All Entries in the "Auto News" Category

GM Trucks Rusty Brake Lines, New Fix – Poor Solution?

Rust. One of the worst four-letter words any vehicle owner can hear. Normally it attacks frames and body panels. However, GM truck owners are seeing it on brake lines which can snap. GM is now offering a fix, but owners have to pay for it. Huh?

This picture of the brake lines is from a 2004 Chevy Silverado with 30k “pampered” miles according to the owner.

Ford’s EcoBoost Losing Steam With Ford Loyalists

Update: Brian J in the comments below asked me to support my post with some data – here’s the data that supports the original conclusion.

When Ford’s EcoBoost engines came out, a lot of people (myself included) saw the engine as a game-changer. A bold new step forward for trucks, one that promised better fuel economy without sacrificing much power.

A growing number of Ford truck owners are questioning the reliability and fuel economy benefits of the EcoBoost V6. That’s bad news for Ford, as they’ve put all their eggs in the EcoBoost basket.

Years later, we’ve seen copious amounts of evidence to suggest that the EcoBoost isn’t the game-changer it promised to be. From anecdotes about mediocre fuel economy to problems with stalling and hesitation to hefty turbo replacement costs, there is ample evidence for skeptics like me to grab on to.

But what about Ford loyalists? Are they too seeing that EcoBoost isn’t what it’s cracked up to be? The answer seems to be yes – at least partially.

Toyota Sued Again By McCune Wright – Money Hungry?

Automakers get sued quite often it seems these days. Are the cars really that faulty and manufactures that negligent? Probably not. Are law firms becoming more “sue happy?”  You bet.

Yet another McCune Wright lawsuit has been filed. This time, the target is the Prius V 5 wagon.

EPA Will Reveal MPG Test Data – Who Should be Afraid

For the first time ever, the EPA plans to release the results of their MPG testing in “plain English.” This will finally shed some light on what the EPA is seeing and provide an independent source for MPG estimates. Which automaker do you think is most afraid of the results going public?

This fall the EPA will reveal the manufacture MPG testing audits to the public for the first time. Who should be concerned?

Toyota Building New NASCAR Truck Series Tundra Pickup

When the 2014 Toyota Tundra was announced, most of the focus was on consumer use. It seems Toyota had larger plans including building a new NASCAR pickup for the truck series. Cool or boring?

The 2014 Tundra is being used as a template for a new NASCAR truck series pickup.