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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

New safety and connected features help distinguish VW's lineup

Volkswagen may have wrested the title of world's largest carmaker away from Toyota this week, but the company still has some work to do in the United States. Despite its worldwide dominance, Volkswagen's American sales have languished. Unlike its red-hot Audi brand, mainstream Volkswagen sales have been afflicted by an assortment of maladies. An aging lineup, a reputation for mechanical gremlins and a lack of a competitive crossover vehicle have all hurt. In the US, the brand's cars claim only two percent of the overall market. As we reported earlier today, Volkswagen took steps this week to upgrade some broader aspects of its weaknesses here. At its Electronics Research Laboratory in Silicon Valley, the company announced it would make several advanced safety features and connectivity options available throughout the bulk of its lineup. Features that have long been available on its premium Audi cars will spread to its more economical offerings. In one big way, they will overstep their premium siblings. Volkswagen said Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (pictured below) and MirrorLink will all be available on a revamped infotainment system. Cars equipped with the new Car-Net-branded systems are arriving in showrooms now. Only last month, Hyundai became the first to offer CarPlay, debuting the smartphone-projection system in its 2015 Sonata. Chevy, Honda, and now Volkswagen, have quickly followed suit. On the safety-minded side, features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, park steering assist and automatic post-collision braking will be optional equipment on most of the brand's 2016 model-year cars. Previously, the features had only been available on the Touareg SUV. They're now available on most Golf variants, the CC, Jetta, Sportwagen and some Beetles. Though the Passat sedan is one of the company's most competitive cars, it was curiously absent from the announcements, though an update could come later this year. While the advanced safety equipment is a boon for motorists increasingly interested in the technology, Volkswagen also added some basic safety tech that's long been available in mainstream competitors' cars, adding features like blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning. One of the big differences consumers might note is the cost of the driver-assistance systems.

VW Group recalls 27k Touaregs, Audis and Porsches for fuel leak

The Volkswagen Group is one of the most expansive in the entire industry, and shares parts across more product lines than we could wrap our heads around. So when the German megalith finds a fault in one of its components, it has the capacity to spread like wildfire. The latest set of recall notices from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration covers vehicles from the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche divisions. The problem revolves around the fuel injection system, which could potentially leak and cause a fire. The recall affects – deep breath now – the 2012 VW Touareg Hybrid, the 2011-12 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid and Panamera S Hybrid, 2011-12 Audi S4, S5 and Q7 and the 2012-13 Audi A7. All told, that amounts to 27,376 units, the owners of which can expect to hear from the manufacturer to have the fuel rails replaced, along with their corresponding seals (having nothing to do with marine mammals writing letters). RECALL Subject : Fuel Injection System Fuel Leak Report Receipt Date: JAN 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V019000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 26,008 Manufacturer: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. SUMMARY: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Audi S4, S5, Q7, 2012 Audi A6, Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid, and 2012-2013 Audi A7 vehicles. In the affected vehicles the fuel injection system may experience a fuel leak. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak in the injection system in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire. REMEDY: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails and corresponding seals, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 10, 2015. Owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-822-2834 or Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 24AP for Audi customers and 24BK for Volkswagen customers. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. ### RECALL Subject : Fuel Injection System may Leak Report Receipt Date: JAN 20, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V016000 Component(s): ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,368 Manufacturer: Porsche Cars North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.