ConsumerAffairs.Com Automotive News
Consumer News, scams, recalls from ConsumerAffairs.Com

• Senate Passes New Mileage Standards Bill
  House expected to act next week, Bush on board with bill.
• Nationwide Average Gas Price Just Under $3
  Unleaded regular was $2.29 last year at this time.
• Crash Tests Predict Fatalities In Cars, Not Trucks
  Results similar for both government and privately-funded tests.
• Gas Above $3 for the Winter
  Average price up 72 cents over last year.
• Ford Recalls 1.2 Million Diesel Trucks, SUVs, Vans
  Engine can stall.
• Consumer Reports Snubs Toyota Highlander
  Magazine withholds its coveted "Recommended" designation.
• Japanese Dominate Car Owner Satisfaction Survey
  Europeans gain slightly, domestics inch upward.
• Gas Price Holds Above $3
  Canadian pipelines back on line, easing fears of a major price spike.
• Ford Settles Explorer Rollover Lawsuits
  Consumers will get discounts on new Fords.
• ExxonMobil Claims New Hybrid Battery Technology
  Could be good news for next-generation hybrids.
• No Seat Belt Requirement for School Buses
  Belts offer 'marginal' benefits, safety czars decree.
• Feds Probe Ford F-250, F-350, Five Hundred, Freestyle
  Loss of control plagues trucks, cars have instrument problems.
• Honda Hybrid Tax Credit Fades Away
  Popular hybrids lose tax credits under federal law.
• Quality Auditor Charges Toyota Cover-Up
  Toyota denies safety was compromised.
• New GM Sale May Challenge Bargain Hunters
  Multiple incentives make it hard to find the best price.
• Near-Record Gas Prices, Crowds Await Holiday Travelers
  Consumers starting to feel the pain of rising gas prices.
• Court Rejects SUV Mileage Standards
  Judge: White House 'put a thumb on the scale'.
• Top Safety Awards Go to 34 Cars, SUVs and a Pickup
  Number of top awards more than doubles this year.
• Record Gas Prices Just Ahead
  Feds predict 20-cent rise over next few weeks.
• Diesels, Hybrids Top RAND Study
  Ethanol in last place as alternative to gas-powered engines.
• Pump Prices Blast Through $3
  Cost of a gallon of regular up 14 cents in one week.
• Cadillac Touts Huge Green SUV Machine
  Escalade Hybrid goes on sale next year.
• Tough Fuel Economy Demands from Senator Clinton
  She joins other candidates in supporting 40 mpg by 2020.
• Smart and Sassy: The Smart 42
  At last: a car that makes the Prius look big and bulky.
• $3 Gas Flows in 14 States
  Prices racing upwards behind crude oil.
• Crown Vic Disappears from Ford Dealer Lots
  Ford will continue to sell in bulk to police, cab fleets.
• Chrysler Drops Four Models, Cuts Jobs
  Two new hybrid SUVs in the pipeline.
• Next Generation Prius to Stick with Nickel-Hydride Power
  Lithium-ion batteries still not ready to hit the road.
• Zipcar and Flexcar to Merge
  Two car-sharing companies will combine their fleets.
• Gasoline Heads for $3 a Gallon
  $90 per barrel oil pushing up gas prices.
• Honda Plans Prius-like Hybrid
  Wedge-shaped car will be a hybrid-only model.
• Jumpin' Jeeps Ruin Lives, Destroy Property
  Years of accidents, reports, complaints yield no action.
• GM Hangs on as World's No. 1 Automaker
  Toyota tussles with environmentalists, loses key Consumer Reports endorsement.
• Ford Lacks Parts for Fire Recall Repair
  Supply problem affects passenger cars; truck supplies adequate.
• Buy American? Not Again
  Spit spark plugs sour one consumer on U.S.-made cars.
• Honda Most Reliable in Consumer Reports Survey
  Toyota drops out of first place.
• No Fall Gas Price Dip This Year
  Gas prices 51 cents higher than last year at this time.
• Environmentalists Criticize Toyota
  Automaker opposes fuel economy measure in Congress.
• Midsize SUVs Perform Poorly in Side Impacts
  Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet TrailBlazer among the worst tested.
• Declining Gas Prices Miss California
  Price War Hits Cayman Brac.
• Google Challenges Verizon Over Lobbying Of FCC
  Rollback of 'open access' requirements faulted.
• Car and Truck Sales Tumble with Economic Worries
  Toyota, Ford blame sales drops on weak housing market.
• Infiniti Holds Top Spot in Consumer Reports Luxury Vehicle Tests
  Mercedes E-Class close behind.
• NHTSA Probes Pontiac Vibe
  Windows may shatter when being raised or lowered.
• Toyota Recalls Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners
  Not all Priuis owners buy the floor mat theory.
• GM Adds $1,000 Cash Back, Sells Buicks to China
  Big incentives aimed at moving cars while GM idled by strike.
• Summer Driving Ends, Gas Prices Hold at $2.79
  National average fell four cents in the last week.
• Biofuels Moving to the Suburbs
  They're environmentally friendly but may be rather expensive.
• New F150 Erupts in Flames as Ford Truck Fires