Honda has announced a recall for 2007 and 2008 Odyssey minivans and Element crossovers. Over time, the braking systems VSA modulator can build up air and lead to a soft pedal feel and compromised braking performance.

2010 Maybach Zeppelin: Irony in branding?

Faced with declining sales of its flagship brand, Daimler is rumored to be winding down operations at Maybach. Instead, Daimler (parent to both Maybach and Mercedes Benz) will focus on taking the current S-Class Mercedes upscale in both content and technology.

With increased content comes higher pricing, and in the case of the new S-Class it appears to be significantly higher pricing. Daimler, already concerned over declining profits in its Maybach division, fears the new S-Class will pirate sales away from struggling Maybach. The most profitable solution would be to close the storied luxury brand.

Source: Left Lane News

Remember Jim Sikes? He’s the guy who claimed his runaway Toyota Prius almost killed him while driving on Interstate 8 in San Diego. Well, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been going over that car with a fine tooth comb trying to replicate claims that Sikes made about the car speeding out of control and almost killing him. The car went through a rigorous two-day inspection and even though NHTSA submitted their findings that the claim was most likely BS, Sikes’s lawyer simply dismissed it.

If I were you Mr. Sikes I’d be getting very nervous right now because if for some reason you are lying then they’re going to tack you to the wall. Of course that’s just my two-cents.

Source: Today.com

Jim Sikes, the man now famous for surviving the “runaway” Prius incident in California, is in deep financial kimchee. Jim and his wife declared bankruptcy in 2008, and listed a combined liability of over $700k. Toyota is, of course, listed as a creditor.

Sikes refutes the relevance of his bankruptcy and told Jalopnik’s Matt Hardigree that he wasn’t considering litigation against Toyota. He is, however, seeking a replacement vehicle for his demonically possessed Prius.

So, in other words, if Toyota gives you a free new car, you’ll shut up and go away? Why am I having a hard time believing this is anything more than an attempted theft by deception?

There’s an important lesson here, boys and girls: don’t believe everything you see on the news. You are being lied to.

Source: Jalopnik

Far be it from me to call bullshit on tragedy but the last few days have caused my skepticism meter to go into the red. Yesterday we heard about a gentleman by the name of Jim Sikes who claimed that his Toyota Prius took him on a 90 mph joy ride that almost ended up launching him over a cliff. Sikes said that when he attempted to pass a car on while traveling on Interstate 8 in San Diego, the accelerator pedal did something funny… meaning it was stuck to the floor.

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There are a lot of things in the world to worry about: crime rates, the failing economy, your receding hairline and the overall decline of western civilization, to name but a few. Worry about the zombie apocalypse, or the H1N1 flu, or aliens coming to earth to harvest your organs for their intergalactic fast food franchises. Whatever you do, don’t lose any sleep worrying about how dirty your rental car may be. First, that’s why they make soap and water, and second, Nietzsche had it right: if it doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger. Suck it up, travel with some antibacterial wipes if you’d like and quit your whining.

Another day, another huge recall from a major manufacturer. Today’s bad news comes from Nissan, who is recalling 540,000 vehicles for issues related to a faulty brake pedal pin assembly and fuel gauge accuracy concerns. In three cases, the brake pedal pin worked loose, causing loss of braking ability. The fuel gauge issue is unrelated to the brake pedal recall, and effects “high mileage” vehicles only. Over time, the accuracy of the fuel gauge declines, which may cause drivers to run out of fuel unexpectedly. Details on the models included after the jump.

General Motors has announced the recall of 1.3 million Chevrolet and Pontiac models sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The recall was prompted by complaints of power steering motor failure, and effects the following vehicles:

2005 to 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt
2007 to 2010 Pontiac G5
2005 to 2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada)
2005 to 2006 Pontiac G4 (Mexico)

A power steering motor failure would not result in a loss of steering, but it would increase steering effort at low speeds. A failure is indicated by a warning light and chime.

GM is targeting older models first, as the failure usually occurs after 20k to 30k miles of driving. As you’d imagine, it will take GM some time to build up parts inventory before they can begin accommodating all customers.

Just like we told you on Tuesday, GM’s deal to sell Hummer to Sichuan Tengzhong is now deader than Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Before giving the ‘do not resuscitate’ order, GM admitted their disappointment with the deal’s collapse. Plans are to wind down the Hummer business and close the remaining dealerships in an orderly fashion; GM will continue to honor warranties on Hummer vehicles, presumably through GMC Truck dealerships.

Break out the lutefisk, the Spyker deal is done.

First, the good news: Saab is now officially owned by Spyker, so open up the aquavit and turn the freak knob up to 12, Saabophiles.