Category Archives: auto news

IIHS Pushing for Optimal State Safety Belt Use Laws

Posted on 4 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“This calculator will help advocates and policymakers understand the safety benefits a state can reap with simple legislative changes,” said Chuck Farmer, IIHS vice president for research. “For the 22 jurisdictions that already have the strongest provisions in place, it shows the cost of any potential backsliding.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, distracted driving, insurance, milestones, news analysis, people, public health, safety, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volvo Cars to Increase EX60 SUV Production to Meet Demand

Posted on 4 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“That so many customers ordered the EX60 in the first month has surpassed our expectations, and it’s a good ‘problem’ to have,” said Erik Severinson, chief commercial officer at Volvo Cars. “We are very encouraged to see such strong demand for our game-changing electric SUV, and we are now reviewing our production plans for 2026, as we gear up for the start of customer car production next month. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, labor issues, manufacturing, mobility company, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volvo Cars – 2.5 Million Software Upgrades Are Now Free

Posted on 3 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“This update is one of the largest over-the-air updates in automotive history, leveraging years of investment in Volvo Cars’ tech stack to improve life with their cars for millions of people,” says Anders Bell, chief engineering and technology officer at Chinese-owned Volvo Cars. “Our new user experience delivers significant updates and improvement in areas most used by drivers, and directly addresses the needs and desires of our customers.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electronics, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, software defined vehicles, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Annals of Marketing – Goodyear Vault Online Debuts

Posted on 3 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Goodyear* (NASDAQ: GT) has introduced another way for consumers to “experience the company, its brands and its 128-year legacy.” The so-called “The Vault” is an online marketplace where consumers can explore and purchase historic artifacts, signed memorabilia, limited-edition merchandise and … Continue reading →

Posted in aftermarket, auto news, marketing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, shows and events, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ganassi Racing’s Palou Rules 2026 NTT IndyCar Start

Posted on 2 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Alex Palou opened the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series* season with a dominant victory in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a 12.49 second lead over the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet of NTT P1 Award winner Scott … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, marketing, news analysis, performance, racing, results, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Transit Brake Failure Recall

Posted on 2 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“Certain vehicles may have been built without the cotter pin that secures the brake booster pushrod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake booster pushrod to separate from the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 105 Hydraulic and electric brake systems, section S5.6 Brake system integrity,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, manufacturing, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM Canada Walks Together on Coldest Night of the Year

Posted on 27 February 2026 by Ken Zino

This year, GM Canada raised more than C$80,000 to support local charities, including Start Me Up Niagara, United Way Oxford’s Ingersoll Transition House, and The Refuge Youth Outreach Centre in Oshawa, helping deliver warm meals, housing support, social work services, and emergency assistance to individuals and families facing immediate need during the coldest time of the year.

Because of hundreds of employees and dealers, GM Canada has become a significant supporter of the Coldest Night of the Year, helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to fund critical services for individuals facing hardship across the country. Continue reading →

Posted in mobility company, news, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Debuts Home EV Charging With Treehouse

Posted on 27 February 2026 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor North America (TMNA – NYSE:TM) this week announced the use of Treehouse, a software operating system with the stated goal to make home EV charger purchase and installation easy. All 2026 and newer Toyota and Lexus BEVs and … Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, global warming, marketing, milestones, mobility company, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stellantis Posts Full Year 2025 Loss of €22.3B

Posted on 26 February 2026 by Ken Zino

“In the second half of the year we began to see initial, positive signs of progress with the early results of our drive to improve quality, strong execution of the launches of our new product wave and a return to top line growth. In 2026 our focus will be on continuing to close the execution gaps of the past, adding further momentum to our return to profitable growth,” claimed Filosa. [A large portion of the Stellantis Corporate farm appears to be bet on its ability to sell large Ram pickup trucks and some cars with V8 engines – Hemi – and sell more Jeeps in North America where GM and Ford are firmly entrenched. Affordability is an issue as well, so a mid-size Dakota Pickup truck is in the works. – AutoCrat] Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, engineering, financial results, manufacturing, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, quality, results, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trump Slump Forecast – February 26 New Vehicle Sales Drop

Posted on 25 February 2026 by Ken Zino

“The new-vehicle sales pace shifted to a lower gear in Q4 of last year, and that weakness is expected to continue through this month as well,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, fools 'n frauds, global warming, manufacturing, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales, transportation, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Safety Council – 12% Drop in 2025 Traffic Fatalities

Posted on 24 February 2026 by Ken Zino

“The decrease in roadway fatalities is more than a number. It represents lives saved and families kept whole,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. “It is also proof that our sustained efforts to make our roads safer are working. We must continue to work together as advocates, policymakers and communities to build on this progress, until no one ever loses their life on our roads again.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, public health, results, safety, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Penske Automotive Group Buys Lexus Dealerships in Florida

Posted on 24 February 2026 by Ken Zino

“We are excited to welcome the teams at Lexus of Orlando and Lexus of Winter Park to the Penske Automotive Group family and are proud to expand our partnership with Lexus in a market with a long-term growth potential. These premier dealerships have built a strong reputation for exceptional customer service and operational excellence. We look forward to continuing that legacy while leveraging the Company’s existing infrastructure in Central Florida,” said Rich Shearing, North American Operations Officer. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, marketing, mobility company, results, shows and events, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rear-Wheel Lockup Recall on 2020-22 GM Diesel Pickups

Posted on 23 February 2026 by Ken Zino

General Motors (NYSE: GM) is recalling ~1100 model-year 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500, GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500, and 2020-2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups with diesel engines that may have been repaired incorrectly with the wrong software under NHTSA recall 24V797. The transmission control valve may fail and cause the rear wheels to lock up.

“Dealers were presented with an option in GM’s Global Warranty Management (GWM) system to mark a vehicle as having been remedied without first verifying the most recent software version was available. That option has been removed,” GM said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, public health, quality, recalls, safety, software defined vehicles, software recalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transmission Failures – Toyota Recalls 2025-26 Lexus LX600s

Posted on 23 February 2026 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (NYSE: TM, 7203T) is recalling ~4400 model year 2025-2026 Lexus LX600 vehicles for software problems that can cause transmission damage, sudden loss of power and fires.

“The subject vehicles are equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission that contains linear solenoids to control the shifting of gears. If a solenoid failure occurs under certain driving conditions, communication may not occur between the Transmission Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and the Engine ECU about the failure, resulting in the transmission over-revving in certain gears. This could result in damage to the transmission and a loss of motive power while driving at higher speeds, which could increase the risk of a crash,” Toyota said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, engineering, public health, quality, recalls, safety, software recalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nissan Rogue Recall for Engine Failures and Fires

Posted on 23 February 2026 by Ken Zino

Nissan North America (7201T and NSANY ADR) is recalling ~324,00 model year 2023-2025 Rogue vehicles equipped with 3-cylinder 1.5-liter variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engines.

“Increased temperatures can break down the engine oil, which may cause the engine bearings to seize and become damaged, leading to engine failure,” Nissan said in the required safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. “If the engine fails while driving, it can result in a loss of motive power (LOMP), and an inability to restart, increasing the risk of a crash. In certain rare cases, a bearing failure may cause a breach in the engine block, allowing hot oil to be discharged, increasing the risk of an engine fire, “Nissan said. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, electronics, public health, quality, recalls, safety, software recalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment