RECALL - Nissan is recalling 134,215 Infiniti G35 sedans

RECALL - Nissan is recalling 134,215 Infiniti G35 sedans

 

(Reuters) -- Nissan Motor Co. recalled Infiniti G35 sedans and coupes because of faulty airbags that may not deploy during a crash, U.S. regulators said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said as many as 134,215 G35 sedans from model years 2005-2006 and G35 coupes from model years 2005-2007 are subject to the recall.

The recall is for vehicles sold both in and outside of the United States, a Nissan official said.

Nissan has yet to inform federal officials how the problem will be fixed, the agency said. Nissan informed U.S. safety regulators of the potential problem two weeks ago, NHTSA reports show.

NHTSA said a wire harness for the airbags may wear down to the point that it could interrupt a signal to deploy the airbags in the event of a crash.

The report mentioned no crashes or injuries related to the problem.

RECALL - Nissan is recalling 134,215 Infiniti G35 sedans

RECALL - Nissan is recalling 134,215 Infiniti G35 sedans

 

(Reuters) -- Nissan Motor Co. recalled Infiniti G35 sedans and coupes because of faulty airbags that may not deploy during a crash, U.S. regulators said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said as many as 134,215 G35 sedans from model years 2005-2006 and G35 coupes from model years 2005-2007 are subject to the recall.

The recall is for vehicles sold both in and outside of the United States, a Nissan official said.

Nissan has yet to inform federal officials how the problem will be fixed, the agency said. Nissan informed U.S. safety regulators of the potential problem two weeks ago, NHTSA reports show.

NHTSA said a wire harness for the airbags may wear down to the point that it could interrupt a signal to deploy the airbags in the event of a crash.

The report mentioned no crashes or injuries related to the problem.

Oil spill won’t raise gas prices in short term

Oil spill won’t raise gas prices in short term

 

The disastrous oil spill off the coast of Louisiana isn't expected to affect U.S. gasoline prices in the short term, but it could produce a longer-term hit if offshore oil drilling is curbed or made more expensive with new regulations and safety measures.

Wholesale gas prices are up 15 cents a gallon since April 20, says Darin Newsom of analysis firm Telvent DTN. That's when a fire and explosion occurred aboard the drilling rig off the Louisiana coast. Crude oil prices are up 3.2% in the same time, Newsom says.

But the prices aren't rising because of the spill, which isn't large enough to put a noticeable crimp in supply, oil and gas analysts say. Instead, they're driven by normal seasonal demands as the summer driving season nears and on signs of a strengthening economy. "We are headed higher," for gas prices, says Tom Kloza, analyst for the Oil Price Information Service. But the spill, while a huge environmental and political story, "should not be a big supply-and-demand story."

The most immediate danger is that the 30-mile oil slick starts to disrupt tanker traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, slowing shipment of imported crude oil to two refineries in Mississippi and Alabama, says Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. Worst case, shipments of crude could be slowed on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, home to 11% of the nation's crude oil refineries.

The spill's bigger impact could be on offshore drilling. President Obama says no new leases will be approved until a review is done as to what caused the spill. Monday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger withdrew his support for a plan to expand existing drilling operations off the California coast, citing the massive oil spill.

The Gulf of Mexico, home to 28 oil rigs, produces 1.7 million barrels of crude a day, 31% of the USA's total oil production. The U.S. imports two-thirds of its oil. Drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is seen as one way to lessen dependence on foreign oil.

The timing of the spill "could not have been worse," given that Obama recently supported expansion of offshore drilling in areas where it was previously banned, says Philip Weiss, energy analyst for Argus Research. He expects offshore drilling to "cost more and be more heavily regulated" now.

British energy giant BP leased the rig and is responsible for the cleanup. BP's shares closed Monday at $50.19, down 17% from their April 20 close.

Source: [ USAToday ]

NHTSA may Recall Dodge Calibers for Accelerator Problems

NHTSA may Recall Dodge Calibers for Accelerator Problems

 

DETROIT—Chrysler Group LLC said the National Highway Traffice Safety Administration is investigating a potential "sticky accelerator pedal" problem on some of its 2007 Dodge Calibers.

The auto maker said an internal probe finds that consumer complaints are confined to fewer than 10,000 Calibers that were built during a five-week window in March and April 2006.

The problem appears to be a supplier concern and is a mechanical, not electrical, issue, the auto maker said in a statement Monday. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries, and the vehicles are equipped with a "smart brake" system. The system automatically overrides the gas pedal if the accelerator and brake are applied at the same time.

