The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a recall of several recent models due to a defective transmission sensor. Some 10,000 vehicles are affected, including some 2011 and 2012 pickups, 2012 and models, and 2012-2013 Ford vehicles.
Problem vehicles will experience one of several issues with their automatic transmissions, including the transmission not shifting into reverse when the gearshift lever is moved to the “R” position, the “R” lamp on the dashboard not illuminating, and the backup lamps not working. A faulty transmission range sensor is the culprit.
Ford says the recall campaign will start on June 25, with owners being notified by the automaker. Ford can also be reached at 1-866-436-7332.
to read the full recall report.
, Expedition, Lincoln Navigator models over faulty transmission sensor
It seems like we’ve been hearing about the for a decade, but a report in Yahoo! states that the electric sedan is only a month away from production. That’s about one month ahead of schedule, as is reportedly wrapping up crash testing fast enough to start making the hotly anticipated EV.
The Model S couldn’t come at a much better time for Tesla, as the automaker just announced a first quarter loss of $89.9 million. The prospects aren’t any better for Q2, but the second half of the year should be an entirely different story. Q1 revenue was only $30 million, and the first half revenue is expected to come in around $60 million. With the Model S around for the second half of the year, sales are expected to skyrocket into the $600 million range. Tesla plans to move about 5,000 units in 2012, even though the automaker currently has 10,000 orders in-hand.
Some of those 10,000 hand-raisers might have something more to get excited about, as Tesla announced that the top range Signature model, which features a 85-kWh battery pack, will be able to travel on a two-cycle charge. That’s 20 miles more than Tesla previously announced. The first 1,200 copies of the Model S will be Signature models with the largest-possible battery pack.
When put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those “ owners” have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering owners $1,000 cash toward a , or a . is giving its lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a or .
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of owners, 37 percent of owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, and seem to be attracting many former GM owners.
As points out, if you’re driving an orphaned nameplate, you just might be able to use that to your advantage when shopping for a new vehicle.
The next-generation Subaru and are still shrouded in a cloak of secrecy. Or is it ? Either way, Car and Driver is reporting that when eventually pulls the wraps off whatever is going to wear the WRX badge, there’s going to be a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter FA-series engine underhood, a derivative of the naturally aspirated engine that’s found in the .
How does the venerable buff book know this? Because the turbo’ed flat-four has already appeared in the Japanese domestic market , making 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, mated to a continuously variable transmission. C/D says that engine differs from the one in the BRZ in that it uses Subaru’s own direct injection system rather than one coming from .
In the standard WRX, horsepower numbers are expected to be a bit lower than in the JDM Legacy, though the STI version will probably see power boosted. C/D says the new 2.0-liter engine is supplanting the 2.5-liter Subaru has been using due to fuel economy considerations, though there’s also something to the notion of consolidating powertrains to reap greater efficiencies in manufacturing.
Autoblog reader Ed sent us from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, showing that has apparently trademarked the name for use on automobiles. It’s no secret that the Riviera name resonates well with anyone familiar with Buick’s history, and since the production coupe’s death in 1999, the name Riviera has only been resurrected once for the 2007 concept car you see here.
So, why is GM registering the Riviera name again? Your guess is as good as ours. As , it could be nothing – automakers will, from time to time, trademark a host of words or alphanumeric sequences (, for example, has trademarked everything from MKA to MKZ for potential use). But then again, this isn’t the (or , or ) time that we’ve heard rumors about potentially adding a coupe to its lineup, and the Riviera name would certainly be appropriate.
has already sold over 84,000 minivans this year, but an unfortunate few were built with defective liftgate sensors. The 471 vehicles with the bad parts include both and models, all of them 2012s built in March, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall report.
The power liftgates are supposed to stop during automatic closing if they detect resistance, but NHTSA says the recalled vehicles could malfunction, and “may close on an appendage.” Owners should keep their arms and legs safely inside the vehicle and look for notification from Chrysler this month. Dealers will be fixing affected vehicles free of charge.
