Car Safety
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Last summer, I wrote an article patting Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk on the back for being so responsive to Model S electric-car owners. Of whom I am one. But in 2015? Not so much. I ended that article with a plea to Musk for a safety upgrade on the Model S: a firmware change to cut off power to the wheels if the driver inadvertently presses the accelerator pedal while braking. DON'T MISS: Tesla CEO Elon Musk's Personal Touch: Secret To His Success? (Aug 2014) Due to the close spacing of the brake and accelerator pedals in the Model S, this is more likely to happen in the Tesla than most other...
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2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt Recall Limits Idle Time To Avert Carbon Monoxide Danger
GM is recalling older Volt models for a software fix that will limit idle times.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore Small SUVs Get IIHS Top Safety Pick Label
Both General Motors subcompact crossovers received the IIHS Top Safety Pick rating.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Honda Fit Gets Highest Safety Rating From NHTSA
The 2015 Honda Fit earned a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA.
Stephen Edelstein -
Pedestrian-Alert Noises For Electric, Hybrid Cars Delayed By NHTSA, Again
A rule requiring pedestrian-alert noises for electric cars and hybrids is delayed until 2018.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014-2015 Toyota Prius V Wagon Recalled For Airbag Sensor Issue
Toyota is recalling certain 2014 and 2015 Prius V hybrid wagons to fix an improperly-calibrated airbag occupant classification system.
Stephen Edelstein -
The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage earned four- and five-star ratings in government crash tests.
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Do Auto Emissions Kill As Many People As Car Crashes?
Researchers compare emissions-related deaths to car crashes, with ambiguous results.
Stephen Edelstein -
2014 Infiniti Q50, Q70 Hybrids Recalled Over Transmission Housing Issue
Infiniti will recall 817 hybrid sedans over potentially-fragile transmission housings.
Stephen Edelstein -
2012-2014 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Recall: Brake Pump Corrosion
Mitusbishi i-MiEV electric cars will be recalled to address faulty brake pumps.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model S Adds 'Speed Assist,' Lane-Departure Warning
Tesla adds two safety systems to the Model S electric car.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana Natural-Gas Vans Recall: Leak Poses Fire Risk
General Motors is recalling Chevy and GMC vans to fix possible natural-gas leaks.
Stephen Edelstein -
How does a car-company CEO get to be a rock star? It helps, of course, if your company makes a five-passenger luxury sedan that outdrags a Porsche 911, uses half the energy of a Prius, and has the highest crash-safety rating ever recorded. But Elon Musk has done something else to separate himself from the grey-flannel pack: He listens to his customers. DON'T MISS: Tesla News: Model S Warranty, Gigafactory Fight, New Roadster Battery (VIDEO) And then he responds to them, either personally or on social media. Full-page ad Even more radical, in many cases, Musk readily admits to faults or...
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Rhode Island Launches Hybrid-Electric License Plates For EMT Safety
New license plates will mark plug-in cars for first responders.
Stephen Edelstein -
Ford Focus, C-Max Hybrid Recall For Steering Gear Issue: 600 Cars
A small recall will affect unsold Ford Focus and C-Max Hybrid cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 Honda Fit: Early Models To Get Better Bumpers For Crash Safety Boost
Early-production 2015 Honda Fit hatchbacks will be retrofitted with stronger bumper-beam welds.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevy Volt Electric Car: Only Current GM Model NOT Recalled This Year
The current 2015 Chevrolet Volt, now in its fifth year, will be the last of its generation before a revised and updated 2016 Volt is unveiled next January and goes on sale later in the year. But GM's first range-extended electric car turns out to have logged another minor distinction in its list of...
John Voelcker -
2007-2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid Recall For Brake-Fluid Reservoir Issue
Toyota will fix faulty brake-fluid reservoirs in previous-generation Camry Hybrid models.
Stephen Edelstein -
One of the toughest crash tests a car can face is the new small-frontal-overlap, introduced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2012. By crashing a vehicle so that only 25 percent of its front end contacts the barrier, far greater forces are transmitted through the car than in a typical offset crash test. The Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, and Ford C-Max Hybrid are among 12 of the latest smaller cars subjected to the test--and it's mixed news for the green trio. MORE: Very Small Cars Fail New IIHS Small-Overlap Frontal Crash Test Both the Volt and Leaf were tested back in 2011...
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Quiet-Car Rules Must Be Delayed, Automakers Say: NHTSA Not Ready
The concern that very quiet hybrid and electric cars may pose a danger to unaware pedestrians has been around for a decade or more now. Back in 2010, Congress required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop rules for adding alert noises to cars running on silent electric...
John Voelcker -
Recall For 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid Headlamp Problem
The just-discontinued Acura ILX Hybrid is recalled for overheating headlamps.
Stephen Edelstein -
2013-2014 Fiat 500e Electric Cars Recalled For Possible Coolant Leak
A large recall of Fiat 500e electric cars addresses possible coolant leaks.
Stephen Edelstein -
2013-2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid Recalled Over Airbag Software Issue
Ford is recalling 2013 and 2014 C-Max Hybrid models due to faulty airbag-control software.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric Cars Fine On Electromagnetic Emissions, Says EU Study
When new products arrive, they're often tested for safety to ensure they're suitable for a given market. You wouldn't want a child's toy to have sharp edges, for example--so manufacturers adhere to certain requirements for toys, and some are tested to ensure they comply. Electric cars are a new...
Antony Ingram