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Want to know what's new...but have a strong distaste for Madison Avenue
press releases dressed up as "news"?
Well, we've taken that nasty little bullet for you. Here at Car Talk Plaza,
we get inundated with automotive "news releases." Almost all of them are
cheap ploys from ad agency lackeys, hoping they'll get some lazy reporter
to turn it into a "news story" and some free advertising.
Some of it, however, is really important stuff-information that could
affect your safety, your purchasing decisions, or otherwise save you big
bucks. And those are the press releases we'll post here.
So, what's new? Here's what:
September 26, 2000
There's an important vote coming up in Congress on October 6, which some
are calling the most important vehicle safety legislation in years. Find
out more about the effort to add criminal sanctions to federal vehicle
safety regulations--and see how you can get involved, if you feel strongly
one way or the other.
September 22, 2000
Turns out, Firestone may be replacing recalled tires, with ones that, in
some cases, are even worse.
August 25, 2000
Own a Mitsubishi? Well, you might have been lied to. No kidding. Here's the
whole story of Mitsubishi's cover up
of serious defects in 620,000 of their vehicles.
August 20, 2000
Here's a program that can help-- Keep Kids Alive Drive 25. It's a simple
idea. Let's get everyone to slow down, when they're driving in residential
neighborhoods. Besides, what's the big rush? Here's how you can start a
KKAD25 campaign on your street.
August 9, 2000
Own any Firestone stock? We sure hope not. Because they're recalling--get
this--6.5 million ATX and Wilderness AT sport utility and truck tires. And
for good reason: they fall apart when you use them. Here's the lowdown from
cars.com. Check it out, and spread the word to anyone you know who owns a
truck or sport utility.
July 27, 2000
If you did, you might have a few dineros coming to you, thanks to a class
action suit related to defective--oops, we mean, "allegedly" defective--
rear brakes. If you owned or leased one of these cars, built between 1988
and 1993, you just might be in luck... if you aren't already broke, having
spending your retirement account on brake repairs, that is.
July 14, 2000
Well, here you go. Here's a nifty little site that we found... that's not
beholden to anyone, as far as we can tell. Enter your zip code, and you'll
find the location of the least expensive gallon of regular unleaded nearest
to you.
July 5, 2000
Well... not really. All they want are your comments-- on cell phones and
driving. Should it be illegal to yak on a phone and merge onto the
expressway at the same time? And how about web access... is that okay, or
do you think it's total insanity? NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, has set up and online forum-- and they want your
input, for possible rulemaking. This is your chance to get involved. Here's
how.
May 12, 2000.
Okay, so that's not news. But, Ford has finally admitted it, which is
pretty amazing, in our humble opinion. See what the contrite folks at Ford
have to say... while they pocket millions from the Excursion.
April 5, 2000.
There, did that get your attention? Good. Here's some useful info from the
American Petroleum Institute, in case you're not interested in blowing
yourself sky high the next time you're refueling your jalopy. Read all the
way through this info, take a brief comprehension test... and we'll confer
upon you the Institute's prestigious diploma, which will look just great
hanging in your cubicle.
March 29, 2000.
Okay, unless your name is Tom Magliozzi, chances are you don't start the
day by saying, "Gee, I think I'll bump into a few immovable objects on my
way to work." However, most of us eventually have a fender bender. And the
cost to repair your car can vary dramatically. Check out these low speed
crash test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety-- and
see how Mazda is correcting some miserable results.
March 28, 2000.
Want to drive safely? It turns out, paying attention to the road means more
than not yakking on the phone. And, finally, we now have a theory that
explains why Tom and Ray have such good driving records-- they're never
busy with any heavy intellectual lifting, so to speak.
March 13, 2000.
Can you think of a more fitting partnership? We sure couldn't.
February 25, 2000.
Got a Ford? Chances are pretty good,
then, that you might also have a
Ford with a head gasket problem...
in which case, we have some good
news for you.
January 15-23, 2000.
the Detroit International Auto Show-the biggest auto show in this galaxy. (That we know of, at least.) Fortunately for you, you don't have to book your flight to Motown, because our pals at cars.com have reporters monitoring every critical location, right down to the nachos stand. And they've put together the best coverage on the Web. Check out all the new vehicles (seen a Daewoo Korando yet?)...the concept cars...new SUVs...even Honda's new fuel-cell vehicle, slated to hit the streets in 2003.
