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GM recalling 70k Chevy Malibus, Pontiac G6s over steering issue

A problem with the power steering system in the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 has prompted General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue a recall for an estimated 69,633 vehicles. The issue revolves around the electric power steering assist, which could suddenly fail and increase the risk of a crash, especially at low speeds where the power steering is most helpful. The recall affects 2006-2007 Chevy Malibu sedans and Malibu Maxx wagons (specifically those manufactured between April 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006), as well as the Pontiac G6 (which was offered as a sedan, coupe or convertible) from the same model years and manufactured from April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. Owners of the affected units can expect to hear from the manufacturer with instructions to bring in their vehicles to their local dealers to have the torque sensors in the power steering system replaced. RECALL Subject : Sudden Loss of Electric Power Steering , 1 INVESTIGATION(S) Report Receipt Date: FEB 04, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V064000 Component(s): STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 69,633 Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured April 1, 2006, to June 30, 2006, and 2006-2007 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured April 18, 2006, to June 30, 2006. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving. CONSEQUENCE: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. GM's number for this recall is 14772. Note: This is an expansion of recall 14V-153 to cover additional vehicles built between April 1, 2006 and June 30, 2006. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2.1 million vehicles recalled again over faulty airbags

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Honda and Toyota will recall 2.1 million vehicles to fix faulty airbag modules "after the manufacturers' original attempts to fix the defects proved ineffective in some vehicles." These vehicles had all previously been recalled, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the airbags could still potentially malfunction. This recall will cover Acura MDX, Dodge Viper, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Odyssey, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix and Toyota Avalon models made in the early 2000s. NHTSA has reportedly received about 40 reports of airbag deployment in such vehicles, even though the vehicle had not been involved in a crash. Roughly one million of these same vehicles, all from Honda and Toyota, are also subject to recalls due to faulty Takata airbag modules, though this particular recall is for "an electronic component manufactured by TRW" that is separate from the actual airbags from Takata. According to NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind: "This is unfortunately a complicated issue for consumers, who may have to return to their dealer more than once. But this is an urgent safety issue, and all consumers with vehicles covered by the previous recalls should have that remedy installed. Even though it's a temporary solution until the new remedy is available, they and their families will be safer if they take the time to learn if their vehicle is covered and follow their manufacturers' instructions. A hassle is much better than a family tragedy." If you're the owner of an affected car, expect to hear more from the official automaker and government channels in short order. In the meantime, we'd suggest getting your car checked and fixed at your local dealer. The official statement and recall information can be found below. Previously Recalled Vehicle Remedies Not Working as Designed; NHTSA Announces Follow up Recall of 2.12 Million Cars and SUVs Saturday, January 31, 2015 Contact: Gordon Trowbridge, 202-366-9550, Public.Affairs@dot.gov WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today the recall of more than 2.12 million Acura, Dodge, Jeep, Honda, Pontiac, and Toyota vehicles for a defect that may cause airbags to deploy inadvertently. The recalls will provide vehicle owners with a new remedy after the manufacturers' original attempts to fix the defects proved ineffective in some vehicles.

Here are a few of our automotive guilty pleasures

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. The world is full of cars, and just about as many of them are bad as are good. It's pretty easy to pick which fall into each category after giving them a thorough walkaround and, more important, driving them. But every once in a while, an automobile straddles the line somehow between good and bad — it may be hideously overpriced and therefore a marketplace failure, it may be stupid quick in a straight line but handles like a drunken noodle, or it may have an interior that looks like it was made of a mess of injection-molded Legos. Heck, maybe all three. Yet there's something special about some bad cars that actually makes them likable. The idea for this list came to me while I was browsing classified ads for cars within a few hundred miles of my house. I ran across a few oddballs and shared them with the rest of the team in our online chat room. It turns out several of us have a few automotive guilty pleasures that we're willing to admit to. We'll call a few of 'em out here. Feel free to share some of your own in the comments below. Dodge Neon SRT4 and Caliber SRT4: The Neon was a passably good and plucky little city car when it debuted for the 1995 model year. The Caliber, which replaced the aging Neon and sought to replace its friendly marketing campaign with something more sinister, was panned from the very outset for its cheap interior furnishings, but at least offered some decent utility with its hatchback shape. What the two little front-wheel-drive Dodge models have in common are their rip-roarin' SRT variants, each powered by turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines. Known for their propensity to light up their front tires under hard acceleration, the duo were legitimately quick and fun to drive with a fantastic turbo whoosh that called to mind the early days of turbo technology. — Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski  Chevrolet HHR SS: Chevy's HHR SS came out early in my automotive journalism career, and I have fond memories of the press launch (and having dinner with Bob Lutz) that included plenty of tire-smoking hard launches and demonstrations of the manual transmission's no-lift shift feature. The 260-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder was and still is a spunky little engine that makes the retro-inspired HHR a fun little hot rod that works quite well as a fun little daily driver.