2004 - 2010 BMW 5-Series & 6-Series Recalled For Battery Flaw

According to a report in the New York Times, BMW is issuing a major recall for 5-Series sedans and wagons and 6-Series sedans and convertibles from the 2004 - 2010 model years. 

Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hasn't yet posted a notice about the recall to its website, the Times reports that the problem stems from a dodgy battery cable connection that sits in the vehicles' trunks.

Apparently, one of the bolts holding that connection in place can loosen over time. As a result, resistance can build up in the electrical cables, which can cause the cable connections to overheat. This, in turn, can result in electrical system problems, or in some cases, smoldering of the trunk mat.

A BMW official acknowledges that the flaw has caused at least one fire in the U.S., though no injuries have been reported.

What's interesting is that the recall appears to come from BMW itself, not from a NHTSA investigation. Approximately 1.3 million vehicles are affected worldwide, 367,000 of which are located in the U.S.

We'll update this post when we have NHTSA's official details about the roll-out of the recall and proposed remedies. If you have questions in the meantime, we encourage you to contact BMW customer relations at 800-525-7417. Stay tuned.

Toyota Teams Up With Audubon For Spring Green Challenge Facebook App

Toyota and the National Audubon Society have teamed up to create a conservation alliance named TogetherGreen. Today, they launched a Facebook app called Spring Green Challenge in an effort to get TogetherGreen's Facebook fan base engaged in the program.

The Facebook app will be interactive, offering weekly conservation challenges with an opportunity for fans to win prizes. It will also provide data regarding the impact green choices can have around the house.

Each week the app will provide a different challenge which can range from changing buying habits to conserving water. Participants can click the "I Did It" button on the Spring Green Challenge Facebook app once they have completed the week's challenge. Upon completion of the challenge, each participant will be entered in the weekly and grand prize drawings.

The Spring Green Challenge ends on April 23rd and will offer four weekly challenges.

So far, TogetherGreen says it has saved $5.8 million through volunteer support, along with improving 10,540 acres of wildlife habitat.

Elizabeth Sorrell, Digital Media Manager for TogetherGreen at National Audubon Society said, "TogetherGreen is all about people-powered conservation and we hope that Spring Greening proves that even small actions add up to large change."

The weekly prize winners will receive a TogetherGreen t-shirt while the three grand prize winners will receive $250, $100, and $50 gift certificates to Lowe's.

To participate in the Spring Green Challenge check out the app on TogetherGreen's Facebook fan page.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Bans Driver Use Of Mobile Phones

While many states, counties and municipalities have laws on the books regulating the use of cell phones while driving, Chapel Hill, North Carolina has become the first city in the United States to enact an outright ban on the use of cell phones behind the wheel.

We’re not referring to texting while driving, since that’s already illegal in the state of North Carolina. We’re not referring to the use of a hand-held cell phone, either, since the newly passed ordinance prohibits the use of even hands-free devices while operating a motor vehicle.

That means no Bluetooth headsets, no external speakers and no integrated Bluetooth, either, which includes current in-car (and manufacturer-provided) systems. The measure was approved by the city council on Monday night, and goes into effect on June 1, 2012.

As the News Observer points out, the resolution proved difficult to pass, and has been in discussion for some two years. A previous vote on the matter resulted in a deadlock, which was broken on Monday by a council member absent from the last vote.

The new ruling allows for emergency calls, and the wording of the ordinance seems to permit calls with a spouse, parent or child as well. We fail to see how that makes any sense at all, since calls to family members are no more or less disruptive than calls to other parties. Get caught talking to a friend, though, and the fine is $25.

The ordinance may not stand, since the state attorney general’s office has already ruled that Chapel Hill lacks the authority to prohibit cell phone use while driving. Since the city ordinance is preempted by state law, the ban is essentially unenforceable, even if it was adopted with the best of intentions.

Similar municipal rulings have produced positive results. Evanston, Illinois bans hand-held cell phone use (but not hands-free), and in the two years since passing the law has seen a 17.6-percent reduction in accidents. Drivers in Evanston caught using a phone are fined $50, but the penalty jumps to $200 if the driver is involved in an accident. 

March Sales Hit Record Highs, But Fuel-Efficient Cars Come At A Premium

Like the U.S. economy, America's auto market is slowly, steadily recovering from the aftershocks of the Great Recession. New sales data from Kelley Blue Book suggests that March 2012 will see double-digit gains over March 2011 and will, in fact, be higher than any March on record since 2007.

In all, KBB expects March new-car sales to clock in around 1,425,000 units -- up 24% from last month and 14% higher than March 2011. In terms of the seasonally adjusted sales rate, or SAAR, that puts the U.S. auto market at around 14.6 million sales for the year. That's a bit lower than the 15.1 million SAAR seen in February, but KBB says that sales for that month were unusually high due to the warmer weather. 

Why does March matter? Because March is typically a big month for auto sales. At temperatures become more temperate, shoppers often get the urge to kick a few tires -- especially on new model-year rides they might not have seen before. And thanks to the tax refunds burning holes in some folks' pockets, they've got the financial wherewithal to seal the deal, too. So, like the crocus, March sales are often a harbinger of how strong (or weak) a year may be.

What to expect

KBB predicts that auto sales will continue to climb, thanks in part to the larger inventories on-hand at dealerships these days. In 2011, we saw shortages on many lots, often due to natural disasters that put crimps in the production lines of many Asian automakers. Significant headway has been made in Japan (crippled by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami last March) and Thailand (ravaged by floods for nearly six months), meaning that popular models like the Toyota Prius are once again in ready supply.

However, shoppers looking for discounts and other incentives might find only disappointment. Soaring gas prices have resulted in huge demand for hybrids and smaller, fuel-efficient rides. In fact, a KBB survey of current car shoppers revealed that 51% are looking for a smaller, more fuel-efficient car, and 20% are checking out alt-fuel vehicles like hybrids and diesels.

As a result, sales of subcompacts like the Chevrolet Sonic, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Fit are in high demand. KBB expects March growth in that segment alone to come in 40% above March 2011. Given that demand, the waiting list for the all-new Prius C could be impressively long.

In terms of automakers, Volkswagen, Chrysler, and General Motors are seeing the most benefit from these improving sales. March will likely be a banner month for VW, with sales up 38.7% over last year. Chrysler will ring 34.7% more sales, and GM 24.1%. KBB doesn't explain the reason for those gains, but we know that VW has been pricing its models very competitively as of late. Chrysler and GM suffered from lagging sales following their restructurings in 2009, and from our perspective, it seems as if both are finally getting back up to speed.

Bottom line: if you're looking for a new ride and you're hoping to catch a bargain, you may not get your wish. On the upside, there should be enough supply of most models to keep you from waiting too long for your next set of wheels.

LaHood's Safety Regulations Say Moving Maps Are A No-No

Back in February, we told you about some new rules -- or rather, suggestions -- that the Department of Transportation had compiled for automakers. The rules/suggestions were meant to set standards for in-car equipment that would help curb distracted driving. Our colleagues at Cnet have done a close reading of the official document and found one proposal that would render some navigation systems practically pointless.

The guidelines

When Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released the document in February, they saidthat "the guidelines would establish specific recommended criteria for electronic devices installed in vehicles at the time they are manufactured that require visual or manual operation by drivers." So, NHTSA was suggesting "best practices" for car companies to help guide the way they design visual and manual interfaces for their in-dash systems.

But that was just phase one of a three-phase plan. Phase two, which has yet to be released, will provide similar guidelines for aftermarket and smartphone manufacturers (e.g. TomTom, Samsung, Apple, and possibly app-makers). Phase three will focus on auditory controls in systems built by all three types of companies -- automakers, aftermarket sellers, and handset designers.