January, 2000.
Okay, so no one exactly "plans" on getting into a car accident. But it happens. And wouldn't you rather pat yourself on the back for doing your homework and selecting a safe car...instead of banging your body cast against the traction weights hanging from your hospital bed? Here's the latest crash-test news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
January, 2000.
Turns out, not every government bureaucrat is asleep at his desk. Here's the definitive guide from our pals at NHTSA, with comprehensive safety info on most of the new models, including crash-test results, air bags, other safety features and plenty of cool charts.
December 9, 1999.
Honda and Toyota are the first manufacturers to introduce so-called "hybrid" vehicles to the U.S. Hybrids are a huge improvement over regular electric vehicles. Why? Because they can actually go farther than 10 miles at a time and can break 30 mph. In fact, hybrids are pretty much like your run-of-the-mill car...except they can get up to 100 miles to the gallon. This, in our humble opinion, is the first exciting thing to come along since the heated seat.
December 8, 1999.
The Feds aren't the only ones destroying perfectly good cars for our benefit. Maybe that noise was the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, crashing nice new cars into brick walls. See the latest IIHS results, check out some interesting developments in crashworthiness...and find out why Chrysler might not be so happy.
November 9, 1999.
We've had it with people yakking on their cell phones when they should be
paying attention to the road. So, we started our own little campaign. And,
being good Americans, we naturally had to send out a press release on the
topic. Here's what we had to say.
October 25, 1999.
Here's what seniors need to do to keep their driver's license-other than bribe the instructor with home-baked sugar cookies, that is. Licensing procedures vary from state to state. Find out what your great-grandma Ethel needs to do back in Minnesota to keep the keys to her DeSoto.
September 1, 1999.
New federal child-seat regulations went into effect recently. This is actually a good thing. For once, the Feds have set a standard for how car seats attach to vehicles. Plus, new self-anchoring attachment points make it easier for parents to install kid car seats correctly.
August 4, 1999.
You might want to be a little more vigilant than usual, when driving
through those intersections. Seems that NHTSA has a bunch of evidence that
their gas tanks might be prone to leaking gas during side impact crashes,
and full-blown recalls might be in the works.
August 4, 1999.
Drive a Mazda? We've got some exciting news for you. If you're not venting
a little extra gas, your door might unexpectedly fly open. Mazda's
recalling a boatload (many dozens of boatloads, actually) of 626 sedans,
MX-6 sport coupes and 2000 MPV minivans. Find out what they found, this
way.
June 16, 1999.
Turns out, most SUV's sustain -- get this -- at least $5,000 in damage,
from a measly five miles an hour impact. So much for that rough and ready
image. Check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety scorecard, and
see how they hope to encourage bumpers that are something more than wimpy,
tin-foil excuses for safety.
June 3, 1999.
Bad places to nap: the boss' office... in the pool... and behind the
driver's seat. You're on your own on the first two, but NHTSA has some
serious news for you on that last one. Check out the stats -- and see why
you've got to promise us you'll pull over if you start to nod off.
June, 1999.
American car manufacturers are starting to make
more room for ample tuchuses. Get the details and hear what Tom and Ray
have to say.
May 25, 1999.
Well, it might be disassembled into about 1,500 pieces right about now if it's a Range Rover-which is 12 times more likely to be stolen than the average car. Don't want to experience that sinking feeling as you glance frantically around the parking lot? Here's the list of cars to avoid.
April 14, 1999.
Cars *are* getting safer...well, some of them are anyway. The winners...and
some perennial losers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
April 6, 1999.
Side air bags work. They might save your life in a crash--or at least keep
your left arm out of a cast. Read how they're becoming more common, and
check out the scores.
March 30, 1999.
Got a kid? Want to keep him or her? (We don't need to answer that for you,
do we?) See why it's so important that kids ride in a car seat, in the back.
March 5, 1999.
Know what happens to some sport utes when you swerve? They roll over. And
apparently drivers still don't believe it. See what the NHTSA has planned
to change that.
January 20, 1999.
Graduated licensing for teens is a great idea. Don't take our word for it.
Check out the results and see why it works.
January, 1999.
Check the latest fuel-economy numbers before you buy that Ford Excursion...and spend the rest of your life swiping your credit card through the pumps.
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