Mazdaspeed Not to Return for Some Time
Bad news for fans of the good old “MPS” or “Mazdaspeed” performance cars: Mazda‘s Masahiro Moro (somewhat newly made president and CEO of Mazda North America) has said that the upgraded cars will probably not be returning to the Mazda lineup anytime soon. Speaking to Motoringbox.com, Moro said that, basically, Mazdaspeed cars are just nor […]
Nissan Remains Committed to Tsunami Recovery Five Years Later
Five years ago, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the coast of northeastern Japan. The area is still recovering, and Nissan’s team in Japan is as committed as ever to helping in the recovery. Nissan itself, like many Japanese brands, was affected by the tsunami, with the devastation delaying shipments to overseas markets. Several suppliers […]
NHTSA Urges Automakers to be Pioneers in Safety
In the last few years, automotive safety recalls have almost become the norm. The most notable recalls of the last two years have included GM’s ignition switch fiasco, and the Takata airbag recall that affected huge automakers like Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. Now, rather than waiting for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to […]
Mazda Reveals Five Tokyo Auto Salon Concept Vehicles
Lately, when an automaker is coming up with a concept vehicle and leading up to its reveal, it seems that someone somehow will inevitably leak details and photos. So it’s almost by the influence of a force of nature that Mazda just went ahead and revealed the five concept vehicles in the series that it is […]
Honda and Acura Sales Both Down in November
American Honda Motor Co. had a disappointing November, with sales of 115,441 Honda and Acura vehicles representing a 5.2% decrease in sales when compared to the company’s record-setting November 2014. Fortunately, the Happy Honda Days of December should help the Honda brand rebound from its 4% decline. But the Acura brand, which tumbled a full […]
GM’s Speak Up For Safety Program Proves Effective
Recalls are never really a good thing. They have hit the industry hard, from ignition switches at GM, to widespread airbag problems, to diesel engines from VW that are made to trick emissions tests. However, in the case of General Motors’ latest recall, it could be a perfect demonstration of the automaker’s commitment to the […]
2016 Ford Edge First to Receive Advanced Adaptive Steering
Ford was not shy about calling the 2015 Edge a vast and comprehensive improvement over the previous-generation model. With the addition of a new adaptive steering system that is said to make maneuverability easier at low speeds and more enjoyable at high speeds, it’s fair to say that Ford’s best Edge is getting even better […]
Honda Surprises With 20 Percent Rise in Profits
Today, Honda surprised many by reporting a 20% increase in fiscal first quarter profits. Apparently, the costs of the Japanese automaker’s airbag recall were offset by the benefits of a cheap yen. Honda’s April-June net profit was 186 billion yen ($1.5 billion USD), representing a 155.6 billion yen year-over-year increase. Somewhat remarkable when you consider […]
Honda Reminds Us That Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist
Last week, the federal government found that American Honda Financial Corporation had violated fair lending laws by routinely charging minority customers $150 to $250 more for loans than their white counterparts. As a result, the automaker will be sending $24 million in rebate checks to the thousands of black, Hispanic, Asian, and Pacific Islander borrowers who […]
NHTSA Audit Highlights Apathetic, Disastrous Problems
It sounds like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is a mix between the pointy-haired boss from Dilbert and a spaced-out pot head, and we’re a high school girl who keeps getting back together with her boyfriend, because he said, “I would never cheat on you…again.” The Inspector General from the US Department of Transportation, […]
Toyota Wants You to Stay Safe on the Road This Summer
As the weather heats up, many of us are thinking of one thing only: vacation. Perhaps you plan on hitting the Caribbean for a cruise, or flying to some exotic locale across the globe. But many of us prefer to enjoy what the good ol’ US of A has to offer, and what more perfect […]
Toyota Recalls 112,500 Vehicles in US
It’s been a while since our last a significant recall post, in a year that’s so far been pretty quiet on the recall front when compared to 2014. But this week, Toyota announced it was planning to recall around 112,500 vehicles for various potential safety issues. The first recall affects 110,000 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, […]
New Honda President and CEO Announced
Amid a series of recalls in Japan, Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito took the first steps toward automotive seppuku when he accepted a voluntary pay cut for his transgressions back in October 2014. Now his long, ritualistic suicide is complete, as Honda announced today that Ito will be stepping down in April to be […]
January 2015 Car Recalls from Around the Auto Industry
After 2014—also known as the Year of the Recall—automakers are likely to be a lot more proactive when it comes to notifying customers of potential issues with their vehicles and fixing them before they cause accidents or injuries. After all, no one wants a repeat of the never-ending GM recall, or the Takata recall that […]
Plans for Nissan-Based Mitsubishi Midsize Car Have Stalled
Nissan and Mitsubishi were in talks for Mitsubishi to share technology in return for a Nissan-based Mitsubishi midsize car, but these plans have stalled for the time being. At this year’s NADA conference, Mitsubishi informed their dealership network of the issue, but declined to elaborate on why the talks froze. Mitsubishi hasn’t had a midsize […]
NHTSA Awards Honda $70 Million Fine
In addition to a five-star rating for the 2015 Fit, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also awarded Honda a $70 million fine, which the company earned by “failing to report deaths, injuries, and certain warranty claims to the federal government.” The Japanese automaker got hit with the NHTSA’s maximum fine of $35 million… […]
Honda Airbag Recall Expands to 5.4 Million Vehicles
After stating their intentions to do so in a congressional hearing last Friday, Honda has now officially and voluntarily expanded its recall of vehicles which contain faulty Takata airbags. Today the once-regional Honda airbag recall expands nationwide to cover approximately 5.4 million vehicles. Honda has been working with Takata and the NHTSA to remove and […]
Nationwide Honda Airbag Recall Announced at Congressional Hearing
While Japanese airbag manufacturing company Takata continues to defy the NHTSA’s mandated nationwide recall, instead insisting that recalls are only needed in high-humidity areas where the climate makes their defective driver-side airbags more likely to explode, Honda has taken it upon itself to fix the issue. Speaking before the US House Committee on Energy and […]