2011 Ford F-150 & Other F-Series Models Recalled For Transmission Flaw
Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for 2011 models of its popular F-150 pickup, as well as 2012 vehicles from the F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 lines. The recall centers around a problem with the brake shift interlock switch, which could increase the risk of a crash.
In a nutshell, the flaw may allow owners of the recalled vehicles to shift out of park without depressing the brake pedal. In certain circumstances, drivers could accidentally slip their trucks into gear, which might result in a collision with another vehicle or object, or a pedestrian.
According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem affects F-150s built between September 9 and September 22, 2011, and 2012 F-Series heavy-duty models manufactured from September 12 to September 22, 2011. In all, 16,091 vehicles are subject to recall.
Ford says the recall will officially begin by next Monday, December 19. At that time, owners will be able to take their vehicles to a local Ford dealer, who will inspect the problematic switch and replace it free of charge, if necessary.
If you believe you own one of the affected vehicles and have questions in the meantime, we encourage you to contact Ford's Customer Relationship Center at 866-436-7332. Alternately, you can contact the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and reference recall #11V582000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
NHTSA Investigation Concludes No Electronic Flaws In Recalled Toyotas
Unintended acceleration, Pedalgate, whatever the tag line, the federal government investigation into Toyota vehicles recalled for their purported propensity to suddenly take off, beyond driver control, concluded today that there are no faults in Toyota's electronic throttle control systems.
The finding is significant, noting that the only known causes of of the unintended acceleration and related problems are due to mechanical defects with the pedals and floor mat systems. You may remember the NHTSA came to the same conclusion in a preliminary report issued last August. Another NHTSA report found that the drivers themselves were often to blame.
As Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood put it: "The jury is back. The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period. Our conclusion--that Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical--come after one of the most exhaustive, thorough and intensive research efforts ever undertaken."
Engineers at NASA assisted the NHTSA in making the finding, studying Toyota's vehicles over a 10-month period at the request of Congress.
Toyota, however, will take the result as cold comfort: the damage to its reputation has been done. The mechanical issues with its pedals and floor mats, after all, remain as the root factor in what eventually became a record recall of over 12 million vehicles around the world and over 5 million here in the U.S. Toyota was eventually fined $48.8 million for its treatment of the recalls.
For a thorough recap of the Toyota pedal-entrapment and sticking pedal recalls, Bengt Halvorson's "Toyota And Lexus Recall: Everything You Need To Know" wraps it all up tidily.
[Washington Post, Detroit News]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
For 2010, Toyota Prius Again Tops EPA Fuel Economy Ratings
The 2010 Toyota Prius is again the most fuel-efficient performer in the U.S. market, at 50 mpg Combined, while runners-up include the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg), Honda Insight (41), Ford Fusion Hybrid (39), and Mercury Milan Hybrid (39).
That's the official word from the 2010 EPA Fuel Economy Guide information, which was released this past week.
The published guide, which has been produced annually since 1975 and was admittedly much more important in the days before instantly available fuel-efficiency information from sites like TheCarConnection.com and the federal government's fueleconomy.gov, hosts ratings for every U.S. passenger vehicle and light truck, along with a list of hybrid vehicles, compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, diesels, and those that can accept ethanol blends like E85. And if you happen to want a good ol' paper copy, you can still order one here.
Only two production fuel-cell vehicles are listed in this year's guide. The Honda FCX Clarity is rated at 60 miles per kilogram of hydrogen in the city or the highway, with a driving range of 240 miles, and while the Toyota FCHV its mi/kg and range figures weren't available.
For ordinary gasoline vehicles, and for gasoline-electric hybrids, EPA Combined figures are used to calculate the Fuel Economy Guide's estimated annual fuel costs and calculated assuming 55 percent city driving, 45 percent highway driving, by mileage. These Combined figures are also used to determine compliance with Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ).