Chrysler said it is cooperating with the NHTSA and urges consumers who bought a Caliber between March and April 2006 to get to their Dodge dealer for a free inspection. The company said it is too soon to tell if a recall will be needed.

 

Source; [ Wall Street Journal ]

Honda Recalls over 167,000 Acura TSX sports sedans

Honda Recalls over 167,000 Acura TSX sports sedans

 

Honda Motor Co. is recalling about 167,000 Acura TSX sports sedans in the U.S. to replace a power-steering hose that could deteriorate and lead to smoke or fire.

The recall affects the 2004-2008 models of the vehicle with 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engines, sold in the U.S.

The repair involves the installation of a new power-steering hose, o-ring gasket and fluid, at no cost to the vehicle owner. Owners affected by the recall will be notified starting at the end of May.

A statement from Honda Canada said the Acura recall notice doesn't pertain to any TSX units sold in Canada.

A press release on Acura's Web site said the power-steering hose in the recalled models could prematurely deteriorate due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which may cause fluid to leak on a hot exhaust component. It said it has received notice of one such incident resulting in a fire.

The recall comes just two weeks after Honda recalled about 1,850 Acura ZDX vehicles for a potential air-bag problem.

This most recent recall brings the Tokyo-based auto maker's total to nearly 1.2 million in the U.S. since January for problems ranging from airbags that might not deploy and brakes that don't respond well when they are depressed to electric window switches that can catch fire when they get wet.

Honda's recalls still pale in comparison to those made by Toyota Motor Corp., which has recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide this year to address unintended acceleration problems and a cadre of other concerns.

April 2010 Auto Sales by the Numbers

April 2010 Auto Sales by the Numbers

U.S. CAR AND LIGHT-TRUCK SALES, APRIL

All manufacturers have reported

Automaker	Apr-10	Apr-09	Pct. chng.	4 month	4 month	Pct. chng.
2010	2009
BMW Group*	21,137	19,389	9%	76,266	70,714	8%
Chrysler Group LLC	95,703	76,682	25%	329,918	323,890	2%
Daimler AG**	18,919	15,924	19%	70,915	61,137	16%
Ford Motor Co.***	167,283	133,979	25%	608,991	457,172	33%
General Motors****	183,614	172,150	7%	659,475	581,852	13%
Honda (American)†	113,697	101,029	13%	370,109	332,014	12%
Hyundai Group††	74,059	59,558	24%	262,264	224,305	17%
Isuzu	-	-	-%	-	165	-100%
Jaguar Land Rover	3,645	3,324	10%	12,736	11,920	7%
Maserati	186	107	74%	580	353	64%
Mazda	18,935	16,139	17%	74,876	69,934	7%
Mitsubishi	3,932	3,919	0%	17,555	17,753	-1%
Nissan†††	63,769	47,190	35%	291,998	221,957	32%
Porsche	1,747	1,853	-6%	6,969	6,778	3%
Saab Spyker Automobile‡	215	-	-%	348	-	-%
Subaru	23,198	15,649	48%	80,692	57,181	41%
Suzuki	1,950	2,543	-23%	7,611	17,668	-57%
Toyota‡‡	157,439	126,540	24%	543,125	486,210	12%
VW‡‡‡	32,580	23,411	39%	112,489	81,606	38%
Other (estimate)	294	306	-4%	1,176	1,224	-4%
TOTAL	982,302	819,692	20%	3,528,093	3,023,833	17%

 

Numbers in this table are calculated by Automotive News based on actual monthly sales reported by the manufacturers and may differ from numbers reported elsewhere.

Source: Automotive News Data Center

Note: Other includes estimates for Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Lotus

*Includes Mini and Rolls-Royce

**Includes Maybach, Mercedes-Benz and Smart

***Includes Volvo

****Includes Saab through February 2010

†Includes Honda Division and Acura

††Includes Hyundai and Kia

†††Includes Nissan Division and Infiniti

‡The sale of Saab was final on February 23, 2010

‡‡Includes Toyota Division, Lexus and Scion

‡‡‡Includes VW, Audi and Bentley

 

Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Chrysler lead April increases

 

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp., Hyundai Group and Chrysler Group all boosted U.S. sales by about 25 percent in April as demand continued to recover from last year's collapse.

Ford said retail sales advanced 32 percent, for its 18th gain by that measure in the past 19 months. General Motors Co.'s four surviving brands -- Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac – recorded a combined increase of 20 percent as the automaker climbed 7 percent

Toyota rose sharply for the second straight month, aided by no-interest loans and discount leases to combat its recall crisis. Chrysler's jump marked its first double-digit increase in almost five years.

