psa Archives | AutoDepot

PSA: Using an armchair as a replacement seat is a bad idea

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Canada, Humor

passenger armchair

Ottawa police were conducting roadside seatbelt checks as part of the Spring Seatbelt Campaign, when one of their stops brought an unexpected surprise. A green Chevrolet minivan’s driver got into some trouble thanks to the aftermarket passenger seat he installed. This was no Sparco or Recaro, mind you – the driver went with something more akin to a La-Z-Boy.

You see, an armchair resided where the passenger seat was once bolted down. An unrestrained armchair with a thought-deficient passenger riding shotgun. The 33-year-old driver was cited for operating an unsafe vehicle, and he was also charged with driving on a suspended license. The cops scored a two-for-one, and the passenger was lucky he didn’t have to pick windshield out of his face.

[Source: CBC.ca | Image: Ontario Provincial Police]

PSA: Using an armchair as a replacement seat is a bad idea originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Japan automakers have lost half a million units since quake

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota

Damaged Suzuki vehicles

According to Automotive News, Japanese automakers have seen their production drop by over 500,000 units since the March 11 earthquake struck the island nation. In the month since the disaster, the country’s seven largest automakers lost around 516,000 units of production due to damage to production facilities and supplier delays. Toyota has been the hardest hit, with a loss of 260,000 units as of April 8. The automaker has a total of 18 domestic manufacturing facilities, and while two of those are back online, the remainder won’t open their doors until at least April 18. Even then, the plants may shut down again after April 27.

Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi are all operating on some level, though production is an on-again, off-again affair. As an example, Nissan has managed to re-open all five of its Japanese facilities, though production has been scaled back to half-pace for the time being. There’s no word as to when full production will ramp up once again.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.| Image: Wally Santana/AP]

PSA: Japan automakers have lost half a million units since quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Australia

rusty old car with patina

We know the scientists of the world spend an awful lot of time making our lives better, but the guys and gals in white coats sometimes study topics that aren’t all that exciting. Case in point? The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand announced at their annual meeting that owners of newer vehicles are more likely to catch the flu than those with old beaters.

The reason? Older vehicles have dried out, cracked and broken seals that help circulate fresh air through the cabin. Meanwhile, newer vehicles, with their fresh and uncompromised seals, let in less fresh air when air circulation is set to lower levels. As a result, the owners of the newer vehicles are more likely to catch cold or flu from a sick passenger inside the vehicle.

Dr. Scott Bell, Director of Thoracic Medicine at the Prince Charles Hospital, wants drivers to know that “high risk people should be cautious of who they travel with in passenger cars during outbreaks of influenza.”

That makes sense, but what if you’re in a beat-up old jalopy? We’re guessing you shouldn’t have sick passengers in old cars, either, but what do we know? Dr. Bell says you’re at least less susceptible to illness if you crank the air on high and thumb off the recirculating air button.

[Source: Drive | Image: Flickr KB35 via CC 2.0]

PSA: Want to avoid the flu? Buy an old car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Pickup owners prone to pilfered tailgates

Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety

F-150 Tailgate

The Detroit News reports that tailgate thieves are overrunning southeast Michigan, costing truck owners and insurance companies between $1,200 and $3,600 per theft. The problem is so bad in part because stealing a tailgate only takes a few seconds when unlocked, and under a minute when they are locked. Thieves can reportedly remove a tailgate using only their fingers or with the aid of a regular old screwdriver – no specialized tools are needed.

To combat this problem, some auto dealers are displaying their trucks sans gate, or parking those trucks right up against a wall so thieves don’t have room to operate. Not even a law making tailgate theft a felony worthy of up to five years in prison appears to be scaring off thieves. St. Clair Shores, MI police detective Dave Centala adds that the speed of the crime makes thieves difficult to catch, adding “they come at night, make no noise and we have never caught one in the act or recovered the part.” Centala tells the DetNews that five were stolen in one night in St. Clair Shores, and in other cities the tailgates are being stolen in chunks.

Tailgate thefts are nothing new, and The Detroit News is only reporting on thefts in Michigan, but given the ease with which tailgates are being swiped, we’re inclined to believe this continues to be a problem on the national level. Owners looking to protect their trucks can purchase an aftermarket lock, or they can park their vehicle in a garage or in a spot that gives thieves little room to remove the tailgate. Hopefully automakers will tune into this situation and make stealing tailgates far more difficult in the future.

[Source: The Detroit News]

PSA: Pickup owners prone to pilfered tailgates originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Government/Legal

1995 honda civic window sticker

Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency, new car buyers always have the ability to read fuel economy numbers on the window sticker of any car on the lot. But if you’re looking at a used vehicle, the same efficiency info isn’t always readily available.

Consumer Reports reports that the EPA has changed that little problem by posting the fuel efficiency information of used vehicles on its fueleconomy.gov website. These aren’t new fuel economy numbers, but the EPA did apply the updated fuel economy logic that was instituted in 2008. So if your original 1995 Honda Civic was once quoted at 40 miles per gallon, the new fuel economy number is 33 mpg. The EPA is tracking fuel economy dating back to 1984, too, so car buyers can go back before many Autoblog readers were even born.

The EPA is hoping that anyone selling a vehicle will use the tool as well. Dealers, for example, can print up the window sticker and place it on the window of the vehicle being sold, giving the “sold as is, no warranty” caveat some competition on the passenger-side window.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

PSA: EPA now offering used car window stickers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Lamborghini offering new Gallardo leasing program

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini

2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4

2011 Lamborghini LP570-4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lamborghini has finally bitten the bullet and started a leasing program for the Gallardo. According to the DuPont Registry, there was enough demand for an alternative ownership program that leasing Lamborghini’s smallest offering made sense.

Gallardos eligible for lease include the 2010-2011 LP560-4 Spyders, 2011 Gallardo LP560-4 Coupe, 2011 LP570-4 Superleggera, and the brand-new LP550-2. The leases are on a 27-month term, and customers are limited to 3,500 miles a year. The program began in January and stops at the end of this month, so you’d better hurry.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera

[Source: DuPont Registry]

PSA: Lamborghini offering new Gallardo leasing program originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW, PSA make hooking up on hybrids official

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, BMW, Mini, Peugeot, Citroën, Electric

Mini E

BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroen have officially hopped into bed together to collaborate on all of the systems and hardware that goes into crafting a hybrid drivetrain, and the two have been so kind as to let us all in on what they’re planning. It’s no shock that the two companies will partner up on everything from battery packs and generators to software and chargers, but BMW has revealed that the main goal of the corporate tie up is to build an open European hybrid platform to help give all Euro automakers a little bit of structure and an edge in the looming electrified fray.

The joint venture is expected to get under way in the second quarter of 2011 barring no hiccups from legislators, and BMW says that the first products to make use of the technology developed by the partnership are likely to hit the road in 2014 at the earliest. According to Motoring File, the very first vehicles to carry the new-age hybrid gear under its hood will likely be the Mini Countryman or a Countryman-based model. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Sources: BMW, Motoring File]

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BMW, PSA make hooking up on hybrids official originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: New Year’s Day still worst for car thefts

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

car thief Christmas day is not just for giving, it’s also for not stealing. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, December 25th is the day many thieves take a break from stealing cars. Very kind of them, no? But here’s the bad news: those thieves are just postponing their nefarious ways for a week. That’s right, New Year’s Day is the worst holiday for car thefts.

Here’s some raw data: 2,760 vehicles were reported stolen in the United States on January 1st, 2009, and 2,189 were stolen on New Year’s Eve. Naturally, this year is expected to pretty much follow suit, though the actual number of stolen vehicles is expected to fall for the seventh straight year.

What can you do to combat the problem? Mostly just exercise some common sense. The NCIB recommends the following: parking in well-lit areas, keeping packages in the trunk or out of sight, and making sure your vehicle is locked while it’s parked. Or you could just drive an unstealable car… Check out the complete press release after the break.

[Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau | Image: Peter Dazeley/Getty]

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PSA: New Year’s Day still worst for car thefts originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Toyota Prius has been Japan’s top-selling car for 18 straight months

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Japan, Hatchback, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Toyota Prius has been the top-selling vehicle in its home market of Japan since its redesign in 2009 for the 2010 model year, due partly to a series of incentives created by the Japanese government to promote fuel efficient vehicles – more specifically, hybrids. Those incentives ended in September, leading many to wonder if Toyota’s hybrid hatchback could maintain its stranglehold atop the sales board.

Apparently, the answer is yes. According to data provided by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association, Toyota managed to sell 21,400 Prius hybrids in November, more than enough to earn the fuel-sipper the top sales spot over the second-place Honda Fit (16,677 units).

It seems that the end of hybrid vehicle subsidies did take something of a toll on Prius sales, however. Though still on top, sales of Toyota’s hybrid hatchback were down by just over 20 percent when compared to the same period one year ago, when the Japanese government’s incentives were in full effect. Still, Toyota’s green jellybean has enjoyed 18 months at the top and still has quite a few carlengths on the Fit, and that’s nothing to be sneezed at.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Prius

[Source: The Mainichi Daily News]

PSA: Toyota Prius has been Japan’s top-selling car for 18 straight months originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Rented Chevy Corvette not the best for doing beach donuts [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

A Corvette goes for a swim in San Diego – Click above to watch video after the jump

How does a Corvette convertible – one rented from Hertz no less – end up in the salty brine at Pacific Beach in San Diego? The kindness of buzzed strangers, apparently. According to NBC San Diego, a visiting couple met a man in a bar, and after hearing that he had never driven a Corvette before, they offered him some seat time.

With the new acquaintance behind the wheel and the couple in the passenger seat, witnesses say the driver did a couple of donuts in the sand and then zoomed straight into the surf. Not known for its off-road traction, the Corvette got stuck, upon which the driver got out and ran. The couple was held and released, while the Corvette…well, we’re sure Hertz is working on that right now. Follow the jump for some witness video of the aftermath.

[Source: NBC San Diego, YouTube]

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PSA: Rented Chevy Corvette not the best for doing beach donuts [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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