Yamaha is recalling 2,300 VMX17 (V-MAX) motorcycles, because high oil pressure inside the oil pump can cause it to malfunction. If oil stops pumping through the engine, severe engine damage can occur, causing the engine to stall and not restart again, increasing the risk of a crash.
Certain Yamaha motorcycles from model year 2009 to [...]
Filed under: Cars on September 30th, 2011 | No Comments »
How does Volkswagen, the “people’s car” company, plan to meet ambitious sales goals and wind up parked in more people’s driveways? If the redesigned-for-2011 Jetta and redesigned-for-2012 Passat are any indication, a cornerstone of VW’s strategy is to give buyers a lot of room for the money–and maybe a diesel engine, too.
The Passat’s sticker starts [...]
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Chrysler is recalling 667 model-year 2012 vehicles because debris inside the engine block could cause connecting rod bearing failure, which can lead to engine seizure and thereby increase the risk of a crash.
All of the recalled vehicles are equipped with a 3.6L engine and include the following:
Chrysler 200
Chrysler Town and Country
Dodge Charger
Dodge Durango
Dodge Grand [...]
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After five months of testing and living with the Nissan Leaf, the first mass-market all-electric car, we have published the road test, ratings, and full track report online. It will also be featured in the November issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Since it’s not sold nationwide yet, we bought our Nissan Leaf in California this [...]
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The North American arm of Nissan Motors announced today that the all-electric Nissan Leaf will become more widely-available in the U.S.
Starting today, the company will be taking orders for the 2012 model year Leaf from consumers in Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. “A prioritized ordering phase” will be in place for [...]
Filed under: Cars on September 29th, 2011 | No Comments »
Drivers and front passengers in crossover vehicles made by General Motors could soon get another layer of protection during collisions. Today, GM announced it will offer a new centrally-mounted air bag that is said to better protect occupants in side-impact crashes.
The air bag is mounted in the space between the driver’s and front passenger’s seats [...]
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It may not take better batteries to make the next generation of hybrids much more efficient—software may be the answer. Fuel consumption in hybrids is affected by terrain and leveling off the battery’s state of charge, and smart programming can make the most of the existing systems.
The next breakthrough for hybrids, discussed by GM and [...]
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Few car companies have been more ambitious of late than Hyundai. The Sonata moved from a footnote to being a direct rival to the biggest names in the family sedan segment. The Elantra small sedan is a strong seller and a CR Top Pick in its class. And the Genesis sedan has firmly muscled its [...]
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Is your child ready for a belt-positioning booster seat? Congratulations! Your days of struggling to fit car seats into your vehicle are mostly over. Unlike infant or convertible child safety seats, most belt-positioning (not harnessed) boosters require little or no installation. But a good fit is still critical.
A good belt-positioning booster should position the shoulder [...]
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It’s no secret that Consumer Reports wasn’t too impressed with the redesigned-for-2011 Jetta and the redesigned-for-2012 Civic. The Jetta SE and Civic LX both failed to score high enough to meet our threshold for recommendation. But what happens when you buy the top-level sports version of each? To find out, we bought a Jetta GLI [...]
Filed under: Cars on September 28th, 2011 | No Comments »