We are putting the fundamentals together for a full-blown recovery," TrueCar.com analyst Jesse Toprak said, adding that April sales showed another month in a gradual return in consumer demand that was demolished in the past two years.

"It's slow, but we are on the right track," Toprak said.

Through March, the industry had advanced 16 percent from the start of 2009 and the weakest demand in almost 30 years.

Industrywide deliveries in April may have risen to an annualized rate of 11.4 million light vehicles, the average of eight analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg, compared with a year earlier. GM today forecast an 11.1-million-unit sales rate.

That would be less than the 11.7 million seasonally adjusted annualized pace in March, when Toyota offered its biggest incentives and spurred competitors to add discounts.

GM, Ford, Chrysler

GM has predicted U.S. sales this year will total 11.3 million to 11.8 million light vehicles. Although GM economist Ted Chu said he thinks the second quarter will continue its current pace, he predicted a one-million-unit increase in second-half sales compared with the first six months.

“Pent-up demand is building,” Chu said. GM is winding down Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn and has sold Saab.

GM's results were in line with analysts' forecast of a 7 percent increase. Ford was projected to record a 28 percent gain; its 25 percent advance marked its fifth straight monthly increase above 20 percent.

GM sold 9,150 Chevrolet Camaros, with about 7,800 of them going to individual customers. That's the highest retail total for the sports car since GM relaunched it in March 2009, said Steve Carlisle, vice president of U.S. sales operations.

Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado rose 12 percent, and the pickup saw its second consecutive monthly increase in sales to individual customers, Carlisle said. Its GMC Sierra sibling saw deliveries increase 13 percent, with a 19 percent increase in retail sales.

Ford's increase will be “good enough to gain market share,” said Efraim Levy, a Standard and Poor's analyst, in a research note. “We like the mix improvement, with retail sales, pickups and utilities powering the volume forward. Residuals values reportedly advanced for Ford, outpacing the industry.”

Ford was led by a jump of more than 42 percent in F-Series pickup trucks and a 41 percent rise in its Escape SUV. The automaker said fleet demand rose 13 percent.

Chrysler's 25 percent advance was the biggest since a 27 percent gain in July 2005, when U.S. automakers offered all buyers the same discounts as employees.

Asia-based automakers also benefited from incentives.

Manufacturers, dealers and investors use the annualized rate to account for seasonal buying patterns when comparing monthly totals. The average estimate for an industry sales pace of 11.4 million vehicles would compare with the 9.5 million of a year earlier, after the industry experienced the lowest U.S. demand in almost 30 years.

Consumer confidence

Automakers were buoyed by consumer confidence that rose in April to its highest since September 2008, as measured by the Conference Board's monthly index.

Toyota began offering incentives on March 2 such as subsidized leases after worldwide recalls of more than 8 million vehicles to fix defects linked to unintended acceleration and to adjust brakes. The company probably spent an average $2,416 on incentives on each vehicle last month, according to TrueCar.com.

The industry average is about $2,798, TrueCar.com said. Incentives are down 4 percent from March 2009, when GM and Chrysler boosted spending ahead of their bankruptcy filings.

John McEleney, who has a Toyota and a Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealership in Clinton, Iowa, said sales were up 30 percent at his Toyota store and increased about 20 percent among his GM brands.

“Sales were really pretty good, but not quite as good as March,” McEleney said before today's results were released, adding that sales may keep gaining this year. “We're seeing a lot more showroom traffic and a lot more Internet activity. People are feeling better about their jobs, too.”

 

Sourcer; [ Automotive News ]

Toyota resumes the sales of Lexus GX 460

Toyota resumes the sales of Lexus GX 460

 

 

Sixteen days after the Lexus GX 460 landed on Consumer Reports "Do Not Buy" list and Toyota issued a stop-sale on the luxury 'ute, Lexus has developed a fix for the stability control issue discovered by CR and has begun rolling out the fix.

In a statement issued by Mark Templin, the Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager says that the automaker's engineers were able to recognize and develop a remedy for the stability control system which CR deemed unsafe during its "Throttle Lift Off" test.

In addition to resuming sales, dealers began contacting customers yesterday to start issuing the software update and Lexus owners can expect their GXs to be reprogrammed within a week. For owners who still don't wish to drive their affected SUV, Lexus will continue to offer a courtesy vehicle free of charge. Full details in the press release after the jump.

 

Source: Autoblog.com ]