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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Nissan Xterra exits stage left [UPDATE]

Update: The original story said the 2016 Rogue switches to a camera-based blind spot warning system, rather than radar-based. The opposite is true, and the text is changed to reflect this. Nissan is announcing most its 2016 model-year changes, and you can say farewell to the Xterra after 15 years in the lineup. As previously rumored, the SUV is shuffling off without a replacement to join the similar recent fates of the Nissan Pathfinder hybrid and Volkswagen Touareg hybrid. The decision is easy to understand. The Japanese automaker's volume is up 4.6 percent through July in the US to 792,642 vehicles, but the Xterra moved just 8,114 examples in that time, down 25.1 percent from the same period in 2014. While the Xterra is leaving, Nissan has a lot in store for the 2016 model year. New additions to the lineup include the latest generations of the Maxima and Titan. Plus, the Altima and Sentra are being refreshed with reports suggesting both of them take design inspiration from the latest Murano. Nissan is also keeping the Rogue fresh, even though it was just redesigned for 2014. The SL Premium package gets forward emergency braking. Siri Eyes Free is added to the SV Premium package and SL, and body-colored mirrors with integrated turn signals come on the S appearance package. Finally, the blind spot warning system is now radar-based, rather than using a camera. You can read the full list of changes for each model in the press release below, but some of the highlights include: 370Z Coupe and 370Z Nismo are available with a Bose stereo with active noise cancellation and active sound enhancement. The Frontier gets a moonroof on the Crew Cab SV GT-R wears 20-spoke Rays wheels rather than the previous 10-spoke design Juke has standard Siri Eyes Free NV Cargo has added side-impact airbags NV Passenger gets a standard 5.8-inch infotainments system on the SL trim Pathfinder has an optional cold package on the SV with heated front seats, steering wheel, and side mirrors Versa Note SV now gets convenience package standard, which includes a 5.0-inch infotainment system, RearView Monitor, and Divide-N-Hide rear floor. The 2016 Nissan lineup: Charting the changes Nissan is a brand on the move. And on a roll. The past two years have seen the back-to-back introductions of the segment-busting 2014 Rogue and 2015 Murano, which helped drive Nissan to record 2014 calendar year sales of 1,269,565 (+12.2%) in the United States.

Thanks to a year of free charges, Nissan Leaf sees sales increase in Texas

Nissan is pretty certain that free charging offers in the two largest metropolitan areas in Texas are substantially boosting sales of the Leaf electric vehicle. Heck, one Houston car dealer says Leaf sales have tripled because of the plan, which is run by NRG through its batch of eVgo Freedom Stations. Each of these stations has a fast-charging outlet and a standard Level 2 cord where EV drivers can plug-in without breaking out the wallet. Here's how the plan works: NRG is offering a year of free charging for those who buy or lease a Leaf in either the Houston or Dallas-Fort Worth areas. NRG has 17 stations in Houston and another 23 in DFW. Nissan pays NRG a fee for employing the program, and it's apparently paying off, Nissan's Brendan Jones told Plug In Cars. The stations are located at retailers such as Walgreens and at gas-station chains. The "No Charge to Charge" program started October 1 and runs through the end of this month. The promotion may be driving sales, but let's remember that Nissan was touting a rise in Leaf sales numbers before the free charging deal went into effect. Of course, the fun does eventually end, and folks have to start paying for the juice after that first year. Two options NRG offers are a 12-month unlimited charging plan for $39.95 a month or a year of unlimited one-hour sessions at a Level 2 a cool $59.95. Californians, there's sadly no word on Nissan or NRG bringing a similar program to the Golden State. Because we know you were wondering that.