The fine print

What Cnet found after a close reading of the phase-one document was that in Section V.5.b, NHTSA states that "Dynamic, continuously moving maps are not recommended." However:

The display of either static or quasi-static maps (quasi-static maps are static maps that are updated frequently, perhaps as often as every few seconds, but are not continuously moving) for the purpose of providing driving directions is acceptable. 

In other words, a map that is revised every few seconds is a-okay, but a continuously moving one isn't.

If this guide applies to aftermarket manufacturers too, it will leave many navigation systems -- including most apps that rely on Google Maps -- in the clear, since few of those are "continuously moving". Speedier systems like TomTom and some in-dash set-ups, though, won't get the DOT's seal of approval.

Our take

It's great to see NHTSA fueling a national dialogue on tech-related safety issues. LaHood's team seems to be trying to get ahead of these problems and address them proactively -- which is commendable for a government agency. 

We also appreciate the fact that LaHood and NHTSA haven't tried to give their guidelines the weight of law. As the document quite rationally says, "the rapid pace of technology evolution cannot be fully addressed with a static rule put in place at this time." In other words, the guides are meant to show what's good and bad in telematics design, not what's grounds for a recall. 

The writer at Cnet suggests that NHTSA would be better served spending less time on vehicle safety regulations like these and more time developing driver training programs, arguing that such programs are the only way to ensure truly safe drivers. In NHTSA's defense though, we should point out that roughly 2/3 of the agency's $860 million budget is spent on initiatives like driver training, with less than 20% spent on vehicle safety, as per the fiscal year 2012 budget (PDF).

We would also insist that issues like distracted driving can and should be attacked from both sides: via regulations and also driver's education. After all, traffic fatalities have been on the decline in recent years not only because people know to wear their seatbelts, but also because most states (New Hampshire excluded) have made wearing seatbelts mandatory. It's all well and good to put the burden for safety on drivers, but there has to be some incentive -- or negative reinforcement -- to make them follow through.

2012 Toyota Prius C - Review

Toyota sells far more hybrids than anyone else, thanks mainly to its iconic Prius and its industry-leading (for non plug-ins) 50-mpg EPA Combined mileage rating. But this year, it's different; Toyota has rounded out the Prius line with three more models. First, there's the Prius V, a larger wagon version, which arrived earlier this model year; and now the 2012 Prius C has arrived, appealing to those who want a simpler, more compact car.

With a more familiar, traditional small-car profile and package, yet the same best-in-class 50-mpg figure (actually 53 mpg city, 46 highway)—matched with a base price of just $19,710—the Prius C should attract a wider swath of value-conscious motorists.

As the third (and smallest) unique body style in the Prius family, the Prius C is about 157 inches long and 67 inches wide. It's closer in size to the Toyota YarisLiftback than to the Toyota Matrix—meaning it's a true subcompact, and you get all the maneuverability and parking advantages. Matched with that more ordinary five-door profile is a smooth, low front end and drawn-back headlamps that closely resemble those used in the rest of the Prius lineup. Meanwhile, the new Prius C doesn't look all that much different than Toyota's somewhat less expensive Yaris, in profile and from some angles. The look is somewhat slab-sided by today's standard, but there is an upkick just in front of the rear wheels. In back, the look is typical for the class, with vertical taillamps and a spoiler smoothing out aerodynamics at the rear of the roofline. Inside, the 2012 Toyota Prius C has an all-new dashboard that draws its centrally mounted Multi Information Display at the base of the windshield from the larger Prius, and some of its switches and minor controls from the Yaris.

