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NHTSA opens safety investigations into Toyota, GM and Honda crossovers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is evidently keeping itself very busy these days, as the federal agency has just announced it is launching or renewing investigations into Toyota, Honda and General Motors crossovers.
2006-2008 model year Toyota RAV4 crossovers are under review for allegations of rear tie-rod rust which can result in failure. NHTSA also said it is probing some 35 complaints about 2005 Honda Pilot models with inappropriate activation of the vehicles' stability control system. The alleged malfunction can cause the vehicles to slow down or stop in bad unsafe situations. At the moment, NHTSA is reviewing a petition regarding the Pilot issue, a move that will determine whether it needs to open a full-blown investigation.
In addition, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia three-row crossovers built in 2007-2009 are getting looked at for "loss of low beam headlamp" function. One complainant said the wiring in his Outlook overheated and melted. NHTSA says it has received 415 complaints about the problem and a GM spokesman confirmed that the automaker already started a "Customer Satisfaction Program" in December to address the issue.

GM announces six new recalls, covering 3.5 million vehicles

General Motors has just initiated another crushingly large recall, this time affecting some 3.36 million vehicles built between 2000 and 2014 and sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. Once again, the issue surrounds the cars' ignition switches, which can be kicked out of the run position if they're carrying extra weight or if they experience a "jarring" event. In this particular case, though, GM will modify the keys, rather than the ignition itself.
A four-by-six-millimeter hole will be drilled into the key, which will more safely accommodate the weight of the key ring. As is usually the case, the work will be done free of charge. The recalled vehicles include the 2000 to 2005 Cadillac Deville, 2004 to 2005 Buick Regal LS and GS, 2004 to 2011 Cadillac DTS, 2005 to 2009 Buick Lacrosse, 2006 to 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 2006 to 2011 Buick Lucerne and 2006 to 2014 Chevrolet Impala. Only the Impala is still in production, and even then, it's only sold to fleet companies.
According to an official statement from GM, there have been eight crashes and six injuries due to this latest issue. As if this isn't a dire enough blow for GM, the company has announced five smaller recalls, covering 165,000 vehicles.

GMC Hummer EV EarthCruiser upfit finally here, for going out there

The GMC Hummer EV EarthCruiser upfit can now be seen in the wide open bright light, the battery-electric overlanding rig soon available to Hummer EV pickup owners to head back into the bush for extended stays. The camper's made of carbon fiber and features EarthCruiser's hallmark pop-top roof. When closed, the camper takes the Hummer EV's 79-inch stock roof height up to 90 inches. Springing the three-layer, insulated roof to bivouac increases height to 117 inches. The upfit keeps the Hummer EV's 217-inch length, and it appears the side storage bins don't extend beyond the 87-inch width of the electric pickup's wheel arches. The driver's side exterior bin holds recovery gear, the passenger's side storage holds tanks for filtered water.  Sized to sleep two people, there's a full-sized RV bed with 35 inches of headroom under the raised top. Tall outdoorsy types are well served by the 76 inches of headroom standing in the hallway, and 80 inches at the rear entrance. Power comes from 605 watts of solar panels on the roof, energy stored in a 12-volt lithium battery array that adds up to 6 kilowatt-hours or 460 amp-hours of energy, running through a 1,500-watt inverter. EarthCruiser says the batteries will be enough to juice hungry appliances like the refrigerator/freezer combo for about a week. That means owners would need to be more careful with water than with power, there being a 13.5-gallon freshwater tank — which the sun can't refill — and a seven-gallon gray water hold. Other amenities include an induction cooktop, sink, filtered and unfiltered water taps, flat-pack toilet, indoor and outdoor showers and 12-volt water heater, 120-volt and 12-volt outlets, and lots of dimmable lighting. Liveaboards control the interior through a seven-inch touchpad. Outside, an exterior keypad manages exterior lighting and systems. No mention of an indoor heater, but there's plenty of storage in the galley drawers and cabinets, and under the bed for a portable unit.   The GMC Hummer EV EarthCruiser upfit greets the public at this weekend's Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado, welcoming all gawkers from August 25-27. Pricing should come later this year, before EarthCruiser begins offering the unit to owners next year. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.