Autoblog

Chrysler recalls 312,000 2005-2006 minivans over airbag issue *UPDATE

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Recalls, Safety, Chrysler, Dodge

Just because Toyota may be garnering the most attention for its current recall crisis, it isn't the only automaker having issues. Chrysler has just released its own recall which affects more than 312,000 2005-2006 Town and Country, Caravan, and Grand Caravan models.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the minivan's front crash sensors may crack "under certain environmental conditions," which can then cause water to seep into the sensor. We're guessing that these environmental conditions refer to cold temperatures, since the list of states affected by this recall are mostly in the northern half of the U.S. If water does enter the sensor, it can trigger the airbag fault warning light and may hinder the performance of the overall airbag system.

In the event of airbag warning light illumination, owners are asked to have their vans serviced immediately to correct the problem. The full recall campaign will begin in June of this year, and owners can contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403 for more information. Click through the jump to read the official NHTSA statement.

UPDATE: Chrysler informs us that this is not an official recall, but rather a "safety improvement campaign" that was reported in early January.

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading Chrysler recalls 312,000 2005-2006 minivans over airbag issue *UPDATE

Chrysler recalls 312,000 2005-2006 minivans over airbag issue *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aston Martin offers power upgrades to last-gen V8 Vantages

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Aston Martin

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

If you're a 2005-2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage owner, you may have wished you'd held out for the 2009 model which benefits from an extra 0.4-liters of displacement (up from 4.3- to 4.7-liters) and gains an extra 40 hp and 45 lb-ft of torque, along with some revised suspension tuning. The crew at Gaydon feels your pain and has begun offering a new performance package for the 4.3-liter model.

The kit includes a new induction system originally developed for the DBS that features a pair of toggling airbox valves that open at 5,500 rpm to bring more air into the engine. With the help of a revised ECU that optimizes ignition timing and recognizes higher octane fuels, output increases to 400 hp (20 extra ponies) and torque grows to 307 lb-ft.

The sports package developed for the 2009 model can also be retrofitted to the last generation Vantage and includes forged aluminum five-spoke wheels, upgraded springs and Bilstein dampers. Aston hasn't released pricing for the new performance pack, but we're sure it's less than trading in your old Vantage for the updated model.

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Continue reading Aston Martin offers power upgrades to last-gen V8 Vantages

Aston Martin offers power upgrades to last-gen V8 Vantages originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford recalling 605,000 full-size trucks

Dan Roth — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Ford, Lincoln

Ford Motor Company is recalling a whole herd of trucks to see the team doctors over concerns about a hose in the braking system that could adversely effect the vehicles' braking power. According to the NHTSA, about 605,000 2005 and 2006 model year Ford F150 and Lincoln Mark LT trucks equipped with the 3-valve 5.4-liter V8 will receive a hose replacement free of charge. The problem hose supplies the brake booster with engine vacuum, and could swell over time and eventually become disconnected. While the hydraulic braking system will function without the power assist, pedal effort will be significantly increased, and if drivers are taken off-guard by the problem an accident could occur. Ford will start notifying owners in June, and the recall campaign will kick off in July. According to FoMoCo, there have been 11 minor accidents related to the issue. Check out more details from the NHTSA after the jump.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Continue reading Ford recalling 605,000 full-size trucks

Ford recalling 605,000 full-size trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 May 2008 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flashback: 2005 VW Ragster concept

Alex Nunez — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:04:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Europe, Volkswagen

Click image for hi-res photo gallery

Last week, we brought you some Brenda Priddy-commissioned renderings of what the 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle might look like, based on styling cues shown on recent VW concept cars and inside info Brenda Priddy & Co. has picked up along the way. By far the most interesting (to us, at least) was the Speedster rendering, which suggests a (presumably) low-priced sports car for everyman; a Boxster for those of us without the budget, so to speak. It certainly looked good (what fantasy rendering doesn't, after all?), and you don't have to go too far back in history to see that the VW people have been kicking around a speedster-ish design idea for a while.

In 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show, Volkswagen introduced the Ragster concept. Essentially, it was a New Beetle Speedster that used fixed side roof rails (sort of like the Citroen C3 Pluriel), between which a sliding soft top rolled fore and aft. The windshield was shortened, giving the whole car a slick chopped-top look, further accentuated by twin racing stripes and big 19" wheels. It was (and remains) one of the cooler VW concepts of recent years, particularly because it seems so eminently doable. With the rumor that a Speedster is under consideration for the next New Beetle refresh, we couldn't help but think of the Ragster and wonder if the idea just hasn't stopped nagging at somebody in the VW nerve center for the last few years.

[Source: VW]

Gallery: 2005 VW Ragster Concept

Flashback: 2005 VW Ragster concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Dec 2007 13:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda recalling 43,000 Acuras for power steering hose

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Acura, Honda

Those of you rolling in a 2005-2008 Acura RL take note: Honda has issued a recall for your power steering hose and being the educated consumer that you are, you won't have to wait by the mailbox to know about it.

The high temperatures created by the V6 under the RL's hood are apparently causing some cracks to form in the power steering hose that could lead to fluid leaking onto the catalytic converter, resulting in a fire, which is bad. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued the recall, but no injuries or fires have been reported as of yet.

Approximately 43,200 Acura RLs are affected by the recall and since it's likely that you're more informed than your local Acura service department, we'd suggest you print out this post and tell the folks at your dealer that you've got a friend in the industry.

[Source: Detroit News]

Honda recalling 43,000 Acuras for power steering hose originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Surprise! Recalls fall in 2006

John Neff — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls

We've noticed a few more posts about recalls have been going up the last couple of days, so one reader wanted us to know that, in fact, there were a lot fewer recalls last year in the U.S. than there were in 2005. Overall, the whole of the U.S. auto industry recalled 10.6 million vehicles in 2006, down some 38% from the 17.1 million vehicles that were recalled in 2005. Let's look at which automakers had a good year for recalls last year and which didn't.

General Motors: -73% at 1.4 million recalls (2005: 5 million)
Ford Motor Company: -71% at 1.7 million recalls (2005: 6 million)
Chrysler Group: 200% at 2.3 million recalls (2005: 765,777)
Nissan North America: 83% at 1.3 million recalls (2005: 709,838)

The article also talked about Toyota and Honda, but didn't provide enough recall info on either to include in our list above (and have you ever tried to search the NHTSA website for such information? Good luck). Both automakers, however, had a good year for recalls. Toyota, for instance, finished 2006 with 814,507 recalls, far fewer than the over 2 million that were issued in 2005. Honda, meanwhile, issues recalls affecting 1.2 million vehicles, the bulk of which was to replace owners manuals that were printed the incorrect telephone number for the NHTSA that led callers to a phone sex service. Without the printing fuax pas include, Honda recalled only 1,397 vehicles in the U.S. for actual mechanical troubles that adversely affected the safety of its vehicles.

Thanks for the tip, logiste!

[Source: American Society for Quality]

Surprise! Recalls fall in 2006 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take our cars, please: Top 10 cash-back offers

John Neff — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 07:02:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Kia, Saab

Automakers with remaining 2006 inventory are getting desperate in some cases to get rid of their lot. Cars.com has assembled the 10 best incentive offers based on the percentage off of a car's base MSRP, and Kia tops the list by offering 26.32% off the Sorento and 23.87% of off the Sedona minivan. Why so much? Because they're 2005 models! The third vehicle on the list, however, is the most appealing to us. Saab wants to get rid of the last remaining 9-2X models and is offering $5,000 off of the car's base MSRP, which amounts to a substantial 21.75% discount on what is essentially a more luxurious Subaru WRX. The rest of the list is as follows.

2005 Kia Sorento - $5,000 (26.32%) exp. 1/2/07
2005 Kia Sedona - $5,000 (23.87%) exp. 1/2/07
2006 Saab 9-2X - $5,000 (21.75%) exp. 10/2/06
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab - $4,500 (21.31%) exp. 10/2/06
2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular Cab (excl. SRT10) - $4,500 (21.28%) exp. 10/2/06
2006 Ford Freestar - $5,000 (21.14%) exp. 10/2/06
2006 Lincoln LS - $8,000 (20.36%) exp. 10/2/06
2006 Mercury Grand Marquis - $5,000 (20.18%) exp. 10/2/06
2005 Kia Spectra - $2,500 (19.46%) exp. 1/2/07
2006 Ford F-150 SuperCab - $4,500 (18.66%) exp. 10/2/06

[Source: Cars.com]

Take our cars, please: Top 10 cash-back offers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Sep 2006 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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