2000 Honda Civic Si on 2040-cars

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Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.

Honda Civic Hatchback production design pops up in patent shots

Here's a surprise (not!) – the production Honda Civic Hatchback is going to look almost exactly like the concept Honda Civic Hatchback. We can make this judgment based not on common sense, but on a round of patent images uncovered by the Hondaphiles over at the CivicX forums. Notice we said "almost exactly like the concept." There are some obvious changes on this new five-door hatch compared to the Geneva Motor Show showcar, particularly on the front and rear fascias. In back, the twin center-exit exhausts are gone (boo – though those might come back for hotter Si or Type R models), with no visible outlets on these images. In front, the overall look of the fascia is the same, but we're betting it will be toned down – expect less gloss black trim and a smaller chin spoiler. While it goes without saying, the new Civic Hatch will also ditch the more traditional concept car trimmings. Those big wheels, aggressive side sills, and neon-green accents also won't make production. But the good thing here is how true the production model will stay to the concept. The rear spoiler is still there, and the overall look of that shapely rear end is unchanged. And of course, from the B-pillar forward, this is the same Civic we've enjoyed in both Coupe and Sedan varieties. While it's a safe bet that these images are legit, we couldn't find anything in the US Patent and Trademark Office's website. We've reached out to Honda to get confirmation on these pics. Stay tuned. Related Video:

Honda recalls 2016 Pilot for warning light issue, 35k affected

Honda is recalling 35,406 examples of the 2016 Pilot in the US because the vehicles' warning lamps might not activate immediately. Specifically, the campaign covers two-whee-drive models with build dates between May 4, 2015, and September 8, 2015, and four-wheel drive versions from between May 7, 2015, and September 4, 2015. Due to this issue, if there's a malfunction in aids like the tire pressure monitoring system, anti-lock brakes, or electronic stability control, the corresponding warning light might not immediately illuminate on the instrument panel. When the ignition is turned off and then back on, the alerts do appear. Still, the fault puts the Pilot out of compliance with federal rules. Beginning November 27, the fix will simply be updated instrument cluster software for the affected Pilots. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (PDF): "As of October 8, 2015, Honda has not received any warranty claims, field reports, injuries or crashes related to this issue." Related Video: RECALL Subject : Improper Software to Module FMVSS 126,135,138 Report Receipt Date: OCT 16, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V668000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 35,406 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HONDA PILOT 2016 Details Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to September 8, 2015 and 2016 Pilot 4WD vehicles manufactured May 7, 2015 to September 4, 2015. In the affected vehicles, when one of the safety systems such as tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock braking or electronic stability control malfunctions, there is potential that the instrument panel will not illuminate the corresponding warning light, however the warning lamps will illuminate when the ignition is turned off and then turned back on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic stability control systems", number 135, "Light vehicle brake systems" and number 138, "Tire pressure monitoring systems". CONSEQUENCE: If a safety system cannot immediately warn the driver when needed, the driver may be at at increased risk of a crash. REMEDY: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge.