NHTSA
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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new, more stringent rating system for 2011 model-year cars. So far the only two cars to get top marks of five stars are the 2011 BMW 5-Series and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Many 2011 models have not yet been released or tested, so the list is expected to grow. The new tests combine frontal crash ratings, side crash ratings, and rollover ratings to generate an overall vehicle score. The new scores are not comparable to previous scores (through the 2010 model year) due to the differences in methodology, which now...
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2010, 2011 BMW 5-Series And 5-Series GT RecalledA recall has been issued on all 2010 and 2011 BMW 5-Series and 5-Series Gran Turismo models, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has revealed on its website today. The recall is due to a problem with the affected cars' fuel level sensors, which can see them indicate more fuel...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Leaky 2004 Corvette Fuel Tanks
The NHTSA is looking into 30 reports of fuel leaking from the fuel tanks of 2004 Chevrolet Corvettes.
Nelson Ireson -
Toyota Replacing Accelerator Pedals On 3.8 Million Toyota And Lexus Vehicles
Toyota will temporarily shorten the length of the gas pedals until a replacement pedal can be designed and installed.
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Audi Q5 takes top marks in both IIHS and NHTSA safety tests
Safety is no joke, especially to families on the go, and the arms race to get top ratings from the key safety evaluators - the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - is a never-ending battle to include the biggest standard...
Nelson Ireson -
Ford Mustang scores 5-star NHTSA safety rating
The 2010 Ford Mustang (Coupe only) has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 5-star rating in the agency's latest round of testing, cementing the Blue Oval's position as industry leader when it comes to safety. The latest results include top scores for both the driver and...
Jeremy Weber -
It's not every day that an automotive first is achieved - the industry is over a century old, after all. So that makes Acura's first-ever sweep of top marks in IIHS and NHTSA safety ratings impressive as a first as well as for the safety of its vehicles. The final vehicle to get the top scores was the new 2009 Acura TL (pictured above). With that, all of Acura's vehicles are now certified as 5-star (NHTSA NCAP) or 'Good' (IIHS) - the top marks possible in the U.S. But there's bound to be at least one asterisk next to the entry in the record books: Acura isn't really a full-line carmaker...
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First six cars tested under new Euro NCAP system, Toyota iQ rates 5 stars
Starting this year, all new cars assessed under the Euro NCAP scheme will have to be fitted with some form of electronic stability control (ESC) in order to gain a rating of five stars. This puts the Euro NCAP scheme at the forefront of crash testing, though some other regions are also making...
Nelson Ireson -
Ferrari recalls 1,900 F430 Spiders at risk of going up in flames
We’ve seen a number of cases of Ferrari supercars going up in flames over the past couple of years but usually these are one off occurrences and the reasons behind the fiery end usually goes by unreported. In the latest twist of the ongoing Ferrari fire saga, the Italian supercar manufacturer...
Jeremy Weber -
Mercedes-Benz hit with second-largest fuel efficiency fine ever by NHTSA
Mercedes-Benz has been fined $28.9 million for failure to meet federal fuel efficiency standards by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this week. The amount is the second-largest in the history of agency. Part of the U.S. CAFE standards, enforced by the NHTSA includes a...
Alex Kaufmann -
NHTSA postpones new crash testing regimen
Increasing the burden on the car industry through government regulation is the last thing anyone wants right now, as it would undo the work being done in Detroit and Washington to realign current operations with future market conditions. That's why the NHTSA has decided to delay its introduction of...
Nelson Ireson -
NHTSA report reveals excessive speed responsible for only 5% of crashes
We've all heard the phrase 'speed kills', and it's been widely applied to situations both apt and not. A recent study conducted by the NHTSA examining over 5,400 crashes across a nearly three-year period presents some evidence that excessive speed, while it may cause more serious injuries, is not a...
Ralph Hanson -
Fuel economy requirements and their corollary emissions laws are becoming the central focus of modern car development as governments around the world set higher standards. The U.S. has the NHTSA working on new CAFE standards, and a study announced today reveals that the recommended path will require 4.5% improvement each year through 2020, which will put the fleet-wide average at 39.4mpg by that time. Carmakers have so far been vocal in their opposition to the proposed CAFE standards, which previously had targeted 4.5% annual improvements through 2015, ending at 31.6mpg. But extending the...
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NHTSA delays new roof strength standards once again
The car industry has been dreading increases in the required roof strength of their cars for years now. The current regulations are holdovers from decades past, and safety advocates are calling for new standards that would dramatically improve safety, though the industry fears the high costs that...
Nelson Ireson
