AUTOMOTIVE

The shortage of parts caused by the coronavirus pandemic is further denting production at Toyota, Japan’s top automaker.

Ford is recalling about 200,000 cars in the U.S. to fix a problem that can stop the brake lights from turning off.

It’s no secret: Traveling by vehicle has gotten pricier this year.

When it comes to drivers running over animals by accident, a lot of attention is rightfully focused on deer, since they are the animals that are run over the most nationwide, resulting in the most damage to cars, according to this website.

On this latest episode of “Best of Central Florida,” three experts from the automative service industry lent their insight on ways to best maintain your car.

It’s no secret: Traveling by vehicle has gotten pricier this year.

Ah, the burning question everyone wants to know the answer to: How far can your vehicle really go on empty?

Ferrari V12 production cars remained suspended over the factory floor as the 74-year-old luxury carmaker launched a new era as a lifestyles brand.

Automakers are cutting production as they grapple with a global shortage of computer chips, and that's making dealers nervous.

The U.S. government’s auto safety agency is investigating multiple complaints about steering failures that could affect more than 1.1 million Honda Accord sedans.

Hyundai is recalling over 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada for problems that can cause engine fires.

If you're in the market for a car this year, get ready to pay more.

DETROIT – Kia is telling owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outdoors due to the risk of an engine compartment fire. AdThe recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating Kia and Hyundai engine fires in 2019. Kia was to pay $27 million and invest $16 million in safety performance measures. Another $27 million payment will be deferred as long as Kia meets safety conditions, NHTSA said. AdEngine failure and fire problems with Hyundais and Kias have affected more than 6 million vehicles since 2015, according to NHTSA documents.

FILE - In this June 23, 2015 file photo a van is pictured in a light tunnel at the Mercedes-Benz automobile plant in Ludwigsfelde, near Berlin. (Photo/Michael Sohn, file)NEW YORK – Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles because the software in their emergency-call systems could send responders to the wrong location after a crash. The recall comes after Mercedes-Benz learned of a crash in Europe where the automatic emergency-call system sent the wrong position of the vehicle. The recall covers many vehicles from the 2016 through 2021 model years, including those classed CLA, GLA, GLE, GLS, SLC, A, GT, C, E, S, CLS, SL, B, GLB, GLC, and G. The company's Daimler Vans also announced recalls of 2016-2020 Metris vehicles and 2019-2020 Sprinter vehicles. Mercedes-Benz said that it will notify affected owners and update the software systems at no charge, according to filings with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The announcement came on the same day CEO Elon Musk said he has moved his home to Texas from California. In September, Tesla said it planned to sell up to $5 billion worth of common shares just one day after a 5-for-1 stock split took effect. Musk told The Wall Street Journal in an interview Tuesday that he has moved to Texas, saying that California has taken innovators for granted. On the stock offering, Tesla Inc. said in a regulatory filing that the sales would be made “from time to time." Tesla's stock has exploded this year, rising more than 600%.

DETROIT – General Motors will recall about 7 million big pickup trucks and SUVs worldwide to replace potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. Exploding Takata inflators caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. It means that all Takata ammonium nitrate inflators in the U.S. will be recalled, NHTSA said. Test results for the GM inflators included abnormally high-pressure events “indicative of potential future rupture risk,” NHTSA said in documents. “These findings illustrate that GM's inflators have a similar, if not identical, degradation continuum” to other Takata inflators that have exploded, the agency wrote.

All rights reserved)Elon Musk is promising a $25,000 Tesla electric car in about three years. The Tesla CEO says the company is reviewing improvements in battery designs and manufacturing capabilities that could result in huge price reductions. Musk also says the car would drive fully autonomously, but those sensors and equipment tend to be expensive. Years ago, he said the Tesla Model 3 would be $35,000, but that price was only available for a short time. On Tuesday, Musk also announced that Tesla is now taking orders for the new three-motor Model S with “plaid mode.” The car can go zero to 60 in less than 2 seconds.

ORLANDO, Fla. Fiat Chrysler is recalling 91,000 Jeep Cherokees over fears the SUVs could lose power while moving. The recall involves Cherokees from the 2014-2017 model years. In addition to losing power, the company says the parking function may also not engage which could lead to a roll-away crash. Fiat Chrysler says recall notices will be sent to Jeep owners starting next month.

Even though life, in some ways, has started returning to normal, it’s safe to say that many of us still aren’t driving our cars as often. Whatever the case, Susan Reed, of Kalamazoo, has some advice for you: Take your car out every day, even if it’s just for a quick spin around the block. “Rodents ate my car,” Reed told Zak Rosen, the host and creator of “The Best Advice Show.”It wasn’t a cheap repair, either. But you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re driving your car at least semi-regularly. “The Best Advice Show” is a product of Graham Media Group.

And what if your car won’t start because of a dead battery? To revive a dead battery, first make sure each car is in park or neutral -- and turned off. Then, connect one end of the cable to the positive terminal of the donor battery, and then connect the other end to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Let the dead battery charge for a few minutes, and then turn the ignition on the vehicle of the dead battery to see if it starts. This only applies if you:a) Have someone to take you to a repair shop or the store right away to buy a new battery.

Here are five tips to avoid problems that can come up with sitting vehicles:Make sure to run your car every once in a while. But just in case a car isn’t being used or a two-car household has turned into a one-car household where the other vehicle is just sitting idle, running the car is still vital. Gas does degrade over time, and in some cases, it will go bad in less than two months if a car remains idle. In addition to running the car, treating it with fuel stabilizer can extend the life of your car’s gas. If the gas already is bad, there are ways to remove the bad gas from the tank, according to itstillruns.com.

Below are three important actions to perform if you ever find yourself in an automobile accident and are not seriously injured. “The first thing is, you need to make sure you are safe,” said John Watson, an attorney at Bogin, Munns & Munns. 1 priority should be to get to a safe place.”Gather evidenceThis is important in two different ways. One, it’s important to take photos of both your car and others involved in the accident with a cellphone or camera. “That’s one of the more important things, is to preserve that evidence.”Two, it’s vital to pay attention to what other people in the accident say, according to Watson.