A Tesla Model S electric sedan is driven near the company's factory in Fremont, Calif., last year. Tesla will recall 1,228 of its 2013 Model S cars manufactured between May 10 and June 8 due to a defect in the mounting bracket of the rear seat. (Noah Berger/Reuters/File)

Tesla's first Model S recall: Seat defect puts new brand to the test

By Schuyler Velasco, Staff writer / 06.19.13

Most automakers aren’t chomping at the bit to issue vehicle recalls. Sometimes, they try to avoid it altogether, such as Chrysler, which reluctantly announced a recall of 2.7 million Jeeps Tuesday.

So on Wednesday in sweeps Tesla, the luxury electric automaker and new kid on the auto block, with a recall that nobody asked for.

A defect on a back seat of Tesla's new Model S is causing the recall of 1,228 cars manufactured between May 10 and June 8, 2013. Tesla founder and chief executive Elon Musk weighed in on the issue himself, writing in a blog posted on the company’s website: A “mounting bracket for the left hand latch of the second row seat could be weaker than intended. This reduces our confidence that the left hand seat back will be properly retained in the event of a crash.”

He continued: “We do not wish to cause undue alarm, so it is perhaps worth clarifying that:

• The weld has not actually detached on any car
• There have been no customer complaints
• We are not aware of any injuries or near injuries
• No regulatory agency brought this to our attention.”

Perhaps owing to the vehicle’s luxury status (and Tesla’s lack of traditional dealerships), the automaker will contact owners and arrange for the cars to be picked up, repaired, and dropped off on Tesla’s dime. The repairs will cost Tesla around $150,000 in all, according to a company statement. ( Continue… )

Customers wait in line at a Hertz rental car counter at San Jose International Airport in San Jose, Calif. FlightCar, a startup company that allows travelers to rent out their cars while they are out of town, promises to eliminate lines and maximize convenience for drivers. (Paul Sakuma/AP/File)

FlightCar: Get free airport parking. Earn money from your car.

By Akane Otani, Contributor / 06.19.13

A new car rental company is irking the likes of Hertz, Avis, and even the City of San Francisco with a cost-cutting service that threatens to encroach on lucrative airport business.

FlightCar, a car-sharing service that launched in San Francisco in February, lets travelers rent out their cars while they are out of town. As long as a car is less than 14 years old and worth less than $60,000, it can be listed on FlightCar’s website as being ready to rent.

In return for dropping off their car with FlightCar, car-owners get black-car valet-service to terminals, a car wash, the peace of mind of not leaving their car in a fee-eating lot, and up to $10 a day if their car is rented. Car-renters skipping traditional rental companies for FlightCar save up to 50 percent on their vehicle and get free insurance, GPS, and curbside pickup and drop-off services no matter where they live within a 10-minute radius of the lot.

If a driver finds a car that can be rented more cheaply, FlightCar guarantees the driver a free rental.

It sounds simple, but it took a trio of teenagers to come up with it. The founders of FlightCar – who turned down Harvard, Princeton, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to do so – say their ambitions are big: to “revolutionize the airport parking and car rental industries one car at a time.” ( Continue… )

The 2014 Buick LaCrosse 3.6L V6 comes with a price tag of $34,060, but those looking to optimize the car with additional features — including a sophisticated infotainment system — may end up paying more than $40,000 for the ride. (General Motors Co./AP/File)

2014 Buick LaCrosse to cost drivers $34,060

By Jeff Glucker, Guest blogger / 06.19.13

The 2014 Buick LaCrosse is ready to start rolling out into showrooms, and those interested can finally start putting down a number on the check they'll have to write.

General Motors has announced pricing for the updated machine, and it's set to start at $34,060. That price includes the $925 destination and handling charge as well as a handful of premium standard amenities.

For the base price of entry, the LaCrosse comes equipped with IntelliLink connectivity, an eight-inch touch-screen display that can be reconfigured, and the eAssist powertrain to aid in the ever-increasing quest for more miles per gallon. The 2014 LaCrosse is rated to hit around 36 miles per gallon on the highway.

