NHTSA
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Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] had an up-and-down 2013, and 2014 looks to be no different on initial assessment. While 2013 was a year of rave reviews, high sales and the occasional lows of fire-related incidents, 2014 has started with a charging adapter recall for the startup automaker--one that CEO Elon Musk doesn't really believe is a proper recall. Musk's conflict with the NHTSA over such issues could lead him into trouble though, says Kelly Blue Book editorial director Jack Nerad to Bloomberg. Just under a week ago, the NHTSA issued a recall notice for certain 2013 Model S cars "equipped for...
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Tesla Recall: Over-The-Air Updates, NEMA Connectors, And More
Every carmaker puts its own interpretation on news, especially at Detroit Auto Show. So it's reasonable for Tesla Motors to cast an NHTSA recall yesterday as an example of its ability to respond swiftly and effectively to update its Model S electric car to make the customer experience even better...
John Voelcker -
2014 Toyota Prius Safety Rating Lowered To Four Stars From Five
A change in Federal crash-test procedures downgraded the safety rating of Toyota's iconic hybrid.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla's Elon Musk Expects NHTSA To Clear Model S In Fires
It's been a bumpy few months for electric car maker, Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA]. While enjoying the highs of high customer satisfaction and continued praise for the Model S electric sedan, the company has also endured high scrutiny for a trio of accident-related fires in its vehicles. CEO Elon Musk...
Antony Ingram -
Bad Day For Tesla: Sales VP Blankenship Out, NHTSA Threat
There must be days where Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk feels his multiple burdens more acutely than others. Today may be one, because yesterday was not a good day for Tesla. First, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a new set of publicity rules for its crash-testing...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Fires: NHTSA Will Probe, Warranty To Cover Fire Damage, Ride-Height Tweak
It's been quite a month for Tesla Motors and its CEO, Elon Musk. In the wake of three fires in Model S electric luxury sedans, a tsunami of media coverage about those fires, and a falling stock price--which may or may not be directly related--the company went on the offensive yesterday. MORE: Tesla...
John Voelcker -
There have now been three separate fires among roughly 20,000 Tesla Model S electric luxury sedans on the world's highways. The most recent one, two days ago, seems to have set off a fresh round of Internet fulmination--combined with much opining on what the news would do to the falling stock price of Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA]. So let's pull together all the facts, and sort out what we know from what we still need to find out. WHAT WE KNOW Fire # 1 The first fire, on October 1, occurred in Kent, Washington, outside Seattle. It apparently occurred after the Model S ran over a piece of road...
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2013 Tesla Model S Crash Tests: What Cars To Compare It To?
Earlier this week, trumpets were blown for Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], whose Model S luxury electric sedan attained the highest-ever rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration's crash tests. It's an impressive achievement, particularly for such a young automaker. And while the feds...
Antony Ingram -
NHTSA Rebukes Tesla Over Non-Existent "5.4-Star" Safety Rating
Small and startup companies often resort to attention-getting publicity to further their causes. Occasionally they get their wrist slapped for overreaching. And that's what happened to Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] yesterday. In a statement both on its website and the SaferCar.gov site, the National...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Models S Gets Highest Safety-Test Score Ever Awarded By NHTSA
The Tesla Model S is no stranger to awards and high scores, but its latest accolade could be its most important yet. Its five-star National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash test rating was revealed a few weeks back, but Tesla Motors (NSDQ:TSLA) has now revealed the car's score is...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Smart Electric Drive: 4 Stars Overall For Crash Safety From NHTSA
The 2013 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is the latest electric vehicle to have undergone the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's crash test procedures. Following frontal crash, side impact, and side pole impact tests, the Electric Drive was awarded four from a possible five stars overall...
Antony Ingram -
Tesla Takes The Lead On Dumping Door Mirrors For Video Cameras
The rear-view mirror has now been with us exactly 100 years, having first been introduced in 1914, and it hasn't changed much in all that time. It's a small area of mirrored glass--three of them now, actually--for the purpose of seeing through the rear window or along each side of the car without...