Last time we saw the non-AMG skin of the it was bathed in red paint and caked in Arctic snow and grime. Warmer times have brought new shots of a black car – which we’ll christen The Scarab – on standard wheels wearing nothing but a shine and a wisp of camo. Its shape has found a way to divide opinion, as the CLS-Class has always done, and we’ll admit that yes, perchance there’s something faintly Romulan about it, but we’re totally sold on the looks.
Right now, there’s nothing left to the imagination but the aft-most sliver of window – that final angle of chrome is an application. We expect all blanks to be filled in come the Paris Motor Show in September, which should see the reveal of the CLS550 and versions of the sleekest wagon this side of Rigel 5. The high-res gallery is above, and you should check it out.
A keen-eyed reader managed to snag a few photos of what looks to be the upcoming ahead of the vehicle’s debut at the . Like most manufacturers, is keen to offer buyers the small crossovers they demand. With a taller ride height, more ground clearance and a more aggressive front fascia than the , the XC40 should do just that.
Drivetrain details are still a bit murky at the moment, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see everything from a new diesel to turbocharged gasoline five-cylinder under the hood. The latter of those two should be good for around 254 horsepower.
If the V40 is any indication, the crossover will also boast start-stop technology and brake-energy regeneration in either manual or automatic transmission configurations. Expect to see both front and all-wheel drive variants as well.
The machine above was spotted in Flagstaff, Arizona while out for a little hot-weather testing, though we’re told the XC40 isn’t destined for the U.S. market. That seems a bit odd to us. The small crossover seems to be a perfect fit for Americans who can’t get enough stylish crossovers.
Bid farewell to the equipped with a manual transmission. The Korean manufacturer has discontinued the third-pedal in its midsize sedan for 2013, though buyers can look forward to more standard equipment on next year’s model. With such a small take rate, saw no reason to continue offering the six-speed manual in the base GLS model. That means the six-speed automatic transmission is now standard across the line, though the four-door will see an uptick in price as a result. The 2013 Sonata now starts at $21,670, including a $775 destination fee.
Consumers can expect to find the same direct-injection 2.4-liter four-cylinder under the hood as well as an optional turbocharged direct-injection 2.0-liter four. Heated seats are now standard in every trim with the exception of the entry GLS model. The Limited trim bows at $26,620 with the 2.4-liter, which marks a $600 price drop compared to 2012. The impressive, standard panoramic sunroof is now optional, however. If you want the extra glass, you’ll now have to step up to a $2,900 Limited Premium Package. for the full press blast.
Baby Buick Makes Quiet Case As An Almost-Luxury Car
It’s no secret that is one of the most prominent automakers in , but the vehicle that’s leading the charge in the People’s Republic may come as a surprise. The top-selling car in the world’s largest auto market last year was the Buick Excelle, a C-segment sedan that just so happens also to be a version of the that’s now on sale here in the United States.
The Verano has only been on sale here for a few months, but as you might expect, U.S. buyers aren’t quite as excited about the latest Buick offering as our Chinese counterparts, at least not in the early going. March sales came in at a modest 2,497 units (the Excelle family scored 23,179 April sales in China), making the Verano the least-purchased Buick for that month, while April’s 2,989 units were just enough to beat the in Buick’s sales portfolio. Do Chinese buyers know something that we don’t, or does the littlest Buick just need time to win us over?
Our spy photographers have given us our first clear glimpse at the upcoming . While the test machine we see here wears some camouflage, there’s little hiding the small CUV’s roof line.
Based on the , the Macan will boast plenty of suspension tweaks by the minds at Porsche to put the crossover more in line with the sports car maker’s stable. Likewise, while the Macan will borrow a host of gasoline and diesel powerplants from the parts bin, each one will be tuned for more horsepower than we’ve seen so far.
There’s also some indication that Porsche may lift the hybrid system from the Q5 into the Macan’s bones, as well. That means buyers would see a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder coupled to a 44-horsepower electric motor.
Porsche may also look to offer a more athletic three-door version of the Macan later down the line to more effectively compete with the likes of the .
If you put us in charge of development, we’d have demanded more power, less weight and improved fuel efficiency. We now know that the new 265-horsepower, 2.7-liter boxer six is capable of producing 10 more ponies than the outgoing model, and overall tonnage was slashed by 55 pounds, so the base model is already two-thirds of the way toward our vision.
Car and Driver reports that the most affordable has completed the wish-list trifecta, announcing a significant fuel economy bump. The base 2013 Boxster will boast an EPA-estimated 22 miles per gallon in the city (up two mpg) and 32 mpg on the highway (up three mpg), but only when equipped with the PDK transmission. The manual-equipped Boxster will achieve still-impressive 20/30 numbers, up one mpg and three mpg, respectively.
Noticeably absent is any mention of Boxster S fuel economy. We’re suspecting the 315-horsepower, 3.4-liter flat-six will also deliver significant fuel economy improvements, but perhaps a number shy of the 30-mpg mark.
Watch out, , there’s a new hypermiling crew in town.
John and Helen Taylor – calls them “mileage experts” and “the world’s most fuel-efficient couple” – recently drove a stock 2012 Passat TDI SE all the way from Houston, Texas to Sterling, Virginia without refueling. That’s 1,626.1 miles from just 19.3 gallons. Bad with numbers? VW has done the math for you: it’s 84.1 miles per gallon (we came up with 84.2, but who’s counting?).
The three-day trip happened earlier this month, and it turns out that the Taylors are not new to the high mileage game. They have the “48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record.” Still, the new Passat TDI record is impressive and it mimics some of the ways that Gerdes runs his hypermiling trips. As you can see in the gallery, the gas tank was filled to the brim with gas (see ) and there was a LOT of documentation going on during the trip. These sorts of things are important, since the Taylors often run workshops on driving efficiently and have, over the years, “collected more than 90 world fuel economy and vehicle-related records from drives around the globe.” They run the website .
If you read the owner’s manual of your car you’d begin to realize how much of your own vehicle you didn’t know about. If it’s a car made within the past few years, then the owner’s manual covering the dirty bits will be joined by an even thicker manual that covers just the infotainment system. , however, has a better way for buyers to learn the CUE-powered mysteries of the $44,995 XTS: give owners an iPad with the car, loaded with tutorials on how to get the most out of the system.
Yes, when the was introduced it installed with a multimedia version of its owner’s manual. Based on Wired’s discussion with Cadillac, however, this is much wider implementation, with each Cadillac dealer required to have two “certified technology experts” on duty, plus a CUE call center for owners, an online media team looks for CUE questions to answer, and a mobile CUE specialist who makes house calls. The point seems to be that this isn’t about getting an iPad with your car, it’s about understanding ever tech thing your car can do. If you still don’t know how to access the full power of your XTS, it will only be because you don’t want to.
In 2011, commenced its People’s Car Project in China to create crowdsourced concepts of the VW of the future. More than 33 million people visited the site, and three concepts were created from the inputs: the Music Car, the Hover Car and the Smart Key.
The Music Car is a wrapped in LEDs that change colors to match the driver’s choice of music. The Hover Car is a zero-emissions two-seater that, no surprise, hovers over electromagnetic road networks. The Smart Key is Big Brother for your car, in your pocket: the high-def touchscreen on the nine-millimeter key can track the status of your car and keep an eye on it via “satellite transmission.”
The project is continuing, so you can still post your thoughts to VW’s future. In the meantime there’s a video and a couple of press releases for more on the story.
’s People’s Car Project in China has produced three concepts [w/video]
We knew the three-door Volkswagen Up! was going to shape-shift into other variants, one of them being a that’s due later this year. According to word in German newspaper Handelsblatt, the well-received Cross-Up!, which provided clues to the styling of the five-door Up! could actually be the follow-up.
