Archive for the ‘2003’ 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

GM is prepping the ground for its 100th anniversary celebration tomorrow by announcing two more vehicles that will make their debut at the Paris auto show next month. The first is a wagon version of the Opel Insignia sedan, shown this summer at the London auto show. The striking new wagon version won't be coming to the U.S. but offers a stylish counterpoint to the VW Passat and Ford Mondeo wagons that are mid-size mainstays in Europe. The Saab 9-X Air concept shares some of the details of the 9-X concept that's made the rounds at recent auto shows. Only, its two-door body has a cut-down windshield and rakish speedster-esque details that push... GM is prepping the ground for its 100th anniversary celebration tomorrow by announcing two more vehicles that will make their debut at the Paris auto show next month. The first is a wagon version of the Opel Insignia sedan, shown this summer at the London auto show. The striking new wagon version won't be coming to the U.S. but offers a stylish counterpoint to the VW Passat and Ford Mondeo wagons that are mid-size mainstays in Europe. The Saab 9-X Air concept shares some of the details of the 9-X concept that's made the rounds at recent auto shows. Only, its two-door body has a cut-down windshield and rakish speedster-esque details that push... Read More