Japanese automaker Toyota announced today that it would fix 378,000 of its Prius hybrids built between 2004 and 2007, saying a water pump design defect could produce poor performance.Toyota Motor Sales national manager of environmental, quality and safety communications John Hanson explained the technical aspect of the problem."The water pump is part of a system [...]
Car insurance rates rose slightly in some parts of the nation in 2010 despite the fact that average premiums for U.S. families fell for five consecutive years through 2009, reported the New York Times.The increase is surprising because it hasn't corresponded with the usual indicators that industry experts use to predict premiums.“There isn’t a nice [...]
A rise in the number of car insurance claims seen lately for catalytic converter theft has been noticed in St. Louis, according to a report from local CBS affiliate KMOV. The thieves tend to target vehicles that have been parked in large commuter lots, where many cars will be left for an extended period of [...]
Some models of BMW cars will be voluntarily recalled, the company announced today, due to maintenance issues and compliance with emissions standards. Affected vehicles will be eligible, if necessary, for a fuel pump replacement at BMW's expense, without the need to involve car insurance companies in payment.Drivers of the affected cars - which include the [...]
The new year is fast approaching, meaning car owners should take care to secure their vehicles now, recommends the National Insurance Crime Bureau.New Years Day had the most car thefts out of any holiday in 2009 according to a NICB analysis, while Christmas had the fewest reported thefts.A total of 22,991 vehicles were reported stolen [...]
There are some simple ways drivers can both save money on their car insurance policies and improve the quality of their coverage, according to an article in Forbes Magazine.One type of car insurance no driver should be without, according to Forbes, is uninsured motorist coverage. While someone whose car is damaged by another driver with [...]
It's officially winter - meaning, it just got a lot easier for car trouble to strike. While roadside assistance seems like an service that any responsible driver would want to add to their car insurance policy, there may be some pitfalls that come with buying a program from an insurer, according to Insurance.com.Some consumers fear [...]
Laws governing registration, driver's licenses and motorcyclists will be enforced in North Carolina in December and January, according to a Wilmington Star-News report.The paper says several changes related to license plates and registration will take place on December 1. Car owners can be subject to a fine of up to $100 for obscuring any part [...]
AT&T has developed a new documentary to warn young adults about the dangers of texting while driving, according to the New York Times. The 11-minute documentary will be distributed to schools, safety organizations and government agencies, AT&T said. The company told the newspaper that it is releasing the film before the new year, timing it [...]
The environmental impact of modern America's car culture has long been a controversial subject, but advancing technology and some common-sense habits can let motorists keep their cars in good shape without causing undue damage to the environment, according to an article from automotive repair site AutoMD.com.One of the most important steps home mechanics can take [...]