NHTSA

GABE NELSON

U.S. distracted driving fatalities top 3,300 -- what's the solution?

10:16 am U.S. ET | April 6, 2013
Imagine if you were to wake up tomorrow, flip on the morning news, and discover that during the previous night, 3,092 people veered over a cliff to their deaths.... Read More »

 

U.S. seeks to revise crash ratings to protect seniors

11:24 am U.S. ET | April 4, 2013
Auto-safety regulators plan to change the rating system for new cars sold in the United States to keep up with advances in safety technology and better protect older drivers and passengers.... Read More »

 

Subaru recalls 2005-2009 Legacys and Outbacks to check brakes

11:57 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013
Subaru is recalling about 225,000 Legacy and Outback sedans and wagons from model years 2005-2009 in the United States and Canada to check for corroded brake lines.... Read More »

 

NHTSA checking 2006-08 Hyundai Sonatas after reports of rusted suspension frames

10:29 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is checking Hyundai Sonatas from the 2006-08 model years in response to complaints about rusted rear suspension frames.... Read More »

 

Honda recalls Acura TSX sedans to reinforce electronic control unit

9:47 am U.S. ET | March 22, 2013
Honda will recall 76,000 Acura TSX sedans in the United States to install a water-resistant cover over the electronic control unit to prevent corrosion that could ultimately lead to stalling.... Read More »

 

NHTSA app aims to ease consumers' access to safety info

4:15 pm U.S. ET | March 21, 2013
Federal regulators are offering a free app for iPhones and iPods that provides the latest vehicle safety information to consumers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's SaferCar.gov Web site.... Read More »

 

TECHNOLOGY

Audi headlights banned in U.S. by 1968 ruling

March 20, 2013 14:29 CET
Audi customers buying the A8 sedan in the United States will have to live without new matrix-beam headlights because of a 45-year-old regulation that prohibits their use on U.S. roads.... Read More »

 

U.S. upgrades probe of fuel leaks in 250,000 Mercedes E-Class models

11:16 am U.S. ET | March 19, 2013
U.S. safety officials have upgraded an investigation into an estimated 250,000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans for a possible leak from the fuel tank.... Read More »

 

Louder EVs may turn off drivers, automakers say

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 18, 2013
A plan to make electric cars louder in the name of safety could annoy drivers and inhibit adoption of electric vehicle technology, automakers say.... Read More »

 

Chrysler tells 2,500 owners of V-6 Challengers to stop driving because of fire risk

3:05 pm U.S. ET | March 17, 2013
Chrysler Group is warning about 2,500 owners of 2013 Dodge Challengers with V-6 engines built in December and January not to drive their cars because of a potential short-circuit that could lead to a fire. Seven such fires have occurred, none causing injury, on Challengers built from Dec. 3, 2012, through Jan. 24, 2013.... Read More »

 

Toyota recalls FJ Cruiser to inspect, repair rear seat-belt retractors

2:54 pm U.S. ET | March 15, 2013
Toyota is recalling about 310,000 FJ Cruiser compact SUVs worldwide because cracks can develop in the rear door panels, allowing the seat-belt retractors to detach.... Read More »

 

Safety group says new crash tests point to underride hazards

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 14, 2013
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety unveiled new crash-test results today that highlight the weakness of steel guards installed on the back ends of large truck trailers. If the guards fail after being struck by a car, “they can allow catastrophic underride where cars slide underneath” the large truck, the institute warned in releasing the results.... Read More »

 

Nissan recalls five 2013 models on passenger airbag concerns

10:16 am U.S. ET | March 13, 2013
Nissan is recalling five 2013 model year vehicles, including top sellers Altima and Sentra, because the front passenger airbag may not deploy in a crash, the automaker told U.S. regulators. The models in the recall are Nissan's Altima, Sentra, Pathfinder and Leaf as well as Infiniti JX35, it said today.... Read More »

 

Three GM cars being probed by NHTSA for possible brake light problems

4:18 pm U.S. ET | March 12, 2013
Federal safety regulators are looking at three General Motors vehicles for potential brake light defects that could result in a recall of more than a million mid-sized vehicles.... Read More »

 

Ford recalls 7,150 newly built vehicles to repair child locks

2:53 pm U.S. ET | March 12, 2013
Ford plans to recall 7,150 vehicles built in November, including the 2013 Escape crossover, because some models are equipped with a defective child lock on the left rear door.... Read More »

 

Regulators checking if Subaru remote starter defect affects other automakers

5:25 pm U.S. ET | March 8, 2013
Federal safety investigators are looking into a Subaru recall to determine if a defect in the remote engine starter could affect other automakers.... Read More »

 

Subaru recalling 47,419 U.S. vehicles for remote starter issue

2:56 pm U.S. ET | March 7, 2013
Subaru of America is recalling up to 47,419 cars and crossover vehicles in the United States equipped with remote starters because the engines could start on their own. The recall affects some Legacy and Outback cars from model years 2010 through 2013, Impreza sedans from 2012 and 2013, and XV Crosstrek crossover vehicles from 2013.... Read More »

 

Ford recalls 230,000 minivans for corrosion issue

10:29 am U.S. ET | March 7, 2013
Ford is recalling about 230,000 older minivans globally to fix a corrosion problem that could prevent the fold-down third-row seats from locking in place.... Read More »

 

U.S. teen driver deaths spiked in first half of 2012, new survey says

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 27, 2013
Teen driving deaths in the United States increased in the first six months of last year, further eroding a decade-long reduction, possibly as a result of more accidents caused by texting and talking behind the wheel, state highway officials said.... Read More »

 

Toyota Prius being evaluated by NHTSA for steering-shaft concerns

1:41 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 26, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into whether steering shafts in Toyota Prius models spanning from 2004 through 2009 model years are defective.... Read More »

 

Ford sedans, SUVs face U.S. safety probe for stalling problem

1:08 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 25, 2013
Federal safety investigators are probing 725,000 Ford Motor Co. sedans and crossover vehicles after receiving reports of possible fuel system problems that could cause a sudden loss of engine power.... Read More »

 

BMW to recall 570,000 vehicles in North America

Feb. 19, 2013 06:01 CET
BMW has told safety regulators it will recall about 570,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada because of a faulty battery cable connector that can fail and cause an engine to stall.... Read More »

 

BMW recall is its largest ever in U.S.

8:01 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013
BMW has told safety regulators it will recall about 570,000 vehicles in the United States and Canada because of a faulty battery cable connector that can fail and cause an engine to stall. The U.S. portion of the recall -- 504,000 vehicles -- is the largest recall ever for BMW in the United States, a spokesman said today.... Read More »

 

PRODUCTION LINE

Audi headlights await federal rules

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 18, 2013
Audi AG, which has made LED lights a signature of its vehicle design, now has another lighting evolution in mind. The feature, called "matrix beam lighting," is meant to let drivers use high beams all the time without blinding other drivers.... Read More »

 

BMW recalls X5 SUV for brake flaw

12:13 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 15, 2013
BMW is recalling 30,265 of its X5 SUVs from model years 2007-2010 to correct a brake vacuum pump leak, according to U.S. safety regulators. Separately, Chrysler said it is recalling 4,278 Dodge Viper sports cars globally to fix a part that could cause the airbags to inadvertently deploy.... Read More »