Auto News

Hyundai recalls 2011 Sonata sedan, GM recalls ‘05 – ‘08 Vibe (U.S)

Laguna — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:53:00 +0000

2011 Hyundai Sonata recalled due to steering defects: The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) will recall around 16,300 Sonata sedans after it opened an investigation regarding the car’s steering. “We will fully cooperate with the investigation and resolve any issues,” said James P. Trainor, Hyundai Motor America spokesman. “We have received two complaints for different issues and have repaired the vehicles.” NHTSA said the complaints “allege either a separation of the intermediate steering shaft assembly upper universal joint resulting in a complete loss of steering capability and/or a cross-threaded pinch bolt that caused stripped-out threads and loosening, but not complete separation of the upper universal joint connection.” The affected vehicles were manufactured during the same month and had approximately 600 miles on the clock at the time of the supposed incidents. Back in February, Hyundai recalled 5,893 ‘11 Sonatas due to defective door latches. GM calls back 2005 – 2008 Pontiac Vibe vehicles: GM is calling back 161,754 2005 – 2008 Vibes to rectify a fault regarding the engine control module, which could lead to the car stalling. The recall is connected directly with Toyota’s recall of 1.1m Corolla and Matrix models of the same year. The Vibe & Matrix underpin the Corolla platform. NHTSA said the engine control unit on cars with the 1ZZ-FE (LV6) engine and two-wheel drive “may have been improperly manufactured”. In some instances, “the engine may not start or the engine could shut off while the vehicle is being driven”. GM hasn’t given an owner announcement schedule, but its dealers will correct the substandard cars free of charge. You can contact GM on 800-620-7668. NHTSA investigates 2007 – 2008 Jeep Wranglers over fuel spills: The NHTSA has received 217 complaints from owners concerning a potential fuel leak. The inquiry involves 223,000 ’07 – ’08 Jeep Wranglers, suggesting that fuel could seep back out of the fuel filler during refueling, creating a potential fire risk. Owners have nagged about fuel splattering back out of the fuel filler, fuel dripping down the side of the SUV, splashing onto the owner and onto the ground. Chrysler said no-one has been injured and no fires have been related to the possible flawed vehicle. No UK models have been affected. Back in June, Jeep recalled 289,000 2006 – 2010 Wranglers due to a design fault, resulting in possible leakage within the brake pipes. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta recalled due to stalling 2.0 TDI engine stalling: Another day, another investigation from the NHTSA…This time, VW is under scrutiny. The NHTSA is looking in to a possible safety concern surrounding the 2009 VW Jetta 2.0 TDI. Several complaints from consumers and several more from online forums caused the investigation. The allegations propose that without warning the vehicle can shut-down and in many cases, will not switch back on. There are many stories for what may be the possible cause of the “stalling,” with some members suggesting that it is far more than an engine stalling issue. A list from forum members regarding problems have totalled to 26. The most frequent issue by the enthusiasts is a high pressure fuel pump, which in most cases is deteriorating by tearing apart and sending metal debris throughout the engine. When this takes place, repair quotes have usually varied from a hefty $5,000 – $10,000, with VW dealerships declining to cover the costs in many cases. Many owners of 2010 Jetta models are also reporting similar problems, signifying the study may be extended at a later date. No European models have been recalled. 2011 KIA Sorento & 2010 KIA Soul recalled due to possible fire risk: Kia is taking back 35,185 passenger cars, including 23,972 ’10 Soul s and 11,213 ’11 Sorento ’s due to a likely fire risk, the NHTSA said. “A limited number of wiring harnesses supplied by JCI and used for the lighting in the Kia Soul vehicle’s advanced lighting speakers, located in the front door trim panels, and the Kia Sorento vehicle’s interior accent illumination, located in the front and rear door trim panels, may have been improperly soldered,” said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. “When the lights are illuminated under certain conditions, an electrical short may occur that can result in a fire.” The Soul trim-levels involved are the Soul!, Soul Sport and Soul+, built between 7th September 2009 – 8th June 2010. The Sorento EX and EX V6 with interior illumination option built between 23rd October 2009 – 30th July 2010 are affected. Kia retailers will swap the wiring harnesses for the lights in the Kia Soul vehicle’s advanced lighting speakers and the wiring harness for the Kia Sorento vehicle’s interior accent illumination. The recall is expected to begin sometime in September. Owners can contact Kia on 800-333-4542.

