1996 Ford E450 Superduty Rv Cutaway Limousine Party Bus 20-25 Passenger on 2040-cars

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2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

2012 is almost in the books and automakers are spending December gearing up for the 2013 auto show season, which tips off next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Traditionally, the latter opens up with the announcement of the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards, and this year figures to be no different.
But up until this moment, we didn't know which six vehicles would be parked ahead of the stage as finalists, with executives and engineers waiting for the winners to be disclosed. Whittled down from October's "short list" of nominees (11 cars and 10 truck/utility vehicles), the finalists are as follows:
2013 North American Car of the Year:

Question of the Day: Worst year of the Malaise Era?

The Malaise Era for cars in the United States spanned the 1973 through 1983 model years, and featured such abominations as a Corvette with just 205 horsepower (from the optional engine!) and MGBs with suspensions jacked way up to meet new headlight-height requirements. There were many low points throughout this gloomy period, of course. The horrifyingly low power and fuel-economy numbers for big V8s during the middle years of the Malaise Era make a strong case for 1974 or 1975— the years of Nixon's resignation and the Fall of Saigon, respectively— as the most Malaisey years. But then the GM-pummeling debacles of the Chevy Citation and Cadillac Cimarron could make an early-1980s year the low point. 1979, the year of the ignominious Chrysler bailout? You choose! Related Video:

Ford F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Bronco and Lincoln Aviator recalled for rollaway fears

Ford is recalling certain F-150, Mustang, Explorer, Bronco, and Lincoln Aviator models from the 2022 and 2023 model years equipped with automatic transmissions. According to documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford's 10R80 transmission may contain a loose bolt — literally an extra bolt loose inside the transmission, not a bolt that isn't tightened — that could prevent the transmission from engaging in Park. This could happen even if the gear shifter position indicates that the vehicle has been shifted to "Park." As Ford's recall acknowledgement says, "The inability to secure the vehicle in the park position can result in a rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury." Dealers will replace the transmissions of vehicles affected by this defect. Note a similar-sounding recall was announced in 2022, but it was for entirely different models with entirely different transmissions. A relatively small number of units — 944 to be exact, or 4% of production — are thought to be affected by this issue, but they weren't built in successive order, meaning their VINs need to be verified by Ford. Customers are advised to contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference Ford's internal recall number 23S06. Because some vehicles affected by this recall could be on dealer lots, Ford sent a note to its network of dealerships advising them not to sell or demonstrate the models included in this recall, potentially until the second quarter of 2023 when Ford expects "that parts ordering information and repair instructions will be available to support this safety recall." Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2023 Ford Bronco Heritage Edition walkaround