The Prius C is smaller and lighter, so its powertrain is downsized to match. There's a four-cylinder engine, making 73 horsepower, and the automaker's Hybrid Synergy Drive includes a smaller motor system and 0.9-kWh battery pack—with the system altogether making 99 hp. Acceleration is about on par with other eco-minded small cars. Serving as a reminder that performance is definitely not the priority, the Prius C offers an Eco mode, which reduces power output and has different climate-control settings, as well as an EV mode, for going up to a half mile on electricity only, but there's no Power or Sport mode. As for handling, the Prius C is surprisingly nimble and meneuverable, but again, don't expect the dynamics of a sport-tuned hot hatch. But the payoff is clear at the pump: In 50 miles of driving around San Diego—including freeways, two-lane roads, and stop-and-go—we saw a 51.4-mpg average.

There's more cabin space in the Prius C than you might suspect. Front seats feel about the same as in other Prius models; in back there's no mistaking it for a mid-size car, but six-footers should be able to fit without any fuss. The nickel-metal-hydride battery pack, which is smaller than that used in the other Prius models, is packed neatly under the back seat.

Trims and materials feel noticeably cheaper than those you'd find in the current Prius (though about on par with mainstream subcompacts), but assembly quality is good. Toyota has clearly worked to keep cost down, with painted metal visible inside on the window surrounds and hatchback, but the effect is thrifty rather than grim. And in the C, there's a conventional shift lever rather than the smaller shift lever up near the steering wheel you get in other Prius models. In base Prius C One models, there's even a conventional ignition key rather than push-button start.

The Prius C comes with nine standard airbags, along with all the now-typical safety aids such as electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist. It hasn't yet been rated by either the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the federal government. Although it's structurally different than the Prius Liftback and the Prius V, both of those other models have been named IIHS Top Safety Picks, and the Prius Liftback has earned a top five-star overall rating from the federal government.

Beginning at $19.710, the Prius C arrives at a price tag that's really just a couple thousand more than a comparably equipped, non-hybrid subcompact—and seeing that the Prius C uses less fuel, it's a difference that you'll likely quickly overcome thanks to cheaper running costs. Four trims are offered—Prius C One, Prius C Two, Prius C Three, Prius C Four. Even the Prius One comes with an impressive level of standard equipment, including keyless entry, automatic climate control, power accessories, and a sound system that includes a USB port (and iPod capability). The Prius C Three includes a navigation system and Toyota's Entune interface, while the Prius Four adds fog lamps, alloy wheels, and heated seats. The only options offered for the Prius C are a moonroof and alloy wheels, sold together in a package.

Honda Recalls 2012 Accord, 2012 Crosstour, 2011-2012 Ridgeline

Honda has issued two recalls today -- one for the 2012 Accord and 2012 Crosstour, and another for the 2011-2012 Ridgeline. 

The 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall is the most worrisome of the two. According to a bulletinfrom the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Accords and Crosstours from the 2012 model year may have been built with a faulty inflator for the side-curtain airbag on the passenger's side. As a result, those airbags may not deploy during a crash, seriously increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Thankfully, the size of this recall is fairly small, including only 347 units to date. (Given the popularity of the Accord, the recall could've been much larger a few months down the road.) Hondaexpects to notify owners of affected vehicles about the recall by next Friday, February 10. At that time, they'll be able to take their vehicles to a Honda dealer, who will inspect the airbag system and replace inflators as necessary, free of charge.

If you have questions about the 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall, we encourage you to ring Honda Customer Service at 800-999-1009, or call the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and ask about recall campaign #12V030000.

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The 2011-2012 Ridgeline recall centers around the Ridgeline's spare tire, which has come withinaccurate inflation information on the attached placard. If owners use the spare tire and it's improperly inflated, the tire could fail, leading to an accident. Approximately 206 Ridgelines are included in this recall.

Honda has already begun sending out notices to Ridgeline owners, so if you have one of the recalled vehicles in your garage, you should receive something in the mail very soon. At that time, you can take your Ridgeline to a Honda dealer, who will amend or replace the tire information placard free of charge. 

Should you have additional questions about the Ridgeline recall, call Honda Customer Service at 800-999-1009, or ring up the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 and ask about recall campaign#12V025000.