Crossovers remain popular and their sales are on the rise in Europe, so it’s no surprise that manufacturers are finding ways to create market-specific versions. According to the preliminary numbers, the The Cross Up! would slot in at $6,000 less than the larger . And like every other tiny Euro crossover – – we shouldn’t ever expect to see it here.
Typically when an automaker releases a new car, we see it in a press release (whether embargoed for later release or not) before it pops up on their public-domain website. But not this time.
The car in question is the DBS Ultimate, a vehicle whose arrival we were . Like the Ultimate edition of the Vanquish that came before it, the Ultimate is a harbinger of the vehicle’s departure from the catalog. A new model is expected to arrive in celebration of the company’s centenary next year, but before it does, the last few customers will have the privilege of owning one of the few Ultimate editions of the DBS that will ever be produced.
We’ve yet to receive word on just how many those will be, or what they will cost, but we can tell you that each car will be individually numbered. They will also feature special badging, a painted rear deck-lid spoiler, carbon-fiber wing mirror caps, a darkened grille, smoked tail-lamps, Zircotec-coated tail pipes and a choice of yellow, black or red brake calipers.
The interior is decked out in diamond-quilted stitching on the leather seats and Alcantara headliner in either red or silver thread. Buyers will also be able to choose between three exterior paint finishes – Carbon Black II, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox – and order theirs in either coupe or Volante convertible body-styles and with either a manual or automatic transmission.
We’ll have to wait for that press release to come out to bring you more information – particularly on pricing and availability – by which time they’ll all likely to have been spoken for. But you can check it out now on the company’s or in the screen caps we’ve assembled for you in the gallery above.
With an epic chassis and the lowest center of gravity in the business, there’s plenty for enthusiast to love about the . Except, that is, for those who prefer to take their nimble, affordable sports cars with the roof down. Their choices are rather limited in this price category to the and , but if the latest reports prove accurate, the FR-S – which is, of course, virtually identical to the and sold overseas as the GT 86 – is preparing to throw its hat in the ring, as well.
Long rumored, a convertible version of the jointly-developed “Toyobaru” coupe could stand to boost sales figures and help the bean-counters justify the expenditure on the new platform. However while the recently showcased at Long Beach lost its rear seats (along with most of its windshield), Car and Driver predicts that the FR-S convertible will keep the auxiliary pair in the back – though the addition of a folding roof mechanism would likely mean that would come at the expense of most of the trunk room.
We’re told to expect the FR-S convertible to arrive sometime late in 2013 or early in 2014, with a price tag that would tack a few grand onto the coupe’s $25,000 MSRP. Look for the same 2.0-liter, 200-horsepower boxer four to carry over with a choice of six-speed transmissions in either manual or automatic configurations. Beyond that, Toyota may be considering basing a larger four-door sedan and coupe off the new platform, which could stand to make the money men back at headquarters – to say nothing of the enthusiasts – even more happy.
The next-generation BMW Z4 roadster is slated to arrive in 2015, and according to new reports, it’s going to be a more dynamic machine. Well, slightly more dynamic, since the Z4 will still need to squeeze into the triangulated space between better driving chops and not looking too different than the current car. Buyers may want a better driver’s car, but they also want a timeless design that will still look good in 15 years.
Inside Line reports that the next Z4 will have a shortened hood and the lighter, N20 four-cylinder engine – as is found in the – which will mean better weight distribution. But with BMW aiming to ensure its cars maintain their image for 15 years, we look forward to seeing how engineers and designers collaborate on a harder car that won’t be, in any way, too hard.
is recalling certain models for head restraints that can be raised beyond the federal limit. As a result, in a collision, the head rest could move down slightly, increasing the risk of a neck injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers 7,600 vehicles manufactured between October 18, 2011 and March 18, 2012.
BMW plans to notify owners this month, and dealers will address the problem by installing a small clip to limit the head rest’s travel. The work will, of course, be done for free. For more information, head over to the or or the full recall bulletin.
