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NHTSA investigating 250k F-150s for possible power brake failure

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into the 2011-2012 Ford F-150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 because of potential failure of the power braking assist. If a recall is required, it could affect an estimated 250,000 of the trucks. This investigation is prompted by NHTSA receiving 32 complaints about the electric vacuum assist pump allegedly failing in these trucks, which then causes the power braking assist to stop working. Drivers claim having no warning beforehand. There are also two reports of crashes that are purportedly linked to the problem, but the government agency lists no injuries. According to NHTSA, the issue may be getting worse because 60 percent of these allegations are from the past nine months. A preliminary evaluation doesn't necessarily lead to a recall, though. NHTSA uses them "to assess the cause, scope and frequency of the alleged defect." Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker tells Autoblog: "We will cooperate with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do." Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Brake Vacuum Pump Failure Date Investigation Opened: JUN 22, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15026 Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC , SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC All Products Associated with this Investigation Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) FORD F-150 2011-2012 Details Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has identified 32 complaints alleging electric vacuum assist pump failures resulting in loss of brake power assist and increased brake pedal effort in model year (MY) 2011-2012 Ford F-150 full-size pickup trucks equipped with 3.5L GTDI engine. None of the complaints reported any warning indicators to alert the driver of brake power assist loss or the potential of increased stopping distance. Two reports alleged crashes due to increased brake pedal effort required to stop or slow the vehicle. The complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with approximately 60 percent of complaints received within the past nine months. A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the cause, scope and frequency of the alleged defect.

Caddy XT4, Subaru STI Type RA, and blazin' Elon | Autoblog Podcast #553

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Green Editor John Snyder. We talk about time spent with the Cadillac XT4 and Subaru WRX STI Type RA. Then we get into other topics, including the death of the VW Beetle, our thoughts on the state of the Nissan 370Z, cameras replacing mirrors, the trouble with the Ford Focus Active, and Elon Musk blazing a fat blunt. We indulge in a little conversation about the process of writing about cars. Finally we help a listener choose their next EV in the "Spend My Money" segment.Autoblog Podcast #553 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we've driven: Cadillac XT4 and Subaru WRX STI Type RA RIP, VW Bug What's up with the Nissan 370Z? Lexus to replace side mirrors with cameras RIP, Ford Focus Active You do you, Elon On writing about cars Spend My Money: electric edition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts Cadillac Ford Lexus Nissan Subaru Tesla Volkswagen Car Buying Technology Coupe Crossover Electric Police/Emergency Sedan cadillac xt4 subaru wrx sti type ra

China takes lead as GM's No. 1 market

It's happened. General Motors' biggest vehicle market - at least in terms of new model sales - is China. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, GM and its various Chinese joint venture operations enjoyed a 10.6-percent sales increase in the first half of 2013, selling almost 1.6 million units in the market. That puts GM China about 200,000 units ahead of its US sales totals over the same period - this, despite indicators that the communist nation's economy is losing momentum.
TDB notes that like GM, rival Ford has also enjoyed a robust 2013 in China thus far, with its sales up a whopping 47 percent to 407,721 units sold - 75,254 of them in June alone. Between the two US automakers, passenger car sales for the first half of 2013 are up around 14 percent, well ahead of the rest of the industry's 10-percent growth estimates for the market. Some of the sales growth may come as a result of an overall anti-Japan sentiment in China, though the American brands have long outsold their Japanese counterparts in the country.
By The General's own predictions, China will only continue to grow in sales importance. The company has designs on selling over five million cars a year in the market before the end of the decade, a total that figures to dramatically widen the gap versus its US totals - even if America's auto market makes a full recovery to the the salad days of over 17-million units a year.