John Voelcker -
Back in May, General Motors announced the recall of more than 38,000 Buick and Chevrolet mild hybrid sedans to check for a potentially defective electronic component. Now, following a fire in a vehicle apparently repaired under the recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether GM's recall went far enough. The recall eventually covered just shy of 43,000 vehicles using GM's eAssist mild hybrid system--the Buick LaCrosse and Regal eAssist models, and the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco. An electronic generator module was said to be at fault, potentially...
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2012 Chevrolet Volts--Just Four--Recalled For Brake Valve Glitch
It just may be the most minimal safety recall in history. General Motors said yesterday it would recall precisely four 2012 Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric cars to fix a potential problem with a brake component that could have safety implications. As reported in The Detroit News, the company...
John Voelcker -
2013 Ford Fusion Energi Gets Top Safety Ratings From NHTSA, IIHS
The belief that electric cars must somehow perform badly in crashes is slowly being eroded, with many well-known examples scoring well in crash tests around the world. The 2013 Ford Fusion Energi, the plug-in hybrid variant of Ford's midsize offering, is the latest to join that list, with a top...
Antony Ingram -
NHTSA To Probe 2004-2009 Toyota Prius For Steering Issue
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into possible defects with 2004-2009 Toyota Prius steering shafts. No official recall has yet been announced, and will only follow if the NHTSA grants a defect petition claiming the steering column linkage was improperly...
Antony Ingram -
Gas Mileage Of New Cars Sold In Jan: 24.5 MPG, Highest Ever
Every month, the University of Michigan sends out its weighted average of the gas mileage of all new cars sold the previous month. And for January, the news is good. The new vehicles sold in the U.S. during January scored a sales-weighted average fuel efficiency of 24.5 mpg. That's up 0.4 mpg from...
John Voelcker -
IIHS: 2013 Dodge Dart Named A Top Safety Pick
In the automotive world, nothing says a car is more safe than a 5-Star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a Top Safety Pick award from the insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) While the 2013 Dodge Dart, Chrysler’s first compact...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
With all eyes turned to the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Nissan has quietly announced that its all-new 2013 Nissan Altima has been awarded a 5-star overall rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in its New car Assessment Program (NCAP) Awarded top marks for both frontal crash and side crash protection, the 2013 Altima was given a 4-star rating for rollover protection. Fitted with a raft of safety features as standard, including driver and passenger seat airbags, front and curtain airbags and vehicle dynamic control, the 2013 Altima starts at $21,500. Opt for the 2.5-liter, dual...
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2013 Chevrolet Sonic Recalled For Faulty Turn Signals
At the end of last week, Chevrolet posted an official recall notice for all 2013 Sonic cars after it discovered a fault in the system responsible for detecting a blown turn signal bulb. Under normal operation, the unit, called the Body Control Module (BCM) should detect when a turn signal lamp has...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Point Of View: Gas Taxes Are Better Than Fuel Economy Rules--Discuss
With the announcement of final rules for corporate average fuel efficiency of 54.5 mpg by 2025, the NHTSA and EPA have done two things. The agencies have given carmakers both a major technological challenge--double the effective gas mileage of your vehicles in 12 years--and something they have long...
John Voelcker -
2013 Ford Escape Recalled Again For Engine Bay Fire Risk
It has only been on sale a few months, but the popular 2013 Ford (NYSE:F) Escape has just received its second recall relating to potential engine-bay fires. According to official recall documents posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, the recall involves replacing a...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Coda Vehicles Recalled For Airbag Flaw
Coda is one of America's newest auto brands, and now, it's undergoing a time-honored rite of passage: its first official recall. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Coda recall stems from improperly installed side-curtain airbags. Although the...
Richard Read -
Mitsubishi ‘i’ Electric Car Recalled For Faulty Airbag System
This morning, Mitsubishi North America announced an official recall of certain 2012 Mitsubishi i electric cars after it became apparent that there may be an incompatibility between the air bag sensors and the car’s on-board diagnostics system. According to the official recall notice posted on...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield