
Timely tips for Child Passenger Safety Week You never saw it coming. A driver cuts into your lane, clips your right front fender, spins your SUV and forces it into a guardrail. The airbags deploy, you’re momentarily stunned and then suddenly you’re jarred into full alert mode as your toddler … Read more
Mazda packs in a little zoom-zoom for some fun-fun. Compact SUVs dominate the market with some models jockeying for best-seller status this year. Consumers love these vehicles, which explains why the 2017 CX-5 remains Mazda’s top model. If you’re looking for something that isn’t a Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet or … Read more
Top-of-the-line 2017 Elantra trim delivers the trappings in style. Compact sedans typically offer great value, supplying an ideal entryway to new car ownership for the majority of consumers. Nearly all manufacturers offer one, although the segment has been taking a hit as shoppers continue to shift their purchase decisions to … Read more
Compact NX is the smallest of four Lexus SUVs. Low fuel prices haven’t halted Lexus’ advance in all things hybrid. Piggybacking on Toyota Motors’ technology, Lexus’ gas-electric vehicles currently number five model lines and soon will be joined by two 2018 models: the LC 500h coupe and the LS 500h. … Read more
Chevy’s small car is big on efficiency. Car sales are getting clobbered in a market where SUVs and pickup truck growth continues to expand. Even as we finish yet another strong sales year, manufacturers are shifting production capacity away from cars in favor of the vehicle types consumers want. Yet, … Read more
A small cargo van for a niche market. Did you know Nissan has a burgeoning commercial vehicle business? This Japanese automaker with a huge manufacturing and distribution presence in the United States has pickup trucks, vans, and taxis designed with commercial customers in mind. With this particular sales division, Nissan … Read more
Approximately 8.9 million total air bags have been repaired. Millions of defective air bags have been repaired as part of a widespread and historically large recall involving Takata units. Some 5.02 million driver side airbags have been replaced with another 3.84 million passenger-side air bags also fixed. These are the … Read more
Subaru of America and the Center for Pet Safety have completed the third and final phase of their joint pet travel safety initiative. The latest leg of the study has shown that pet travel seats do not offer the level of protection pet owners may think they provide. Your pet … Read more
Renting or buying a used car should mean that only safe and reliable vehicles are transacted. As the law currently stands, only new cars under a recall must be fixed before they are sold. The NHTSA has asked Congress to pass legislation to close that loophole. Renting a car or … Read more
Airbag supplier Takata, a Japanese company, has been ordered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to expand its current recall to the national level. The NHTSA contacted Takata and 10 vehicle manufacturers this week, ordering a national recall of affected vehicles. The expanded recall follows further evaluation after … Read more
Two-thirds of the airbag recalls involve Honda vehicles. The news this week turned especially gruesome as the New York Times shared the account of a dying Florida woman lying in a hospital bed who appeared to have stab wounds in her neck. On further investigation, it was revealed that an … Read more
Most methods for combatting sleepiness do not work. Mile after mile of interstate driving can takes its toll on any driver. Including at night and especially during the early hours of the morning. A feeling of sleepiness begins to creep in and before you know it your head is moving … Read more
Pedestrian safety report points out problems, outlines solutions. As a driver, you are very much aware of what other drivers are doing while on the road. You also take note of motorcycles and bicycles, giving them enough room to share the road. Pedestrians are another concern, especially young children that … Read more
Tire safety and your car. Tire-related crashes contribute to more than 11,000 accidents and kill at least 200 people each year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To assist consumers with selecting and maintaining their tires, the NHTSA has introduced its TireWise safety campaign, covering topics ranging … Read more
Tesla Model S pulls down an important award. The last few weeks have been tough for Tesla Motors as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a probe investigating fires involving three Tesla Model S vehicles. Still, the investigation has not affected Teslas place in a recently released … Read more
The Cadillac Escalade is a distinctive SUV that recently lost one of its more unwelcome attributes: the most stolen vehicle. Indeed, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the Escalade that is one feature Cadillac can cross off of the Escalade’s list. The distinction now belongs to the Ford … Read more
It is summer and the living is easy. Easy for car thieves, that is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a reminder to consumers that when it comes to summer, thieves do not take a holiday. In fact, thieves are more likely to steal a car during … Read more
Distracted Driving Distracted driving remains a significant problem, one that accounted for an estimated 3,311 of the 32,367 traffic fatalities in 2011 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Such distractions are attributed to a number of factors including texting and reading email while driving, occurrences that were tracked … Read more