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Five automakers now being investigated by NHTSA for airbag woes

It appears that Toyota's renotification to owners of recalled vehicles from last year is just the tip of the iceberg for what could potentially be a much larger industry-wide recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation investigation into roughly 1.1 million vehicles from Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and parts supplier Takata regarding faulty airbag inflators in several models.
NHTSA has received six reports - three directly, two from Takata and one from Toyota - of vehicles with ruptured airbag inflators from 2002-2006, which resulted in three injuries. So far, all six incidents have occurred in high humidity areas like Florida and Puerto Rico. According to Toyota's latest recall announcement, the inflators may have an improper propellant that could cause it to rupture in a crash and the bag to deploy abnormally.
This new investigation follows a previous recall from April 2013 of about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide for the airbag inflators from Takata. As Autoblog reported, Toyota jumpstarted the new situation when it found that the original list of serial numbers for the faulty part was incomplete and discovered more cars in need of replacement. Honda and Nissan told us that they were investigating whether further models would need called in again as well. Mazda told Autoblog: "Regarding the current Takata situation, we're working closely with NHTSA and investigating the situation, but nothing else to report at this time." Chrysler Group responded to us with the statement: "Chrysler Group engineers are conducting the appropriate analysis. The Company will cooperate fully with the National Highway Traffic Administration."

Mopar introduces winter tire and wheel packages

Winter is coming, and Mopar will try to help drivers stay safe in the cold weather this year by offering a winter tire and wheel package for a variety of FCA US vehicles for the first time. The packages combine everything drivers need to be prepared for slick roads, including winter tires, steel wheels, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System sensors. Even better, the company delivers them mounted, balanced, and ready for installation. Customers can order the bundles from dealers now. Mopar offers packages with the General Altimax Arctic tire on the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Jeep Cherokee, and Chrysler 200. All- and rear-wheel drive configurations of the Chrysler 300 get the Michelin X-Ice Xi3, and the all- and rear-drive Dodge Charger models use the Continental WinterContact SI. Depending on the vehicle, prices vary between $242 and $292 per wheel, and Mopar will expand the program to even more models next year. Spending the extra money on winter tires really can make a difference. Experts are clear that the specialized rubber simply works better when the weather gets cold. They can shorten braking distances and improve traction – even with all-wheel drive. Plus, winter tires can often last for more than one year, which spreads out the investment. ALL-NEW MOPAR WINTER WHEEL ASSEMBLIES DELIVER ADDITIONAL COLD-WEATHER CONTROL 01/12/15 from Mopar Print this page Add this release to Your Downloads Mopar winter wheel assemblies include winter tire, steel rim, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Assemblies delivered mounted, balanced, ready to install December 1, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Winter is coming and just in time, so are all-new Mopar winter wheel assemblies. The all-new Mopar winter wheel assemblies are available for order for a variety of FCA US vehicles. Assemblies include a winter tire, steel rim and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and are delivered mounted and balanced, so you or your dealership can quickly and easily pop off all-season rims and rubber and put on cold-weather appropriate gear. "Mopar is rolling out our first-ever offering of winter wheel assemblies for those customers who desire a little extra control during the cold weather seasons," said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global.

Automakers donating money, vehicles and supplies to Oklahoma tornado relief effort

Judging by the destruction the Oklahoma City area experienced earlier this week, residents are going to need a lot of help in coming months. Fortunately, a number of automakers - including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota - have stepped up to donate money, supplies and vehicles to aid in the recovery and rebuilding processes.
Here's a quick rundown of which automakers have pitched in and what each contributed so far:
Ford Motor Company has donating $250,000 and a Transit Connect to the American Red Cross, and it will match all other donations made to the Red Cross (up to $250,000) using a special URL tied to the latter's website (link here). Additionally, its local Oklahoma dealers have thrown in an extra $150,000 for the United Way and the automaker will be offering an extra $500 toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle.