Issues
Consumer Groups: Subaru Owners Deserve Transmission Recall Not Extended Warranty
By Christopher Jensen Consumer advocates from three groups say Subaru should be recalling models with a stalling problem instead of providing owners with an extended warranty on a troublesome continuously variable transmission. Stalling cars create “potentially dangerous situations for drivers,” said Jason Levine, the executive director of The Center for Auto Safety. “Why isn’t this…
Fatal Jeep Crash Renews Criticism of Recall Fix to Prevent Fires
A fatal accident this week involving a Jeep SUV has revived criticism from safety advocates that a federally sanctioned recall plan to keep the vehicle’s fuel tank from igniting in rear-end crashes didn’t go far enough to protect motorists. Vicki Hill, 58, of Elyria, Ohio, died early Monday morning after her 2007 Jeep Liberty was rear-ended.…
Recall: With 707 Horsepower It’s A Good Idea To Keep The Oil In The Engine
by Christopher Jensen It’s hard to imagine any good coming from the driver of a 707-horsepower vehicle not being able to see out the windshield. That accounts for the automaker recalling about 1,200 of its 2017 Dodge Challenger SRTs with the Hellcat V-8. The problem is a possible oil leak. A hose to the engine…
U.S. too slow to require rear seat belt warnings, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit accuses the U.S. government of being too slow to implement rules requiring that rear seat vehicle passengers be warned when they fail to buckle their seat belts. In a complaint filed on Wednesday, two nonprofits said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has done nothing to implement legislation signed in July…
At Center for Auto Safety, a New Leader for a New Era
Since 1970 the tiny Center for Auto Safety has wielded enormous influence through its campaigns to recall vehicles for safety-related defects and to push states to enact consumer protections such as lemon laws. But consumer advocates say the Washington, D.C.,-based nonprofit is entering a new and perhaps more challenging environment under the Trump administration. And, for the…
Auto safety group names new director
The Center for Auto Safety has named a new executive director. Jason K. Levine succeeds the late Clarence M. Ditlow III, who headed the organization for decades prior to his death last November. Levine, a consumer protection attorney, has held leadership positions in three federal agencies, including Chief of Staff at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and…
The Car Book 2017
The 2017 Car Book is better than ever – and it’s loaded with all the latest information for you about … …crash tests, …rollover ratings …maintenance costs, …fuel economy, insurance costs, and …lemon ratings & reliability by make and model. … insights on the best new electronic safety features to order. … update reviews…
General Motors Recalls 800,000 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra Trucks Worldwide Over Power Steering Defect
General Motors has issued a recall order for about 800,000 units of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, as the pickup trucks have a potential issue with their power steering systems. General Motors has not had a good year so far, and this vehicle recall continues the automobile manufacturer’s bad luck. The vehicle recall that…
VW executive pleads guilty in emissions scandal
A German Volkswagen executive pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and fraud charges in Detroit in a scheme to cheat emission rules on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. Shackled at the wrists and ankles and wearing red prison garb, Oliver Schmidt appeared before U.S. District Judge Sean Cox as part of the U.S. government’s case involving the…
Self-Driving Cars are Confusing Drivers – and Spooking Insurers
The great promise of autonomous vehicles, aside from saving you from the tyranny of commuting, is their ability to save lives by replacing stupid humans with intelligent computers. But these cars, at least in the short-term, could make driving riskier because people don’t yet understand the technology or just how it works. British auto insurance companies call…