AUTOMOTIVE

With today’s stubbornly high auto prices and interest rates, buying a car, whether it’s new or used, is a high-stakes financial decision. Consumer Reports is here to help with its just-released exclusive car reliability report of cars that owners consider the most reliable and the ones that are regulars at the repair shop.

A jury should decide whether Tesla and Elon Musk oversold the electric car company’s Autopilot system and caused the fatal crash of a man who engaged it and took his hands off the steering wheel.

Are high gas prices burning a hole in your wallet.

During a presentation of the car, Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny said the car has eight propeller motors and can both drive on the street, and take off and fly vertically over traffic.

Nearly one in 10 of America’s unionized auto workers went on strike Friday at Detroit’s three automakers.

There’s often a point when car enthusiasts are looking to purchase their first new performance car or sports car.

The report shows that vehicle theft rates have soared since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for Honda, Hyundai and Kia sedans.

Every year, a number of new vehicles are discontinued, generally due to poor sales.

Nissan recalls more than 235,000 Sentras that could be at risk for losing steering control.

Just five years ago, a price-conscious auto shopper in the United States could choose from among a dozen new small cars selling for under $20,000.

More than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel.

The Biden administration is proposing strict new automobile pollution limits that would require up to two-thirds of new vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2032.

The effort hopes to help low-income students obtain a two-year certification program in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois and Texas.

Hyundai and Kia are telling owners of over 571,000 SUVs and minivans in the U.S. to park them outdoors because the tow hitch harnesses can catch fire while they are parked or being driven.

Ford is recalling more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in two actions to fix leaky brake hoses and windshield wiper arms that can break.

Edmunds Top Rated Awards are bestowed annually upon the best vehicles of the year.

The fastest Corvette ever made comes out later this year, and it’s not powered soley by a howling V8.

A nine-person jury has been seated to hear a trial that will determine whether Tesla CEO Elon Musk cheated investors by asserting in 2018 tweets that he had lined up financing to take the electric automaker private.

CES in Las Vegas gives us a glimpse of where automakers believe vehicles are headed in the future.

Ford is recalling over 634,000 SUVs worldwide because a cracked fuel injector can spill fuel or leak vapors onto a hot engine and cause fires.

General Motors says a new electric vehicle battery plant built in Ohio has started producing cells, which could help customers get federal tax credits.

California has set itself on a path to end the era of gas-powered cars in the state.

Most electric cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks are not cheap.

In the last year, the average annual cost of owning and operating a new vehicle has increased 11%.

There were more than 41,000 traffic deaths in 2021 alone, but experts are creating solutions. Don’t miss the innovations keeping drivers and pedestrians safe.

Ford Motor Company has recalled and offered to fix almost 3 million SUVs that the automaker said could potentially roll away while in park.

Depending on the circumstances of the accident, the whiplash-type of motion or way a body moves around a vehicle during impact can cause an assortment of injuries.

More than 750 Tesla owners have complained to U.S. safety regulators that cars operating on the company's partially automated driving systems have suddenly stopped on roadways for no apparent reason.

But compared to recent times, exactly how much have activities such as recycling, dieting or using electric vehicles changed or evolved?

We’re willing to bet that the freedom of maneuverability that comes with operating a motorcycle, is one of the best parts about riding, if you asked motorcyclists everywhere.

Any truck injury lawyer will tell you: Truck crash injury claims can be very different from a typical car accident case.

Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. because they can roll away unexpectedly while shifted into park.

A crash on U.S. Highway 1 killed a Merritt Island man and sent another to the hospital, according to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Two years after the pandemic tore through the economy, America’s auto market looks something like this: Prices are drastically up.

It seems like you hear about it more and more these days: The extreme lengths people are going to in order to buy a new house; how much it costs to fill up the gas tank; and what we’re spending at the grocery store.

U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries after five automakers issued recalls for defects that can cause fires or stalling.

If you’ve been to the gas pumps lately, or even listened to any news outlet, you’re likely well aware that gas prices are at a painful high.

It’s no secret: Traveling by vehicle has gotten pretty pricy recently.

Toyota says it is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan because of a “system malfunction” that a domestic supplier suspects is a cyberattack.

U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the automatic emergency braking systems on more than 1.7 million newer Hondas can stop the vehicles for no reason.

U.S. auto safety regulators have launched another investigation of Tesla, this time tied to complaints that its cars can stop on roads for no apparent reason.

States are getting the go-ahead to build a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations that would place new or upgraded stations every 50 miles along interstate highways.

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.

No one ever thinks it will happen to them, but a record 53 children died of heatstroke between 2018 and 2019, after being left in a vehicle.

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.