All Entries in the "Auto News" Category

NHTSA Expands Ford F150 Exploding Airbag Investigation

A few months ago we posted an article about the 10 most outrageous truck quality problems of the last decade. In that article, we mentioned that some F150 owners had complained about exploding airbags. According to some 2005-2007 F150 owners, the driver’s airbag went off the minute the key was put into the ignition. While there are definitely some humorous aspects to this concept (talk about a bad way to start the day), it’s a serious issue. So serious, in fact, that NHTSA has expanded their investigation into these complaints.

Are F150 airbags spontaneously exploding?

As part of their decision to expand the investigation into the F150, NHTSA has released documents showing that a little more than 1.5 million F150’s made between 2004 and 2006 could have this problem.

80% of NUMMI Workers Upset With The UAW

We got a tip last week from a NUMMI employee who is hoping mad with the UAW. It turns out that there are quite a few NUMMI workers who are upset by the fact that the UAW was protesting against Toyota’s decision to close NUMMI. In an open letter to Sergio Santos (President of the UAW Local 2244), one NUMMI worker said the following:

I find myself taken aback by the union’s behavior in recent months. Your continued efforts to petition Toyota to keep NUMMI open are not only futile, but it has angered the membership at large who feel that asking Toyota to keep the plant open at this point is a waste of time and money

Another NUMMI worker wrote an open letter to UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, demanding that the UAW stop trying to politicize NUMMI’s closure and start working on an exit package for NUMMI workers:

Truck Safety Then And Now – 1990 vs 2010

Pickup trucks have evolved quite a bit in the last 20 years. In 1990, fuel injection and automatic locking hubs were “new” technology, most trucks were available with manual transmissions, and the most powerful engine in a half-ton was Chevy’s 454 V8 with 255 hp. Safety standards have changed a lot too – a 1990 Toyota pickup had just a one-star safety rating in a driver’s side frontal-impact test (yikes!).

Trucks have changed a lot in the last 20 years

Pickup truck safety, along with fuel economy and performance, has improved a LOT since 1990.

Youth Model Off-road Vehicles Banned Due To Lead Paint

Here’s a story from the Department of Ridiculous and Absurd:

As a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, sales of youth-model off-road vehicles (ATVs and motorcycles) were banned in February, 2009, because the vehicle’s paint contains lead. The ban was temporarily lifted last April, but the lift on the ban is almost over.

Seriously?

Tundras At 2010 Detroit International North American Auto Show

Toyota brought a couple of Tundras to the 2010 Detroit International auto show this year – a stock 4.6L DoubleCab and the Brooks & Dunn Tailgater concept created for the 2009 SEMA show.