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Hyundai recalls 2011 Sonata sedan, GM recalls ‘05 – ‘08 Vibe (U.S)

Ford recalls ‘98 – ‘03 Windstar MPV (U.S)

Laguna — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Ford is recalling 462,750 ‘98-‘03 Windstar large MPV as the rear axle could crack and increase the risk of a crash, according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The affected vehicles were produced from 1st September 1997 to 28th February 2003, and are presently registered or were initially sold in Delaware, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. “After many years of vehicle service in these areas, corrosion can weaken the rear axle, making it susceptible to torsional stress,” said NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. Corrosion and stress can lead to cracks which, if undetected, can propagate and result in a complete fracture of the axle. A fractured axle can affect vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.” The call back is expected to begin around 27th September. Ford told NHTSA that owners will be informed and ordered to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury showroom for inspection of the rear axle. Customers of vehicles without axle cracking will be notified when to return for the fitting of reinforcement brackets to extend the axle durability in the presence of corrosion, Ford said. Owners who have vehicles with cracked axles will be offered a repair or alternative transportation until parts become available. Owners of the affected Windstar vehicles can call Ford on (866) 436-7332.

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Ford recalls ‘98 – ‘03 Windstar MPV (U.S)

Tim Allen to Voice Future Chevrolet Commercials

Jake Holmes — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:26:35 +0000

Chevrolet has announced that Detroit-area-native Tim Allen will be the voice of the brand’s TV commercials. His voice will narrate ads for the Chevrolet Cruze, which will first air Tuesday, September 7. Allen is known for his roles on the TV show Home Improvement as well as feature films like Toy Story and The Santa Clause . According to GM, his car collection includes a 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS and a 2000 Cadillac DeVille (ooo!). This is far from the first time that car commercials have been accompanied by celebrity voices . Stars like Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges have narrated spots for Honda and Hyundai, respectively, to name but two. And Allen will replace athlete/actor/sportscaster Howie Long in Chevy’s ads. Related posts: Celebrity Voices Are Taking Over Car Commercials – Feature 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 – Future Cars

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Tim Allen to Voice Future Chevrolet Commercials

Cars from the “Axis of Evil”: Iran – Feature

Jordan Brown — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:40:53 +0000

Less famous than their rugs, Iran’s auto industry is a cornerstone of its economy. When George W. Bush first dubbed several countries the “Axis of Evil” in 2002, few knew what that truly meant for the future of U.S. foreign policy. But no one—not even the President himself—knew then that these evildoing countries would one day have to suffer the ultimate sanction: ridicule of their homebrewed cars by Car and Driver . That day is today. (And a few weeks ago, and a few weeks from now, but you get the idea). In Part 1, we knocked off North Korea . Today, we turn our sights to a country with a just slightly taller leader, the Islamic Republic of Iran. Keep Reading: Cars from the “Axis of Evil”: Iran – Feature Related posts: Cars from the “Axis of Evil”: North Korea – Feature

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Cars from the “Axis of Evil”: Iran – Feature

2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCab / SVT Raptor SuperCrew – Official Photos and Info

Jake Holmes — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:05:53 +0000

Ford’s awesome off-roader gains two real doors, drops its base engine, and picks up a few new toys. We’ve been enamored with the F-150 SVT Raptor ever since Ford unveiled the truck nearly two years ago. The off-road capability, toughness, and all-round bad-ass-ness quickly made the Raptor a C/D favorite. It’s clear we weren’t the only ones, as Ford claims that Raptors stay on dealer forecourts for a quarter of the time standard F-150s linger—just 11 days, compared to more than a month for Ford’s lesser trucks. For 2011, Ford is expanding the Raptor’s appeal by adding a four-door SuperCrew model to the mix. Keep Reading: 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCab / SVT Raptor SuperCrew – Official Photos and Info Related posts: 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew Announced – Car News 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor 6.2 and Raptor XT – Auto Shows 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor – First Drive Review

