Archive for the ‘2001’ Category

On Friday, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA to initiate a defect investigation that could potentially cover hundreds of thousands of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from model years 1993 through 2004.

According to the group, on these older Grand Cherokee models, the plastic fuel tank actually extends below the bumper, so it's more vulnerable to being punctured in an rear-end or rollover accident. The rear sway bar link bolt is just over an inch away from the tank, according to research from the Motor Vehicle Fire Research Institute (MVFRI), and could puncture the tank in a crash.

"The design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles...

On Friday, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned NHTSA to initiate a defect investigation that could potentially cover hundreds of thousands of Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs from model years 1993 through 2004. According to the group, on these older Grand Cherokee models, the plastic fuel tank actually extends below the bumper, so it's more vulnerable to being punctured in an rear-end or rollover accident. The rear sway bar link bolt is just over an inch away from the tank, according to research from the Motor Vehicle Fire Research Institute (MVFRI), and could puncture the tank in a crash. "The design is so bad that Chrysler frequently settles... Read More

If you own a Honda Accord—and there are plenty of you out there, it being a longtime mid-size sedan favorite—there’s a small chance that your airbag might detonate with an unpleasant bonus: some shrapnel.

In some isolated incidents in specific Hondas and Acuras made earlier this decade, inflators can over-pressurize the airbag, causing the inflator itself to rupture and projecting metal fragments that could puncture the airbag material.

“Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality,” Honda states in a release.

A Honda spokesman told CNNMoney.com last week that the defect has...

If you own a Honda Accord—and there are plenty of you out there, it being a longtime mid-size sedan favorite—there’s a small chance that your airbag might detonate with an unpleasant bonus: some shrapnel. In some isolated incidents in specific Hondas and Acuras made earlier this decade, inflators can over-pressurize the airbag, causing the inflator itself to rupture and projecting metal fragments that could puncture the airbag material. “Metal fragments could pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, possibly causing an injury or fatality,” Honda states in a release. A Honda spokesman told CNNMoney.com last week that the defect has... Read More

So bent on proving the efficiency and cleanliness of their new 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel four-cylinder making its appearance in the 2009 Jetta TDI clean diesel, Volkswagen has employed them in race duty. In fact, they set up the Volkswagen Jetta Diesel TDI Cup, a multirace series wherein basically stock Jetta TDIs race on circuits from Lime Rock, Connecticut, to Road Atlanta. The engines are boosted to 170 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque, up from the stock Jetta TDI diesel's 140 hp and 236 pound-feet. And despite these fuel-consuming upgrades, the cars still averaged 25 mpg during the summer and fall in all-out race duty. Beyond that, the... So bent on proving the efficiency and cleanliness of their new 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel four-cylinder making its appearance in the 2009 Jetta TDI clean diesel, Volkswagen has employed them in race duty. In fact, they set up the Volkswagen Jetta Diesel TDI Cup, a multirace series wherein basically stock Jetta TDIs race on circuits from Lime Rock, Connecticut, to Road Atlanta. The engines are boosted to 170 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque, up from the stock Jetta TDI diesel's 140 hp and 236 pound-feet. And despite these fuel-consuming upgrades, the cars still averaged 25 mpg during the summer and fall in all-out race duty. Beyond that, the... Read More