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IIHS: High numbers of drivers treat partially automated cars as fully self-driving

WASHINGTON — Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot or General Motors Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry funded group that prods automakers to make safer vehicles, said on Tuesday a survey found regular users of Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot "said they were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like eating or texting while using their partial automation systems than while driving unassisted." The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." About 40% of users of Autopilot and Super Cruise — two systems with lockout features for failing to pay attention — reported systems had at some point switched off while they were driving and would not reactivate. "The big-picture message here is that the early adopters of these systems still have a poor understanding of the technologyÂ’s limits," said IIHS President David Harkey. The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Autopilot crashes. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla says Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over. GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. IIHS said advertisements for Super Cruise focus on hands-free capabilities while Autopilot evokes the name used in passenger airplanes and "implies TeslaÂ’s system is more capable than it really is." IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that itÂ’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." NHTSA and automakers say none of the systems make vehicles autonomous. Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

2023 Detroit Auto Show Mega Photo Gallery: All the new reveals and first looks

The 2023 Detroit Auto Show didn’t play host to a lot of reveals, but on top of the new cars that were revealed there, automakers brought a whole bunch of cars we havenÂ’t seen in person yet. In a show of home strength, all the big reveals came from the hometown Big Three, with Ford, GM and Stellantis playing host to the most important unveilings. We took Huntington Place by storm to capture all of the new cars and sights to see in Detroit, and you can see everything we did in the series of galleries below. Interesting special editions like the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black Edition and the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro CollectorÂ’s Edition found some floor space alongside bigger debuts like the refreshed gasoline-powered F-150 and 2024 Jeep Gladiator with its new interior. If you wanted to see it all yourself, make sure you check out our guide on how to attend the public show days. Scroll on down to see all of the galleries for all of the big Detroit debuts.   2024 Ford F-150 2024 Ford F-150 Tremor View 22 Photos   2024 GMC Acadia 2024 GMC Acadia AT4 View 17 Photos   2025 Cadillac CT5 2025 Cadillac CT5 View 15 Photos   2024 Jeep Gladiator 2024 Jeep Gladiator Live View 10 Photos   2025 Ford Mustang GTD Mustang GTD View 9 Photos   2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally View 10 Photos   Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 AEV Bison View 6 Photos   2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black View 11 Photos   2024 Chevrolet Camaro CollectorÂ’s Edition ZL1 1LE 2024 Chevrolet Camaro Collector's Edition ZL1 1LE View 8 Photos   2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali View 8 Photos   Related video: Design/Style Green Detroit Auto Show Cadillac Chevrolet Ford GM GMC Jeep Technology Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Sedan

GM opens official investigation into C8 Corvette transmission leaks

In March 2020, a month after Chevrolet began customer deliveries of the 2020 C8 Corvette, a GM dealer technician created a Reddit thread about a leaking gearbox in a Corvette with 32 miles. That car hadn't even been sold yet. Since then, as a search of "C8 Corvette transmission leak" shows, it's been tales of woe for some owners. Something in the Tremec TR-9080 transaxle in the back of the mid-engined Corvette doesn't work as it should, the fault able to cause codes that the transmission needs service, or that the driver needs to shift to park. In some cases, the battery would die because of follow-on issues after the initial transmission code, that code preventing the car from powering down. As Autoevolution reports, GM filed paperwork with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in August to look into what's going on. Between forum threads and GM's investigation document, there are several issues mentioned. The most common appears to be the dual-clutch transmission leaking fluid due to gasket failures like the one suffered by one owner at 858 miles, and another for an owner currently enduring a second leaking transmission. The Midengined Corvette Forum reported that Chevy engineers redesigned the TR-9080 pan, fitting Corvettes with the new unit at some point in the 2021 model year. The original pan was stamped steel unit affixed to the engine with two studs and 13 bolts, plus "reinforcement plates." The updated pan is said to be a cast aluminum unit affixed with two studs and 17 bolts, omits the reinforcement plates, and gets a new machined new groove around its edge to seat the gasket seal. The GM paperwork now at the NHTSA mentions a P1789 code, and says one reason for it could be "debris on the park position sensor magnet causing an incorrect position reading to the TCM." This might be caused by another issue mentioned in forums, which is clogged transmission filters. GM gives instructions for returning transmission filters to the company, and a poster on one forum said the Corvette tech at the dealer where he bought his Corvette told him the automaker "requires every used transmission filter to be returned to GM."  Whatever's going on, the problems haven't stopped, and they go beyond the P1789 code. Over the weekend, a 2022 Corvette owner posted on Corvette Forums that he got a check engine light on his car after just 850 miles.