auto industry

Stories 201 - 220 | << Prev   Next >>

GM Recalling 1.3M Compacts for Power-Steering Fix

Steering failures affect Chevrolet Cobalts, Pontiac G5s

(Newser) - General Motors is recalling 1.3 million compact vehicles sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico, to correct a power steering problem. The automaker says the problem, which affects 2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts and 2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5s, causes occasional power steering failures. GM says the cars are...

GM Begins Hummer Shutdown
 GM Begins Hummer Shutdown 
Feb 24, 2010 5:18 PM CST

GM Begins Hummer Shutdown

Sale of gas-guzzling brand falls through

(Newser) - The once-mighty Hummer is going away for good. GM has begun winding down the brand after a sale to a Chinese company fell through. It's the second brand, along with Saturn, that GM has failed to sell as part of its restructuring. Only about 2,500 Hummers remain in stock,...

Toyota: We're Sorry for Slow Response

Driver of runaway car says 'shame on you' to company, feds

(Newser) - The president of Toyota's US operations insisted today that electronic problems did not contribute to sudden acceleration of its cars, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers. "We are confident that no problems exist with the electric throttle control system in our vehicles," James Lentz told a House panel. Rather,...

Don't Fear Those Computers Inside Your Car
Don't Fear Those Computers Inside Your Car
opinion
Feb 21, 2010 10:33 AM CST

Don't Fear Those Computers Inside Your Car

Software is buggy, but then, so are we

(Newser) - The latest Prius recall isn’t over a mechanical failure, but a software one. Most cars these days are no longer run mechanically, but by computers loaded up with as much software as the average desktop PC, explains Farhad Manjoo of Slate , and that’s pretty dang terrifying. Software is...

Toyota Chief Will Appear Before Congress After All

Akia Toyoda accepts formal invitation from congressman

(Newser) - Toyota's president has changed his mind and will appear before a House committee to answer questions about his company's recent troubles. The switch by Akio Toyoda came after he received a formal invitation from Rep. Edolphus Towns, reports Bloomberg . "I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the...

GM's $5K Minivan Is a Smash in China

...but with the power of a 'pumpkin on wheels,' it's likely staying there

(Newser) - General Motors has a major overseas hit in its Wuling Sunshine, a $5,000 minivan that gets more than 40 miles to the gallon. It sold 590,000 of them in China last year, but don't be too quick to complain that its foreign-only status is totally unfair: The Sunshine's...

Toyota Now Weighing Corolla Recall
Toyota Now Weighing
Corolla Recall
Feb 17, 2010 6:10 AM CST

Toyota Now Weighing Corolla Recall

Company mulls yet another callback, this time for steering

(Newser) - In a burgeoning Toyota recall crisis, the car maker is now considering calling back Corollas because of a problem with power steering. Meanwhile, the company president is refusing to attend the upcoming US Congressional hearing on complaints about the Corolla. "Our officials in the US will amply answer the...

Here Come Electric Cars— But Cities Aren't Ready

People without driveways or garages have nowhere to charge

(Newser) - If electric cars are ever going to put a meaningful dent in America's fuel habits, cities must start getting proactive now, writes Robert Gammon. Automakers are busy preparing plug-ins for the road, but the logistics of keeping them charged will leave many buyers out of the loop. Specifically, apartment and...

US Opens Inquiry Into Prius Brake Problem

Yet another recall may be coming, as customers report failures

(Newser) - Toyota has yet another problem on its hands; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching its own investigation into complaints of brake failures in the 2010 Prius. Toyota has already admitted there’s a “design flaw” in the model, and made changes to the braking system last month,...

Toyota Waffles on Prius Brake Recall

Automaker's woes keep mounting; $2B pricetag likely

(Newser) - Toyota has yet to decide whether to issue a recall of Prius hybrids over potential trouble with the car's brakes, but it's just the latest snag to hit the automaker. The company acknowledged yesterday that the brakes can stick briefly in certain circumstances, generally on bumpy or slippery roads, reports...