Simply put, the EPA City estimate simulates urban driving; the vehicle is started cold and driven through a series of starts, stops, and idling. The Highway estimate uses a warmed-up vehicle and simulates free-flowing rural or Interstate traffic.
The EPA ratings just changed substantially for 2008, when several new test cycles brought the city and highway ratings more in line with real results, but they're going to change again next year on a number of vehicles, as all automakers will required to run the new tests, not just adjust simpler results downward. Also looking ahead to next year and the Chevrolet Volt extended-range EV, along with other upcoming electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf, the EPA will be deciding on a framework for comparing plug-in vehicles. Making it both fair to a wide range of plug-ins and easy to understand to short-attention-span shoppers will be quite the challenge.
Depending on which vehicle you choose, you could be subject to a tax at purchase or a credit at the end of the year. The guide identifies vehicles that require a Gas Guzzler Tax. See fueleconomy.gov for more info on this or which hybrid and diesel vehicles qualify for a federal income tax credit of up to $3,400 ($4,000 for CNG). Shoppers might be pleased to see that the guide clearly notes if premium fuel is recommended or required.
The EPA also lists the best vehicles in each class, but here's where it gets confusing: Rather than classifying vehicles by footprint or real market competition, the EPA does so by passenger and cargo space, while pickups are divided by weight rating. With that in mind, here's this somewhat-useful list of the EPA's Model Year 2010 Fuel Economy Leaders:
Two-seater cars
Smart ForTwo (automatic) 33/41 mpg City/Hwy
Mazda MX-5 Miata (manual) 22/28
Minicompact Cars
Mini Cooper (manual) 28/37
Mini Cooper (automatic) 25/33
Subcompact Cars
Toyota Yaris (manual) 29/36
Toyota Yaris (automatic) 29/35
Compact Cars
Honda Civic Hybrid (automatic) 40/45
Volkswagen Jetta TDI / Golf TDI 30/41
Midsize Cars
Toyota Prius Hybrid (automatic) 51/46
Hyundai Elantra Blue (manual) 26/35
Large Cars
Hyundai Sonata (automatic) 22/32
Honda Accord (manual) 22/31
Small Station Wagons
Audi A3 2.0 TDI (automatic) 30/42
Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI (automatic) 30/42
Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI (manual) 30/41
Midsize Station Wagons
Volkswagen Passat Wagon (automatic) 22/31
BMW 535i Sport Wagon xDrive (manual) 16/23
Small Pickup Trucks
Ford Ranger 2WD (manual) 22/27
Toyota Tacoma 2WD (automatic) 19/25
Standard Pickup Trucks
Chevrolet C15 Silverado Hybrid 2WD (automatic) 21/22
GMC C15 Sierra Hybrid 2WD (automatic) 21/22
Hummer H3T 4WD (manual) 14/18
Minivans
Mazda Mazda5 (manual) 22/28
Mazda Mazda5 (automatic) 21/27
Sport Utility Vehicles
Ford Escape Hybrid / Mazda Tribute Hybrid / Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD (automatic) 34/31
Jeep Compass / Jeep Patriot 2WD (manual) 23/29
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Tchotchke Watch: Automoblox Rolls Out New Models This Fall
Here at TCC, we're of two minds about the toy vehicles put out by Automoblox. Aesthetically speaking, they're fairly awesome: spare, abstract, and evocative. On the other hand, they feel a little like toys for aging hipsters who've begun to wax nostalgic about the days of sandboxes, tonsillectomies, and Hot Wheels. (Also, we're still not convinced that kids really want to play with them.) However, our feelings about Automoblox may improve with the company's new lineup, which includes some very sweet-looking hotrod models. It's set to hit stores in time for the holidays, which seems awfully convenient. [Autoblog]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Volvo Listens Carefully In New NVH Lab
As the editors of TheCarConnection.com have experienced time and time again, an unsatisfying sound or some stray creaks and rattles can ruin an otherwise perfectly good new-car driving impression.
