Michael and Brandi Helvey thought they added the perfect finishing touch to their Georgia dream home when they installed an elevator to accommodate Michael’s mother, who was living with the couple. The elevator, a National Wheel-O-Vator Destiny, cost $20,000, but it soon seemed to be an expense well worth it.…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced early today that it would investigate Tesla’s Model S electric car to determine whether it is particularly vulnerable to fire because roadway debris can come into contact with and slice the car’s underbody and battery. This announcement comes on the heels of two…
An Oklahoma jury decided Thursday that Toyota Motor Corp. is liable for a 2007 crash caused by sudden acceleration. The crash left one woman dead and another individual seriously injured. The jury awarded the driver of the car who was injured in the accident, Jean Bookout, $1.5 million in damages.…
Many are now arguing that computer-operated, self-driving cars are the way to go. These cars of the near future cannot drink and drive, do drugs, fall asleep, get distracted, tailgate, or run red lights. Further, research shows the reaction times for these vehicles are quicker than a human driver. A…
Officials said that the fire that destroyed a Tesla electric car near Seattle on Tuesday began in the vehicle’s battery pack. This type of fire created challenges for firefighters who tried to extinguish the flames. Tesla spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean stated that the fire occurred when a large metallic object hit…
A rear light defect has lead BMW to recall more than 134,000 of its 5-Series cars in the United States. The recall was posted Friday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website. It affects the following cars from the 2008 to 2010 model years: 528i, 535i, 550i, and M5.…
Suzuki has issued a recall of 193,936 of its SUVs and cars due to a defective air bag sensor located in the front passenger seat. The SUVs subject to the recall are the Grand Vitaras model years 2006 through 2011. The cars subject to the recall are the SX4s model…
The electric version of the Ford Focus is facing federal government scrutiny in the wake of allegations that the vehicle can stall without warning. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Tuesday that it received twelve complaints from Focus Electric drivers. The model years complained of are 2012 and 2013.…
Only two cars received the top rating in tough front-end crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The redesigned two-door and four-door Civics earned “good” ratings, while six of the twelve tested compact and subcompact cars performed poorly. The Ford Focus, Dodge Dart, Hyundai Elantra, and the…
A major American automobile manufacturer has paid $17.35 million, the top penalty possible, to settle government allegations that the company acted too slowly in recalling almost a half-million SUVs last year. Ford recalled nearly 485,000 Escape SUVs built between 2001 and 2004 in July 2012. The SUVs are equipped with…