Toyota Faces Massive Ad Buy to Rescue Brand

Recall leaves company's reputation in tatters

(Newser) - Toyota is going to have to shell out for the biggest and best ad campaign in its history to have any hope of bouncing back from the recall disaster, ad industry execs say. The company—which is losing an estimated $400 million a week while sales and production are suspended—...

US Clears Toyota Fix for Gas Pedals

Dealers should get replacement parts by end of next week

(Newser) - Toyota has received clearance from federal regulators on a fix for the company's sticky gas pedals, say three people briefed on the matter. Two dealers said Toyota plans to make the announcement Monday morning. Dealers could get parts as early as Thursday or Friday.

Despite Complaints, Toyota Ignored Brake Override

Other automakers use tech to guard against sticking accelerator

(Newser) - For years, Toyota has refused to install brake override technology, despite mounting complaints about runaway cars. Most other automakers employ the technology, which guards against a sticking accelerator by ensuring, in the words of a Chrysler spokesman that, “if the brake and the accelerator are in an argument, the...

Getting Too Big, Too Fast Was Toyota's Downfall

Company broke its own rules in the race to No. 1

(Newser) - Execs at rival firms used to puzzle over how Toyota could possibly expand so fast while maintaining quality. As the recall crisis continues growing, they know now it couldn't, writes Paul Ingrassia. Toyota sensed weakness among US automakers and opportunity in emerging markets over the last decade and badly overstretched...

GM Strikes $400M Deal to Sell Saab
GM Strikes $400M Deal
to Sell Saab 
Jan 26, 2010 12:53 PM CST

GM Strikes $400M Deal to Sell Saab

Dutch luxury car maker Spyker snaps up dying brand

(Newser) - GM has reached a deal to sell its otherwise doomed Saab brand to Dutch luxury car maker Spyker Cars NV for $74 million in cash and $326 million in preferred stock. The deal is dependent on Sweden agreeing to guarantee a $563 million European Investment Bank loan to the Swedish...

Whitacre to Be GM CEO

 Whitacre to Be GM CEO 
Strike the 'interim'
Jan 25, 2010 9:25 AM CST

Whitacre to Be GM CEO

Took over as interim CEO in December from ousted Fritz Henderson

(Newser) - Ed Whitacre Jr. will be named permanent CEO of General Motors today, a source tells the AP, after serving as interim CEO since Fritz Henderson was dumped Dec. 1. At a news conference for this morning, Whitacre is expected to say he's been offered the job, after a global search...

Big Cities Charged Up for Electric Cars

Demand high despite inconveniences in New York, Paris, Shanghai,

(Newser) - Big city drivers are chomping at the bit to buy an electric car, despite the significant inconveniences the initial models would be saddled with. A new report from consulting firm McKinsey found that demand in the three “megacities” it surveyed—New York, Paris, and Shanghai—was so high that...

Big Banks on Obama's TARP Fee: Nuh-Uh

Industry 'burden' will decrease lending ability, they threaten

(Newser) - Wall Street wants its bailout, and its bonuses, too, and this sure-to-be-popular fee on banks Barack Obama is considering isn't sitting well at all. “Current law doesn’t trigger this tax proposal for another four years,” objected the top lobbyist at the Financial Services Roundtable, referring to a...

Ford Sweeps Detroit Auto Show
 Ford Sweeps Detroit Auto Show 
Jan 11, 2010 2:57 PM CST

Ford Sweeps Detroit Auto Show

Automaker nabs car, truck of the year

(Newser) - Ford vehicles won both car and truck of the year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, cementing the carmaker's dominance over its domestic competition. The Fusion Hybrid snagged car of the year, and the company copped truck of the year for the second consecutive year with the...

GM Boss: We Will Be Profitable in 2010

Whitacre says Chris Liddell an obvious candidate to replace him

(Newser) - Interim GM CEO Edward Whitacre stuck his neck out yesterday, boldly predicting the company taxpayers bailed out last year would turn a profit this year for the first time since 2004. “My prediction is we will be” profitable, he told reporters. “Do we have obstacles in the way?...

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