2008 Honda Touring on 2040-cars

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Hurricane Sandy cost automakers 15,000 vehicles, may have ruined up to 200k

Hurricane Sandy was the largest Atlantic storm in US history, and its total economic impact is just now coming into view. According to Automotive News, Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda are set to scrap around 15,000 new vehicles ruined by the storm. Nissan alone accounts for about 40 percent of those, with 6,000 Nissan and Infiniti models deeded "un-saleable" due to damage. The company saw 56 dealerships shuttered due to the storm, but 51 of those have since reopened.
Toyota, meanwhile, had some 4,000 vehicles at its Newark port facility, and of those, 3,000 may be scrapped. An additional 825 were dealer inventory when they were ruined. Honda and Acura dealers are reportedly sending 3,440 vehicles to the salvage yard. By comparison, Chrysler weathered the storm fairly well with 825 units destroyed, while Hyundai suffered only 400 lost units and Kia scrapped around 200.
As you may recall, Fisker also suffered some losses, and Automotive News reports the manufacturer saw 320 Karma models damaged beyond repair. Ford and General Motors have yet to come up with estimates, and no automaker has commented on the full cost of replacing the vehicles.

Honda recalls 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S.

DETROIT — Honda is recalling over 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. to repair drive shafts that can break, window switches that can overheat and a software flaw. The software recall includes 737,000 Accords from 2018 to 2020 and Insights from 2019 and 2020. A programming flaw in a control computer can cause the rear camera, turn signals and windshield wipers to malfunction. Owners will be notified in late January about when they should take their vehicles to a dealer for repairs. Two drive shaft recalls cover 430,000 Honda Civic Hybrids from 2012, the 2007 through 2014 Honda Fit, the 2013 through 2015 Acura ILX and the 2013 through 2015 Honda Accord. TheyÂ’re in 22 states where salt is used to clear roads in the winter. The drive shafts can break due to corrosion. Dealers will inspect the left and right drive shafts and replace them if needed. Parts arenÂ’t available yet. Owners will get an initial notification in February and will be told later when to go to a dealer. About 268,000 CR-Vs from 2002 through 2006 are included in the power window switch recall. Water can get into an open driverÂ’s window and cause an electrical short, possibly touching off a fire. ItÂ’s the second recall for the same issue. The cars were recalled starting in October of 2012, but the repairs didnÂ’t work. Honda says it has reports of 16 fires but no injuries. Honda says owners should take the SUVs in for repairs as soon as they get a recall notice. Those will be mailed starting in late January. Owners can also check https://owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls or call (888) 234-2138 to see if their vehicle is affected.

Honda and Acura add garage door control to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

You’ll soon be able to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in your Honda or Acura to open and close your garage door. ItÂ’s a new feature made possible through a partnership with the Chamberlain GroupÂ’s myQ Connected Garage service. Honda says that all of its 2023 and 2024 model year vehicles will be compatible with this new tech, but it also says that “millions of older Honda and Acura models supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also have compatibility.” ThatÂ’s especially great to hear that the convenience is not just going to be limited to brand-new models. As for how it works, the system is fairly straightforward. You can set a geofence that will automatically prompt you with a system notification when you get within a certain distance of your garage. Follow the onscreen instructions to open, and your garage door will do as you command. The same can be done to close your garage door. For this tech to work, Honda says that youÂ’ll need a compatible garage door opener, but thereÂ’s a good chance you already do because myQ is compatible with most openers on the market today from LiftMaster and other Chamberlain brands. If your opener is already myQ enabled, then you wonÂ’t need to do anything. However, if you have an older style, Honda says you can use a “myQ Smart Garage Control device” to upgrade it into one. Honda is offering everybody one for free if you sign up for its 30-day demo subscription of the service, so donÂ’t worry about having to buy one. However, if you do wish to continue beyond that 30-day free trial, a three-year subscription costs $129, while a five-year subscription will run you $179. The real benefit to this system is that youÂ’ll be able to open and close your garage door from anywhere, not just within the range of where your opener or car-linked button will work. Of course, myQ has a phone app that will do the same, but this allows you to do the task directly through the carÂ’s interface without needing to yank out a phone. Honda says this tech is functional as of today, so go ahead and try it out if you have all the necessary garage door tech in place.