Likewise, sometimes a vehicle that is very capable and sporty just doesn't feel the part because you don't hear the right performance sounds above the ones you shouldn't.
Then there are the new questions of how should plug-in hybrids, electric vehicles, and extended-range EVs really sound? And can they be made more satisfying by carefully modeling how they sound?
To help answer all of these issues, Volvo Cars opened a new acoustic laboratory earlier this year at the heart of its production facilities in Torslanda, Sweden, to study the acoustic environment provided in and around a vehicle. The lab, which this week hosts a formal opening, uses a hard floor to provide the sound of driving on pavement but has sound-absorbing ceiling and walls to eliminate background noise and standing waves. Although it's certainly not the first acoustic lab for an automaker, it might just be the first to open since the more widespread development of EV and plug-in prototypes by major automakers.
Volvo divides car sounds into three categories: sounds that irritate (squeaks, rattles, and wind road), sounds that inform (engine noise, chimes or clicks of controls), and sounds that impress (engine note or the way a door shuts).
High-performance vehicles can be tested up to 155 mph at the facility. The first engine the lab worked with was the V-8-powered Volvo XC90. "We aimed to create a sophisticated V8 sound with a typical European note," said Johan Stenson, manager of the NVH Centre, in a release from Volvo. Stenson also professed an admiration for the throaty, offbeat purr of the five-cylinder engine of 1990s-era Volvo 850—a sound also appreciated by this editor.
"So just how should our plug-in hybrid sound? So far we have no bank of experience from which to obtain data. We'll have to start examining this issue fairly soon," commented Stenson.
Looking ahead, the lab will be more important as Volvo readies a plug-in hybrid—to be produced by 2012—that will be powered by electric motors alone during the first 30 miles, then a diesel internal combustion engine to extend range.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Rumor: Chrysler May Launch New ‘Ram’ Brand For Pickups, SUVs
General Motors came out of bankruptcy swinging, putting Bob Lutz on the front line of a full-court press junket to promote GM's new vehicles and new technology. We haven't heard much from the other restructured kid on the block, Chrysler, or its new Italian spouse; however, some interesting news is trickling through the gossip pipeline. and if the sources are correct, Chrysler will soon spin off the Dodge Ram into its own line of pickups, vans, and SUVs.
The dish comes via Edmunds, which tends to be pretty reliable on these things. And although the logic of restructuring suggests that ditching brands, not adding them, is what struggling companies ought to do, building a rugged product line on the back of the Ram label does make a good bit of sense. For one thing, it would allow the Chrysler brand to continue its move toward luxury vehicles (on par with Cadillac); it would allow Dodge to move toward the performance and of the spectrum (borrowing technology from its new sister brand, Alfa Romeo); and it would allow Jeep to...continue being Jeep (which is, quite frankly, what it's been needing to do for some time). It would also leave plenty of room for Fiat, which may launch the 500 and other vehicles under its own marque and serve as Chrysler's "citycar" unit (perhaps on par with MINI).
At the moment, however, all this remains rumor and speculation. We'll know more when Fiat announces its full plans for Chrysler in mid-November.
[Edmunds]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Hydrogen Fuel News: Science vs. Politics (Guess Who Wins)
Former president Bush devoted chunks of money to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, launching research projects across the country. Unfortunately, the Obama administration (specifically Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu) would rather focus on electric vehicles, since EV technology is literally ready to roll. Budgets being what they are, Chu cut hydrogen funding, but constituents who depend on fuel cell projects for their livelihood weren't happy and called their elected officials. Result: congress is forcing the Chu to spend $204 million on hydrogen fuel cells -- whether the Nobel laureate likes it or not. [BusinessInsider]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Fries, Apple Pie, Or 110 Adapter? McDonald’s Adds Charging Stations For Hybrids And EVs
Given the volume of disposable material it consumes on a daily basis, McDonald's may see like an unlikely place to set up a charging station for plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. In fact, the idea of ANY fast food joint catering to EVs seems a little weird to us--much less one in Cary, North Carolina. Then again, it's a brave new internet-friendly world out there, chock-full of innovation, including Coulomb Technologies' increasingly popular ChargePoint charging stations. One question, though: how many Big Macs can anyone eat and still fit behind the wheel of a MINI E?
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Ford SYNC Users: Free, Downloadable Updgrade Now Available That Provides Traffic And Directions
There's nothing worse that buying the latest electronic gadget or service, only to find that seven hours later, an updated, more capable version is available and you can't upgrade. With their voice-activated infotainment system, SYNC, Ford Motor Company is working to keep customers from suffing this type of post purchase dissonance.
We reported earlier this month that SYNC users could install a 911 Assist application, and now there's more news.
Announced today, current owners of early-launched 2010 vehicles equipped with Ford SYNC now can visit www.syncmyride.com and download and install the latest application Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) at home for no additional cost.
The upgrade to SYNC TDI connects a customer's Bluetooth-enabled cell phone to Ford's Service Delivery Network voice portal delivering turn-by-turn driving directions, real-time traffic, business searches and favorite news, sports and weather all through simple voice commands. Watch out OnStar, SYNC is encroaching on your territory.
Eligible vehicles include:
- 2010 Ford Mustang
- 2010 Ford Escape
- 2010 Ford Fusion
- 2010 Lincoln MKZ
- 2010 Mercury Mariner
- 2010 Mercury Milan
For customers with these vehicles, they can download this latest SYNC application similar to the way they would download a song from an online media store such as Apple's iTunes.
TDI will be available on all 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with SYNC, including the all-new Ford Taurus, which arrives in dealerships this summer
SYNC, when available as an option, retains its retail price of $395, and includes a GPS receiver new for the 2010 model year. Ford told us that TDI services come with no monthly subscription fees for the first three years of vehicle ownership.
Wish I could upgrade my iPod Classic so easily. I can't even play rented movies from iTunes ... sheesh.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM Cutting 1,100 Dealers–Is Yours One?
GM's plan to cut the numbers of dealers that sell its vehicles is in motion, as the company outlined its next step in restructuring.
General Motors executives said that the company would shrink its total number of dealers from 5,969 stores with GM vehicles today, to about 3,600 outlets at the end of 2010.
The number includes a roster of approximately 1,100 dealers notified today that their stores were not among those that GM sees "as part of its dealer network on a long-term basis." GM has contracts in place that commit most of those dealers new vehicles through October 2010. The dealers being separated from GM are "underperforming" and generate "very small sales volumes," according to a release from the company. GM is hesitating in calling today's action a "termination," but says it will engage in discussions with affected dealers as it tries to fend off lawsuits that would slow or stop the cuts to its dealer network.
Another 470 dealers are affected by GM's decision to shut down or sell its Saturn, Saab and HUMMER brands. Those dealers are in limbo until GM announces the fate of the brands. HUMMER's sale is expected by summer; there's no official word on Saturn or Saab's future, other than suggestions the brands could be sold off or involved in a complex shuffling of global car brands involving Italy's Fiat Group.
Earlier this week Chrysler informed 789 dealers that it would end their agreements as that company makes its way through the initial stages of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding. Chrysler has more leverage in bankruptcy to end dealer agreements, but some stores are threatening legal action to prevent a loss of new products for their showrooms.
Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president for marketing and sales, called GM's dealers "not a problem, but an asset," while delivering the message. Detroit's newspapers report the dealers in question were notified this morning by telephone or Fedex.
For car shoppers, the effects of the closures will be more from a community perspective than a consumer perspective. GM operates multiple dealers in many large cities, and the surviving dealers may end up becoming more profitable--but the closures will result in job losses and empty showroom buildings at the very least.
GM declined to publish a list of affected dealers.
For more on the GM restructuring, follow our General Motors tag.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
