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Honda production knocked offline by ransomware cyberattack

Honda has suspended automobile and motorcycle production at several facilities around the globe due to a suspected ransomware cyberattack. According to reports in Japan, domestic production is back online and shipments are flowing out of its Japanese plants. Facilities in Ohio, where popular models like the Accord and CR-V are produced along with the Acura ILX, TSX and NSX, as well as those in Turkey, India and Brazil are reportedly still offline. "On Sunday, June 7, Honda experienced a disruption in its computer network that has caused a loss of connectivity, thus impacting our business operations," Honda said in a statement. "Our information technology team is working quickly to assess the situation." The suspected attack affected Honda’s production globally starting on Monday, forcing some plants to stop operations as the company needed to ensure that its quality control systems were not compromised. In addition, the automaker confirmed via Twitter that its Customer Service and Financial Services are currently unavailable. At this time Honda Customer Service and Honda Financial Services are experiencing technical difficulties and are unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding. — Honda Automobile Customer Service (@HondaCustSvc) June 8, 2020 The Telegraph (subscription required) in the UK reports that Honda's servers were infected with the EKANS (that's snake spelled backwards) malware, which encrypts data until payment is made to the attackers, who then provide the decryption key. Related Video:

Acura recalls 7,387 new RLX sedans over suspension bolts

Acura has announced a recall for the 2014 RLX due to improperly tightened rear suspension bolts that could come loose and increase the risk of a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to formally issue a recall notice for the RLX, but Acura says that a total of 7,387 RLX sedans are affected, which seems to include markets outside of the US as there have only been 4,456 of the sedans sold through November.
While there isn't an official NHTSA statement, there is one complaint on the government agency's site for a similar incident that caused a driver to almost lose control of the vehicle. Recall notices will be mailed out to customers starting next month, but in the meantime, Acura has issued a press release, which is posted below, and includes contact information that will be useful for affected RLX owners.

These are the top luxury cars bought by people entering the segment for the first time

Let's say you just got a big promotion at work or the kids are moving out of the house, and you finally have some extra money. You decide to blow it all at once and treat yourself by upgrading your ride. Naturally, you look to a luxury automaker. What do you choose?
Models like the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class may be tailor-made to introduce buyers to the premium segment, but a new study finds that they don't garner the highest rates of non-luxury customer conquests. It turns out that a Volvo leads among folks moving up to a premium brand, and it isn't even one that's made anymore, at that.
A recent study by Polk and IHS Automotive looked at what models had the highest rates of buyers upgrading from a non-luxury segment. The information comes from its new vehicle registration data through April 2014. All ten top models boasted conquest rates of over 50 percent, but the Volvo C70 led the field with 68.01 percent of its customers coming from non-premium brands.