The base price might start under $35,000, but the average transaction price may wind up closer to, if not greater than, $40,000 once the excellent V-6 is chosen. The order sheet can get a might expensive once you start ticking too many boxes. If you do that, you'll wind up paying Cadillac prices for a machine that's, um, not a Cadillac.

Still, it sounds like Buick is planning to stuff the car with a plethora of upscale optional extras that will make the car feel worth the price. The LaCrosse is a handsome machine that has an infotainment system which could make even the youngest outliers of the Buick buyers group rather happy. Pandora radio can be streamed through the cabin, and hands-free features abound. It will be interesting to see if any of that new tech can draw in a younger audience.

For more, see our 2014 Buick LaCrosse review.

Rows of 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokees are lined up outside the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit in 2001. Chrysler announced Tuesday, June 18, 2013 that it will issue a Jeep recall of older Grand Cherokee and Liberty SUVs that could be at risk of a fuel tank fire. In early June 2013, the company refused the NHTSA's request to recall the Jeeps. (Carlos Osorio/AP/File)

Jeep recall: Chrysler refuses, then caves to feds' call for inspecting 2.7 million Jeeps

By Schuyler Velasco, Staff writer / 06.18.13

After initially refusing, Chrysler has agreed to comply with a formal government request to recall 2.7 million model Jeeps. According to regulators, the Jeep recall will include Cherokee and Liberty models that can catch fire due to the position of the gas tank behind the rear axle.

The problem has already been responsible for 51 deaths resulting from Jeeps igniting after rear-end collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall involves Jeep Grand Cherokees made between 1993 and 2004, as well as Jeep Libertys manufactured between 2004 and 2007. The affected vehicles will be inspected and, if necessary, have a trailer hitch installed to protect the gas tank. Chrysler didn’t say how much the hitches would cost the company.

“As a result of the agreement, Chrysler Group will conduct a campaign with respect to the vehicles in question that, in addition to a visual inspection of the vehicle will, if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle to better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts,” Chrysler said in a statement. ( Continue… )

Factory workers stand next to a car on the assembly line during the launch of a new factory of German premium car maker Audi in Gyor, Budapest, in June. The 2014 Audi SQ5 is the fastest and most powerful model in its segment. (Laszlo Balogh/Reuters/File)

2014 Audi SQ5 priced from $52,795

By Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Guest blogger / 06.18.13

The 2014 Audi SQ5, Audi’s first crossover to wear its sporty S label, has been priced from $52,795, including an $895 destination charge.

The vehicle will be available for sale later this summer where it will go up against the likes of the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK Class.

However, the Audi stands apart thanks to its 354 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque output. That potent output is derived from a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and is channeled to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

According to Audi, the SQ5 needs just 5.1 seconds to accelerate from 0-60 mph and can easily reach its governed top speed of 155 mph.

Those numbers make the SQ5 the fastest and most powerful model in its segment.

The vehicle also gets a host of goodies as standard, including 20-inch wheels (21-inch wheels are offered), leather and Alcantara trim, and aluminum accents inside and out.

In addition to the high-performance SQ5, the 2014 Audi Q5 lineup also sees the addition of the Q5 TDI model. For pricing on this model, plus more of Audi’s 2014 range, click here.

A line of GMC Envoy SUV's sit for sale at a car lot in Troy, Mich., in 2006. The Envoy is one of seven midsize SUVs involved in a GM recall for a power window and door lock module that can overheat and even catch fire in some instances. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters/File)

GM recall: SUVs can catch fire even when parked

By Laurent Belsie, Staff writer / 06.17.13

General Motors is recalling nearly 200,000 midsize SUVs in the United States for a problem that has plagued several automakers: a driver's door module that can corrode, if it attracts excess moisture.

The issue can cause power door locks and windows to fail and the module's circuit board to melt, smoke, or even catch fire in some instances. It can happen even when the car is not operating, prompting GM to suggest that owners affected by the recall keep their vehicles parked outside.

The models involved in the GM recall are: Chevy TrailBlazer (2006-07 models) and Trailblazer EXT (2006); GMC Envoy (2006-07) and Envoy XL (2006); Buick Rainer (2006-07); Saab 9-7x (2005-07); and Isuzu Ascender (2006-07). In all, more than 193,000 vehicles are being tagged with the potential problem. The recall also includes some 38,000 of these GM vehicles sold in Canada and elsewhere around the world. 