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2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCab / SVT Raptor SuperCrew – Official Photos and Info

The Continental: Mercedes Prototype-Spotting, New Ranger for Everyone Else, and Some Thoughts on Lincoln

Scott Mosher — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:04:02 +0000

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. Right now, traveling anywhere between Mercedes-Benz’s Stuttgart headquarters, the company’s Bremen factory, and its Papenburg test track, you are bound to run into camouflaged M-B prototypes. Just last week, I spotted the next-generation SL, the SLK, and the new B-class. All of them appear to continue in the spirit of the current models. The B-class is once again a compact van with a short hood and high seating position. The SL and SLK keep the current models’ proportions, although the SLK in particular will be a more muscular car. The dashboards will look more angular in the future. All of them will come with LED daytime running lights; the SLK gets horizontal front turn signals, similar to those on the current S-class. And while Mercedes toyed with the idea of switching back to a fabric roof for the SL, the company decided to stick with the folding hardtop, despite its packaging disadvantages. Mercedes-Benz Viano Here are two Mercedes models that definitely won’t make it to the U.S.: the just-face-lifted commercial vans Vito and Viano, little brothers of the Sprinter. While the Vito is unabashedly marketed to plumbers and craftsmen, the dressed-up Viano harbors upscale pretenses. This five-year-old van, just like the similarly sized Volkswagen T5, actually tries to compete with car-based minivans such as the Chrysler Town and Country in Europe. But the seating position and the steering-wheel placement betray their true nature. The T5, of course, is actually really nice, with the perfect execution I’ve come to expect from any recent VW. The Vito and Viano, on the other hand, are a far cry from any modern Mercedes car—and the face lift, which brings them visually closer to the R-class, changes little of that. Mercedes transporters were always engineered to different aesthetic and ride standards than the brand’s cars, but they are spacious and durable. If you can afford the gas bill, the top-of-the-line, 254-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 (which drives the rear wheels) is actually fun. New Ford Ranger and a Small Toyota Current Thai-built Ford Ranger The U.S.-market Ford Ranger and the Ranger sold in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere are entirely different trucks. Built in Rayong, Thailand, the rest-of-the-world Ranger is a simple and cheaply built truck; now a replacement is around the corner. Badged as the Ford Ranger and the Mazda BT, the new model will be built from mid-2011 on. Will it come to the U.S when the current model is discontinued? Probably not; even the new, Thai-built model would be a major step down from previous U.S. Rangers. At the Paris auto show in four weeks, Toyota will launch the Verso-S. One of the smallest microvans, it is powered by a 69-hp, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine or a 1.3-liter, 97-hp four. It is tiny, but a clear departure from the organic style of the previous Yaris Verso, which was sold in Europe until 2005. European Thoughts on Lincoln Following the April 1998 launch of the Lincoln LS, Ford announced that its upscale brand would enter the European market for the 1999 calendar year. The official press picture of the LS (license plate: K-DM 3418) is a special gem of my collection, as Lincoln’s move into Europe subsequently turned out to be little more than the figment of a few executives’ of imaginations. In the following years, other brands in Jac Nasser’s orbit were always more important than Lincoln, and the money that the brand would have needed was channeled into Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin—all of which are no longer part of Ford Motor Company. To be sure, Ford tried to make Lincoln more “European.” These attempts included Richard Parry-Jones’s totally gratuitous technical redesign of the big rear-drivers (Town Car, Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria) for the 2003 model year. The land yachts did become slightly more dynamic, although the change wasn’t called for by the brand’s traditional customers, who—in the eternal words of then-Lincoln designer Gerry McGovern (who is now back at Land Rover)—”will all be dead soon anyway.” What’s more, chassis replacement parts which were typically stored by fleet customers became worthless overnight. To top things off, that new chassis ate up the money that was badly needed for a visual face lift of the Crown Victoria, which was previewed by the Police Interceptor concept at the 2003 New York auto show but never materialized in showrooms. With the new focus on Lincoln and the fact that every other part of the “Premier Automotive Group” has been sold off or is in the process of being closed down, is there an excuse for Lincoln not to thrive? Expectations are high. Related posts: The Continental: E-cars for the Elderly, Mercedes A-class and VW Amarok for the U.S., and a Case for the Autobahn The Continental: Gemballa Supercars is Back, Ford News, and Compliments to Mercedes The Continental: Pondering Mercedes Styling, VW Could Buy Alfa, and Ford Globalizes Its Platforms

Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 55: 2010 Lexus IS F

Car and Driver — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:55:16 +0000

On Tuesday, we posted an audio recording of a mystery car’s exhaust note. To hear it again, click play above. We sort of gave this one away by running through all eight gears. That, combined with a (sometimes) thundering V-8, can only mean one thing: it was a Lexus IS F . Like that sound? Download the MP3 and quiz your friends, make your own ringtone, or just lull yourself to sleep with sweet, sweet vehicular ear candy. 2010 Lexus IS F Exhaust MP3 (Right-click to Save As…) Related posts: Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 37: 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 with Exhaust Cutout Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 8: Audi S8 Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 54: Rossion Q1

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Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 55: 2010 Lexus IS F

2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Short Take Road Test

Laguna — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:39:13 +0000

Chevy’s middleweight Corvette makes for a hugely capable convertible. Currently in its sixth generation as America’s sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette bristles with track-bred performance, unmistakable design, and everyday comforts. Although it hasn’t been entirely modernized—leaf springs, anyone?—General Motors has whittled away at the car’s rough edges for well over half a century, resulting in one of the best all-around performance cars for the money. Keep Reading: 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Short Take Road Test Related posts: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport – First Drive Review 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport vs. 2010 Lotus Evora, 2010 Porsche Cayman S – Video 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport vs. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Video

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2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – Short Take Road Test

2011 Dodge Durango – Official Photos and Info

Laguna — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:38:22 +0000

Taking newfound civility to the fringes of civilization. Don’t be alarmed if you think the 2011 Dodge Durango looks a lot like a stretched Jeep Grand Cherokee with a crosshair grille, because that’s essentially what it is. While the underpinnings are largely shared, Dodge tells us that the Durango is more focused on hauling people—it has three rows to the Grand Cherokee’s two—than crawling over rocks. And so while Jeep boasts about off-road capability, Dodge will play up the crossovery-ness and on-road performance of the Durango. Keep Reading: 2011 Dodge Durango – Official Photos and Info Related posts: Dodge Teases 2011 Durango – Future Cars 2012 Dodge Durango – Spied Dodge Durango Not Dead – Car News

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2011 Dodge Durango – Official Photos and Info

Hyundai ix20, Updated i10 to Debut at Paris Auto Show

Jake Holmes — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:38:36 +0000

Hyundai will use the Paris auto show to debut the ix20, a sketch of which appears above. The company describes it as a B-segment MPV, meaning it will likely be similar to the Chevrolet Orlando that also will bow in Paris. The ix20 is touted to combine engaging driving dynamics with the practicality of a minivan, although the sketch reminds us more of a small crossover. Like the new Hyundai Tucson, the ix20 was styled and designed in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Additionally, Hyundai’s stand will show off an updated iteration of the i10 subcompact . It’s said to be more competitive and feature a new, highly efficient 1.0-liter engine that produces just 99 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer. We’ll have more details live from the Paris show at the end of this month. Neither the ix20 nor the i10 are planned for sale in the U.S. Related posts: Chevrolet Orlando to Debut at Paris Auto Show (It’s Still Not Coming Here) Peugeot to Debut Diesel Hybrid Crossover at Paris Auto Show Kia Pop Electric-Car Concept to Debut at Paris Auto Show

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Hyundai ix20, Updated i10 to Debut at Paris Auto Show