NHTSA closes three year investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot feature after the company announced a recall in December. Agency states the system has critical safety gap that contributed to hundreds of incidents and a growing tally of fatalities.
Recalls
Honda Facing Possible Recall of 3 Million Vehicles; Toyota Recalls New Prius
Two major Japanese automakers are under NHTSA’s microscope. In the case of Toyota, the Japanese giant has ordered the recall of 55,000 of the latest-generation Prius hybrids sold in the U.S. That service action could be dwarfed, however, if the federal safety agency moves forward on a probe targeting 3 million Honda vehicles. Headlight.News has more.
Ford Recalls 456K SUVs, Pickups
Ford’s quality issues continue to be problematic as the automaker recalled 456,565 compact SUVs and pickups due to a battery issue that could cause the vehicles to lose power. Get details at Headlight.News.
Feds Open Probe into Honda Emergency Braking Problem
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started a probe into more than 250,000 Honda Insights and Passports due to dozens of complaints about the automatic emergency braking system activating for no apparent reason. Get details at Headlight.News.
Honda Recalls 750K Vehicles Due to Airbag Problem
Automakers recalled more than 1 million vehicles Tuesday, with Honda leading the way. The Japanese automaker recalled 750,000 vehicles with airbags that could deploy unintentionally during a crash. GM also issued a recall for 300,000 vehicles. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Federal Safety Officials Upgrade Tesla Power Steering Probe
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration moved its probe into Tesla’s power steering loss from a probe to an engineering analysis as the company recalled 2.2 million vehicles due to a font size issue. Get details at Headline.News.
Latest Recall Adds to Tesla’s Very, Very, Very Bad Week
Tesla will recall 200,000 EVs to address a problem with their backup camera. The latest in a series of recalls comes as the automaker faces some serious challenges, including a slowdown in sales and earnings that led to a major sell-off of stock this week, wiping out $80 billion in shareholder value. Headlight.News has more.
Ford Recalls Over 2 Million Explorers; Trim Parts Can Fly Off
Ford recalled more than 2 million Explorer SUVs. The automaker told federal regulators that trim parts may not have been attached properly and could fly off while driving, potentially leading to a crash. More from Headlight.News.
Toyota’s Daihatsu Arm Halts Production After Admitting it Faked Decades of Safety Tests
While its products are no longer available in the U.S., Daihatsu is an important part of the Toyota brand empire, with sizable markets in Japan and other parts of the world. But the minicar maker has halted Japanese production after it acknowledged that it has cheated on safety tests for the last 30 years. And that’s just the latest problem for Daihatsu, reports Headlight.News.
Headlight News for the Week of 12-25-23: Blazer EV Stop-sale, Huge Honda Recall, Bargains for Car Buyers and Rescuing Dogs
The big news making Headlight News for the week beginning with Christmas is General Motors putting the brakes on the new Chevy Blazer EV before it even starts with a stop-sale order to dealers. It finishes with the efforts of automotive journalists to rescue some puppies during the holiday season trekking from Utah to Oregon. Check out the podcast at Headlight.News.
Porsche, Audi Recall 130,000 EVs and PHEVs Due to Fire Risk
Porsche and Audi dealing with two actions, one of which isn’t about the vehicles, but the charging cables. The other recall covers just 205 Porsche Taycans at risk for fire due to overcharging. Get details at Headlight.News.