For GM owners, however, this latest recall might seem like deja vu. The current safety notice is an extension of a GM recall involving nearly 250,000 SUVs nearly a year ago. That recall was limited to 20 cold-weather states where road salt was most likely to cause the damage. In January 2013, the automaker also alerted owners outside those states with a special coverage letter, urging them to get the item fixed at a GM dealer. The fix is free in either case. ( Continue… )

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stands next to a new A3 Limousine with Audi executives during the launch of a new factory for Audi in Hungary this month. The Audi Allroad, a rugged wagon, offers a ride that will please everyone in the family, Halvorson says. (Laszlo Balogh/Reuters/File)

2013 Audi Allroad offers smooth handling, crisp turns

By Bengt Halvorson, Guest blogger / 06.17.13

After spending a few weeks with a 2013 Audi Allroad, we've grown to appreciate how, from choppy, rutted unpaved access roads to nicely surfaced curving blacktop, this stocky wagon manages to handle surprisingly well, without punishing passengers or transmitting too much road noise into the cabin.

In fact, for what most people need—the occasional snowy driveway, or the rutted two-track to the trailhead—we think the Allroad has the right amount of capability, without sacrificing too much in the ride-and-handling department.

Yes, there are many models that have more ground clearance than the Allroad's 7.1 inches. But a higher body would have physical consequences and would raise the center of mass—almost surely bringing a harsher or bouncier ride, less surefooted handling, or both.

Versus the A4 sedan and Q5 crossover?

We expected the taller Allroad to be a somewhat clumsier handler than the A4 sedan, but we can't say it is. And really, it rides just as well as the sedan. The Allroad has 1.5 inches more ground clearance than the A4 (7.1 inches, versus 5.6), while the Q5 has even more—7.9 inches. As for the Q5, you sit higher and more upright in it, so it's a little higher to gauge, but there's definitely more fore-and-aft motion in the suspension with bumpy roads or hard braking. ( Continue… )

Fox Valley Technical College Vehicle Refinishing and Repair majors, Ross Blazer, left, and Eric Van Rooy, right, work on a Toyota Prius as part of their training in hybrid car repair on campus in Appleton, Wisconsin in 2011. Hybrid repairs are getting cheaper, even as basic car repair costs rise. (Ann Hermes/Staff/File)

Hybrid repair costs drop, especially in the Northeast

By Richard Read, Guest blogger / 06.16.13

We have good news and bad news for hybrid car owners. 

First the bad news: basic car repairs are more expensive than they used to be. According to a CarMD survey of repair costs across the U.S., problems associated with the "check engine" light cost $367.84 to repair in 2012. That's 10% higher than in 2011.

A little more bad news: on the whole, rates on the East Coast seem to be outpacing the rest of the country. Things were at their worst in New Jersey, where motorists paid an average of $392.99 for repairs last year.  

The good news? As we reported a few months ago, repairing hybrid cars is getting cheaper.

And by sheer coincidence, it's cheapest of all in New Jersey. ( Continue… )

A huge road sign for old Route 66 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The prospect of a road trip in an electric car is still daunting, but Ingram argues that it could be more manageable on smaller highways like Route 66. (Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File)

Can electric cars save Route 66?

By Antony Ingram, Guest blogger / 06.15.13

U.S. Historic Route 66 is one of the most famous highways in the world, but it's a mere shadow of the journey it was in its 1930s to 1950s heyday.

Eisenhower's Interstate Highway Act of 1956 effectively signed the route's death warrant--and indeed, the towns along it, as flat, smooth, effortless interstate carved its way through the country and around previously prosperous towns..

But could the electric car rekindle interest in the historic highway?

TriplePundit thinks it might, after a trip along the St. Louis to Tulsa leg in a 2013 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid.

This author thinks it could too. Back in 2007, myself and two friends decided to take on the famed Route 66 ourselves, having just finished college and keen to travel before several years of university weighed us down. ( Continue… )