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GM finds steering flaw, decides it doesn't warrant a recall

Guess what? General Motors is back in the spotlight for not recalling something. This time, though, not only does the company have an argument against a recall campaign, but its position is supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to The New York Times, over 50 owners of GM vehicles have reported instances of stuck or seized steering after driving long distances without moving the wheel. One owner complained to NHTSA that the "locked" steering of their 2013 Buick Verano caused a collision with a concrete barrier in a construction zone. Along with the 2013 to 2014 model year Verano sedans, Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu sedans are also affected. Considering the popularity of those models, GM needs to have a reason for not issuing a recall, right? "Based on a very low rate of occurrence – ranging from less than one half to less than two incidents per thousand vehicles – and the fact that the condition is remedied when the wheel is turned, GM determined this was not a safety issue," spokesman Alan Adler told The Times. The company has, however, issued a technical service bulletin for owners that complain of the problem. The fix is nothing more than a software update that is covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles from new. NHTSA cited GM's actions, along with descriptions of the problems from customers, in its decision not to issue a recall, with spokeswoman Catherine Howden saying, "the symptoms described would be a brief, perceptible change in steering feel that has little to no effect on the driver's ability to safely steer the vehicle." "When terms like 'notchy,' 'stick,' 'slip' or 'feel' are used, it does not indicate a meaningful increase in steering effort," Howden told The Times via email. What do you think? Is GM in the wrong here? Should there be a recall, or is the issue so limited as to not warrant one? Have your say in Comments. Featured Gallery 2013 Buick Verano Turbo: Review View 20 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Malibu: First Drive View 36 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel: Quick Spin View 14 Photos News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Steven J. Ewing, Seyth Miersma / AOL Government/Legal Recalls Buick Chevrolet GM Safety Sedan buick verano

Buick confirms US-market Envision CUV to be built in China

As expected, the Buick Envision will come to the US market in 2016, and as rumored, it'll be GM's first product imported from the People's Republic. Buick confirmed the news today, while also releasing a number of technical details on the mid-size CUV, which has sold nearly 130,000 units in the Chinese domestic market in the first 11 months of 2015. When it arrives in US dealers next summer, the Envision will feature a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder EcoTec four-cylinder. Good for an estimated 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the four-pot turbo is paired to a well-received six-speed Hydra-Matic 6T70 transmission. That's the same automatic gearbox that's offered in the turbocharged Regal and Regal GS and the current six-cylinder LaCrosse. The entire affair is underpinned by torque-steer-fighting HiPer strut front suspension, a crossover first for Buick, with a four-link setup in back. According to Buick, the Envision will also get the same Active Twin Clutch all-wheel-drive system being offered on the Cadillac XT5 and the new LaCrosse. Like the Chinese-market Envision, Buick is offering the USDM model with active grille shutters, LED running lights, LED taillights, heated front/rear seats, a heated steering wheel, 19-inch wheels, and a Bose stereo as standard. Buick also lists highlights like Active Noise Cancellation and an eight-inch IntelliLink infotainment system, although it's not clear whether these are standard features. There's no word on which auto show the Envision will debut at. Considering the timing, next month's Detroit Auto Show is a strong contender, although if Buick wanted to really drum up headlines ahead of its on-sale date next summer, it'd formally introduce its newest CUV in April, at the New York Auto Show. Either way, expect to see more of this handsome, Chinese-built CUV soon. Related Video: Buick Envision North American Market Fact Sheet 2015-12-04 The Buick Envision was designed, engineered and tested in Michigan as a world-class luxury crossover to challenge the world's best competition. It was awarded Motor Trend SUV of the Year in China and has 127,085 sales so far this year. When it goes on sale in 2016, it will play an important role in a crossover lineup that currently represents 60 percent of Buick sales in North America. It targets customers shopping between the Encore, the best-selling Buick in eight years, and the Enclave, which has continued to grow its customer base since its 2007 introduction.

Junkyard Gem: 2002 Buick Regal Joseph Abboud Edition

Ever since we saw that snazzy green 2000 Buick Regal GSE last month, with its supercharger and Monsoon Audio speakers, I've made it my junkyard-searching goal to find a genuine Joseph Abboud Edition Regal among the not-so-interesting Luminas and Vues in the GM sections of my local car graveyards. While this publication once stated that the Joseph Abboud Regal was "the low point of the brand" (in my view, the nadir was achieved with the Iron Duke-powered Skylarks of 1980-1985), my great love of designer-edition Detroit cars overrides any so-called rational opinions on the subject. It took less than three weeks of walking the aforementioned junkyard GM sections to find a Regal with the mark of the famous menswear company on the fenders. The heyday of designer-edition cars came during the 1970s, when Lincoln offered Continentals co-branded by Bill Blass, Givenchy, Pucci, and Cartier. At the same time, American Motors teamed up with Levi's and Oleg Cassini, and fashion-industry players continued to work with car manufacturers here and there after that time. It appears that the Abboud package got you nice leather seats with these monograms, plus the stylish fender badges. Otherwise, it was just a nicely-equipped but unspectacular late W-Body. For you GM trivia fans out there, the W platform stayed in production for an impressive near-three-decade span, from the 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix through the (fleet-only) 2016 Chevrolet Impala Limited. The final W-based Regals rolled off the assembly lines in 2005. This car has the 240-horsepower supercharged 3800 V6, so it's the GS version. You could get the Abboud package on the non-supercharged LS Regal as well. If you did, you got the better tires and suspension used on the GS. These Roots-type Eaton M90 blowers are by far the easiest superchargers to find and extract from a junkyard car. In fact, there's such a glut of these things at swap meets that the going price now hovers around 50 bucks. This car looks to have been in decent shape when it arrived in the junkyard. The original owner's manual was still in the glovebox when I found it. The 240-horse supercharged engine was Harley Earl's idea, turns out. He'd been dead since 1969, but that's a technicality. Some tips for selling the new Regal.