Posts by: Scott Webb

U.S. Gov’t Flags FCA for Vehicle Safety Violations (UPDATED)

UPDATE: In a statement, FCA corrects some erroneous reports regarding the scope of the NHTSA vehicle safety recall. FCA will still offer to repurchase vehicles encompassed in its three most recent recall campaigns—2008 through 2012 chassis cab, 2009 through 2011 light duty and 2008 through 2012 heavy duty Ram Trucks—if those vehicles weren’t previously fixed. Alternatively, owners can still keep

To Avoid Cyber Attacks, FCA Issues Vehicle Recall

In the digital age, it’s an unfortunate fact of life that hackers will attack your home computer or favorite website. Now you can add automobiles to the list, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) becomes the first automaker to launch a massive recall in the U.S. in order to protect its vehicles from potential cyber attacks. Fiat Chrysler’s voluntary recall of 1.4 million vehicles was prompted by co

Stay on Track with the Ford Shelby Shift Light Display

Anticipation for the Ford Shelby GT350 and GT350R Mustang has been at a fever pitch for months, despite Ford’s recent announcement of limited production runs for the two high-grade pony cars. But before the Ford Shelby brand makes its triumphant return to dealership floors this fall, the Ford Motor Company teased fans with details about its newest innovation: a customizable shift light indicator.

GM Issues Cop Car Recall

General Motors announced that it’s recalling approximately 47,000 of its Chevrolet Caprice and Pontiac G8 sedans sold in North America due to faulty seat belts. The GM cop car recall includes Chevrolet Caprice vehicles from model years 2011 through 2013 and Pontiac G8 vehicles from model years 2008 and 2009. In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM st

Google Tests Self-Driving Vehicles in Austin, TX

In mid-May, we informed you that Google would be test-driving its self-driving vehicles on American roads this summer. Now that moment is now finally at hand—and what better place is there to test those vehicles than in the Lone Star State? Google officially announced on Tuesday that Austin, TX is the first U.S. city to see self-driving vehicles on its roads. Up until now, Google had only tested

Mirai Tops Tesla in Electric Vehicle Range Wars

In the midst of Fourth of July celebrations, most may have missed the (metaphorical) fireworks Toyota launched at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival in Aspen, CO. It was there that Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz announced a startling breakthrough in electric vehicle technology. The Toyota Mirai set a zero emission electric vehicle record with an EPA-estimated driving range of 312 miles on a sin

Consumer Reports Names Gas Guzzling Vehicles

Audi, BMW and Subaru top Consumer Reports' list of automakers whose vehicle engines often require excessive amounts of oil. On average, gas-guzzling vehicles from these three automakers consume an extra quart of oil per month as compared to other vehicles. The Consumer Reports study focused on nearly 500,000 new vehicles from model years 2010 to 2014. The grand majority of these vehicles-98% perc

See This BMW X6 Hulk Out Before Your Eyes

The Hulk is well known for his sudden transformations when he gets hot under the collar. Not to be outdone, German graffiti artist Rene Turrek created a special paint job for the BMW X6 that will make auto fans green with envy. Turrek’s BMW X6 project was a two-step process. First, he gave the BMW sport utility coupe a base layer of Hulk green paint. Next, he applied a second, heat-sensitive laye

Samsung Semi-Trailer Truck Program Aims to Save Lives

From the perspective of semi-trailer truck drivers, it can be difficult to tell when a vehicle is attempting a passing maneuver. The size of most semis makes seeing vehicles driving behind or alongside them difficult even under the best of circumstances. That degree of difficulty is only increased in countries like Argentina and their numerous tight, one-lane roads. Unfortunately, for many Argent

Jaguar Land Rover Has a Sixth Sense for Driver Safety

A few days ago in this space, we reviewed Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to develop a remote-controlled SUV that operates via a smartphone app. Now it appears that Jaguar Land Rover is trying to outdo itself in the automated driving front with their latest announcement: a road safety research project known as the Sixth Sense program that monitors driver’s brainwaves and other vital signs in order to id