Trw

8 deaths may be attributable; affects Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, FCA.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda and Toyota will recall 2.1 million vehicles built in the early 2000s for airbags that could deploy unexpectedly. These vehicles had previously been recalled, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that they are still defective.

Two well-known companies in the industry will combine to create the second-largest auto parts supplier in the world. ZF Friedrichshafen AG, best known for its transmissions, has announced it is buying TRW Automotive Holdings, a major player in safety tech, as part of an approximately $12.4-billion cash deal based on equity value that is already approved by both companies' boards.

There was a big shakeup in the automotive supplier market late last week, as Germany's ZF, a company well regarded around these parts for its gearboxes, submitted a surprise preliminary offer to purchase Michigan-based TRW Automotive, a supplier of safety systems, suspension components, and so on.

With the over-65 population growing at a rapid rate (36.9 million in 2009 and set to hit 72.1 million by 2030), automakers are intent on making driving easier for the elderly. To that end, automotive supplier TRW is developing a folding steering wheel concept that retracts into the dashboard, allowing older drivers to get in and out with ease.

Is your steering wheel looking a little fat? There are a number of reasons why steering wheels have beefed up over the years, but one of the biggest reasons is because of airbags. Inflatable restraint system manufacturer TRW is looking at ways to change that, and it may have a whole new type of airbag ready to go.

The fact is that small cars get into more accidents than large and mid-sized cars, and the fatality rates for small cars are about twice as high as their larger siblings. Yet it's the large – and usually expensive and luxurious – cars that get features like collision avoidance technology. That could change soon if TRW Automotive can get car makers to adopts its less expensive collision avoidance radar system.

Last week, PickupTrucks.com held one of its periodic load lugger shootouts where it brings together the heavy haulers from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to see which pickup truck is the top dog. After running a

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Over the past decade, if there is one word that has become synonymous with green motoring it is hybrid. Ever since Toyota launched the first modern commercially viable hybrid with the original Prius (above) in 1997, over one million of them have hit the roads. Of course, as is so often the case, this overnight sensation was anything but. In fact, the technology was nearly a century in the making.

With the debut of the third generation Toyota Prius just over a week away at the Detroit Auto Show, it's time to take a look back. To the vast majority, the name Prius is synonymous with hybrid and many people think Toyota invented the concept. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Ferdinand Porsche Sam Abuelsamid

When the the Detroit automakers' financial crisis started getting more media coverage a couple of months ago, a study was released by the Center for Automotive Research estimating that the possible collapse of the industry could ultimately cost up to 3 million US jobs. That estimate is based on the several hundred thousand direct jobs, plus the affected suppliers as well as businesses in the vicinity of automotive facilities. The repercussions of the recent sales collapse are already being felt

One of the key functions necessary to maximize the capability of hybrid and electric vehicles is regenerative braking. For those who haven't been paying attention, regenerative braking uses the property of electric motors where mechanically driving the motor causes it to act as a generator producing electric current. In order to facilitate this, a brake system that can monitor the driver's braking request and then seamlessly blend the maximum amount of regenerative braking with a corresponding a

It's one of those ideas that seems so simple you smack your forehead wondering why it took so long. Conventional airbags are sometimes demonized for causing injuries while attempting to save your life. It's easy to criticize something that has to be a one-size-fits-all solution, and SRS does an admirable job given the variables.