Filed under: Government/Legal , Safety 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Crash Testing - Click above for high-res image gallery The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is set to debut a new testing procedure for the 2011 model year that will make it more difficult for new cars and trucks to earn the government agency’s coveted five-star safety rating. Just as interestingly, the recent influx of electronic safety gadgets, such as lane departure and …

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Autoblog

Topics: safety, government, crashtestregulations, fivestar, fivestarsafety

By David Welch President Obama served up red meat for his hard-core supporters in Detroit yesterday, proclaiming that the government’s bailout of General Motors and Chrysler to be a success. Had he not intervened and invested in the two companies, Obama said, they would have fallen into liquidation and 1.1 million jobs would have evaporated. In the past year, the auto industry has regained 55,000 of the 334,000 jobs lost, he went …

Dan Beucke

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Automotive Blog - BusinessWeek

Topics: obama, auto, financial, crisis

Filed under: Truck , Etc. , Government/Legal , Videos , Work , Ford Man pays nearly $200,000 to park truck in his own drive - click above to watch the video Beware of the home owner’s association. Considered this country’s most basic, ruthless unit of government, HOAs are typically organized and manned by retirees with little better to do than tell you what to do with your property - something A.J. Vizzi recently learned the hard way. When Vizzi …

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Autoblog

Topics: trucks, a.j. vizzi, video

Filed under: Minivan/Van , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Ford The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has opened a second investigation into 1999-2003 Ford Windstar minivans. The new probe has arisen amidst reports of front subframe corrosion that can cause the vehicle to lose steering. Apparently, a number of owners in salt-belt states have complained of front steering components rusting to the point of failure, causing a total loss of steering in the process. NHTSA will be looking into …

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Autoblog

Topics: ford windstar, design, ford windstar axles

Filed under: Government/Legal If you reside or frequent a large metropolitan area, you’re probably all too aware of the cost to park your vehicle. In cities like New York or Chicago, you can pay upwards of $30 or more for a full day of parking. To make matters worse, even with astronomical costs many drivers can’t even find an open spot. San Francisco is looking for a permanent solution …

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Autoblog

Topics: electronicparkingsystem, sanfranciscoparkingcosts, parking cost

Filed under: Sedan , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Toyota 2003 Toyota Avalon XLS - click above for high-res image gallery Toyota Motor Corporation’s recall woes have resurfaced today with official word that the company will recall some 373,000 second-generation Toyota Avalon models built between the 2000 and 2004 model years. According to the Japanese automaker, the full-size sedans’ steering lock bars can crack, eventually leading to a break. If that failure occurs, the steering column interlock system can become difficult …

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Topics: toyotaavalon, toyotasafety, 2001 toyota avalon

Filed under: Motorsports , Etc. , Government/Legal , Safety , Australia Albert Einstein has commonly been quoted as saying that stupidity (or insanity, depending on your source) is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Which begs the question, with over 100 years of traffic enforcement behind us, why are we still relying on the same methods of catch and punish to modify driver behavior? If it hasn’t worked over the last …

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Autoblog

Topics: v8 supercars, driverseducation, source, lawenforcement

Filed under: Government/Legal , Earnings/Financials Refiners and blenders pocket 45 cents for every gallon of ethanol blended with gasoline. The subsidy, courtesy of the U.S. government, helps the industry stay afloat amidst the dwindling demand for gasoline and increasing costs of ethanol production. It’s been argued that, without the subsidy, the ethanol industry would die a quick death. If a report from BusinessWeek turns out to be true, then the industry might soon be…

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Autoblog

Topics: ehtanolfunding, governmentsubsidies, ehtanol funding

Filed under: Coupe , Sedan , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Jaguar 2010 Jaguar XF Supercharged- Click above for high-res image gallery Jaguar’s new 5.0-liter V8 has seen its fair share of praise since its introduction, but even the best petrol mill is worthless without fuel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website indicates that 5,048 of the automaker’s 2010 and 2011 XF and XK models equipped with the 5.0-liter engine are being recalled for a faulty fuel pump relay. The problem …

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Autoblog

Topics: jaguar, traffic, 2010 jaguar xf

Filed under: Sedan , Wagon , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Crossover , Hatchback , BMW 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo - Click above for high-res image gallery If the fuel gauge in your 2010 or 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan or 5-Series Gran Turismo tells you that you’ve got plenty of petrol, you may want to hit the gas station before going on that long trip anyway. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website reports that 6,080 5-Series sedan and GT models built between January 12 and July 1, 2010 are …

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Autoblog

Topics: bimmer, f10, fuel, bmw, bmwgrandturismo