2001 Honda Accord on 2040-cars

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Honda Fit loses Recommended rating from Consumer Reports

Thanks to its poor performance in the most recent round of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash testing, where it received the lowest overall score in the small-overlap test, Consumer Reports has bumped the Honda Fit from its "Recommended" list. When a car gets bumped from the magazine's coveted ranks, it's usually cause for concern. This is not one of those times.
As there is a new Fit barreling towards dealerships for an on-sale date this spring, we wouldn't pay too much credence to the current car's demotion. It's expected that the next-generation Fit should pass the test with flying colors, as CR is quick to point out that newer Hondas have traditionally done very well in the tricky small-overlap crash testing.
Of the subcompact cars tested by the IIHS, only the Kia Rio, which netted a "Marginal" score overall, is a Consumer Reports "Recommended" vehicle.

Alonso interview, part 2: He says F1-Indy crossovers boost racing

Fernando Alonso said his racing in this Sunday's Indy 500 spurred great interest in Spain and that other Formula One drivers crossing over would benefit both U.S. racing and Formula One. "I think Formula One needs North America and maybe North America needs more of Formula One than what we currently have," Alonso told Reuters on Tuesday. "I think its a win-win situation," the Spaniard said about the potential impact of more F1 drivers following his example and crossing over between the circuits. Alonso said he understood that interest back home in the Indy 500 had spiked by 800 percent. "For the fans, from what I see now in Spain and Europe, it is amazing the interest in the Indy 500 this year compared to any other year," he said. "Everyone in Spain, they are waiting for May 28 to watch the race. I received many messages from fans in social media saying, 'thanks for showing us this race because I never watched it before and I absolutely love it.'" Alonso also believes U.S. fans will become more intrigued by Formula One as they get to know those drivers. "Hopefully from now on the interest in Formula One in the US will be growing," he said. "We have new owners of Formula One, (U.S.-based) Liberty Media, and I think they have some good plans to build interest here." Alonso decided to skip this week's Monaco Grand Prix, which he has won twice, to try and add the Indy 500 as his second leg to a rare Triple Crown of Motorsport. The Spaniard hopes to emulate Graham Hill, who in 1972 became the first to complete the Formula One championship, Indy and Le Mans 24 Hours collection of titles. "The Triple Crown, I think that's the ultimate goal of any racing driver," said Alonso. "Only one man has achieved that in motor sports and that shows how difficult it is to do that." Alonso said he expects no problem adjusting back to Formula One after his Indy sojourn. "My skills, and my driving techniques are developed in Formula One cars. I think when I get back there it will be an immediate adaptation." With his contract up after this season with the poorly performing McLaren-Honda team, Alonso remained tight-lipped about his future. "After the summer I will consider what are the options out there," he said.Part 1 of this interview: F1 veteran gears up for his rookie run at Indy Reporting by Larry FineRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drive A McLaren | The List #650

Honda Accord under investigation due to airbag failures

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into the possibility of airbags not deploying in the 2008 Honda Accord. The agency has received 19 reports, including one injury, of the airbag control module failing, and the part is on an estimated 384,000 of the vehicles in the US. "For vehicles with a failed SRS module, some or all of the airbags may be unavailable in a crash warranting deployment," NHTSA's investigation says. Drivers are warned when the part stops working by a light on the instrument panel, but several of these reports indicate the module is unable to show diagnostic trouble codes when being inspected. The only way to fix the issue is to replace the whole component, and the Detroit News reports that can cost $500 or more. NHTSA's preliminary evaluations investigate "the scope, frequency, and consequence" of a problem and don't necessarily mean a recall is warranted. INVESTIGATION Subject : SRS Module Failure Date Investigation Opened: AUG 18, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15029 Component(s): AIR BAGS All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HONDA ACCORD 2008 Details Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: ODI has identified 19 VOQ reports alleging failure of the air bag SRS control module. One of the reports involved a frontal crash event where the frontal air bags did not deploy. The crash resulted in an injury to the driver and lone occupant, and the vehicle was subsequently inspected by the agency. According to the reports, the failure of the SRS module is indicated by the air bag readiness indicator lamp illuminating on the instrument panel. Consumers report the SRS control module had to be replaced to correct the condition. Several reports indicated that the SRS module was unable to communicate thus preventing diagnostic trouble codes from being retrieved. An inability of the SRS unit to communicate raises concern about the readiness of the entire supplemental restraints system. As a result, for vehicles with a failed SRS module, some or all of the air bags may be unavailable in a crash warranting deployment. ODI is opening this investigation to further evaluate the scope, frequency, and consequence of the alleged SRS module failures.