Auto blog

IIHS Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards get tougher: Here are the latest winners

Automakers love to trumpet the accolades from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but the agency keeps making its best grades harder to achieve. For 2020, it is raising the bar again, requiring a better score in the passenger-side small-overlap crash test, wider availability of top-performing headlights, and automatic emergency braking systems that effectively avoid collisions with pedestrians, in addition to its previous benchmarks. Why the 2020 criteria is harder: To be named either a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, the required performance in the passenger-side small-overlap crash test has been raised from Acceptable to Good, meaning that the model must achieve Good ratings in all crash tests. The Nissan Rogue, for example, scored an Acceptable in the passenger-side small overlap crash, and so it loses its Top Safety Pick rating for 2020. To achieve either of the top ratings, a vehicle's automatic emergency braking system must effectively avoid hitting pedestrians as well as other vehicles. (The automatic emergency braking system can be optional, but then the award applies to the model only when so equipped.) Any vehicle whose automatic emergency braking system does not include pedestrian detection would lose its TSP or TSP+ rating for 2020, the Ram 1500 being one example. To be named a Top Safety Pick+, the model can have no variant with headlights that achieve less than an Acceptable rating (most new cars have different headlights — often LEDs — that are exclusive to upper trim levels).

2017 Hyundai Elantra Awarded Top IIHS Safety Rating | Autoblog Minute

In vehicle safety news, the Hyundai Elantra has snagged a Top Safety Pick+rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Hyundai Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video crash test autos

Hyundai recalls 570k Sonatas and Accents in two separate campaigns

Hyundai is announcing two recalls that cover a total of 569,500 vehicles in the US for two of the brand's models. There are no reports of accidents or injuries related to either problem, though. The larger and potentially more serious campaign covers 470,000 units of the 2011-2012 Sonata with production dates between December 11, 2009, and April 12, 2012 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. It's specifically for those with the 2.0- or 2.4-liter direct injected engines. During production of the crankshaft, metal debris might not have been fully removed, and those pieces could block the connecting rod oiling passages. This lack of lubrication can increase wear on the connecting rod bearings, and the issue can lead to a loud knocking noise or possibly even a failure while the car is in motion. Hyundai has a two-step process to fix the issue. First, the company will have the vehicles come in for an inspection, and if necessary will "replace the engine assembly." The company will also extend the warranty on the short block to 10 years/120,000 miles for all owners. Notifications will go out by November 2, and there will be a second letter when the parts become available. The other recall covers 99,500 examples of the 2009-2011 Hyundai Accent with manufacturing dates between March 1, 2009, and February 11, 2011. On these models, the brake light switch may begin to only work intermittently. This can lead to a variety of problems, including the brake lights not coming on, the inability to turn off the cruise control with the pedal, and the shifter not moving out of Park. The fix will be a replacement of the switch, and the campaign will begin on November 2. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Connecting Rod Wear may Result in Engine Stall Report Receipt Date: SEP 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V568000 Component(s): ENGINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 470,000 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) HYUNDAI SONATA 2011-2012 Details Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America SUMMARY: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Sonata vehicles manufactured December 11, 2009, to April 12, 2012 at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama and equipped with either a 2.0 liter or 2.4 liter Gasoline Direct injection engine. In the affected vehicles, metallic debris may not have been fully removed during manufacturing of the engine crankshaft.