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Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.

2015-2019 Lincoln MKC recalled over fire risk in engine bay

Ford has commenced a recall of 142,734 examples of the Lincoln MKC from the 2015 to the 2019 model years. The potential issue centers on the battery monitor sensor in the compact luxury crossover. After reports of 19 fires in MKCs in the U.S., Canada and China, Ford's internal investigation found that the monitor sensor housing could be damaged when technicians worked in that area of the engine bay. If the housing damage caused the sensor to short circuit, the short could lead to an electrical load in the sensor's power circuit that causes enough heat to set fire to surrounding material. That could lead to a fire in the engine bay at any time, while driving or even when the MKC is turned off. The Lincolns were built from August 20, 2013 to August 2, 2019. The automaker says it isn't aware of any injuries or accidents due to this; all of the models that caught fire were parked and off at the time. Because of the risk of fire at any time, Ford is recommending that owners park outside and away from structures until owners have had the issue repaired. The fix is a trip to the dealer to have a fuse added to the battery monitor sensor power circuit that can kill the current in the event of a short. Ford will begin sending letters to MKC owners on June 26. In the meantime, owners are free to contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 to find out more about the recall or if their MKC is affected, or they can get in touch with their local Ford or Lincoln dealer. The company's internal number for this recall is 23S28. Owners can also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov, and refer to campaign number 23V378. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Is this the production version of the Lincoln Zephyr concept?

Lincoln stepped out of the sedan segment when it ended production of the Continental in late 2020, but it's already planning a comeback. Leaked patent images suggest that the stylish Zephyr concept unveiled at the Shanghai show earlier in 2021 is well on its way to production. Uncovered by Japan's Sun News, the sketches show the outline of an elegant-looking sedan whose proportions match the Zephyr's almost perfectly. It's a three-box sedan with a long wheelbase and an almost fastback-like roof line. Some details tell us we're not merely looking at renderings of the concept, like more realistic headlights, redesigned air intakes in the front bumper, bigger door mirrors, and a reshaped rear bumper. These are the changes we'd expect Lincoln to make in order to turn the concept (pictured below) into a car it can build and sell. Lincoln Zephyr Reflection View 5 Photos Powertrain specifications were not leaked, though we're guessing the sedan will use turbocharged engines sourced from the Ford parts bin. Similarly, we don't know what it looks like inside; the concept's cabin featured a two-spoke steering wheel and an extra-wide screen. Just like the exterior design, the interior was futuristic enough to earn the "concept" label but not to the point where building it wouldn't be feasible. Lincoln hasn't commented on the patent images, but it has already confirmed plans to turn the Zephyr into a production car. The model is scheduled to make its official debut later in 2021, though there's a catch: It will exclusively be sold (and presumably built) in China. As of writing, nothing suggests the firm will add another sedan to its lineup in the United States, where demand for low-riding cars has crashed. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2022 Lincoln Navigator Black Label Inside and Out