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Report: Man arrested in Australia for driving with pliers instead of steering wheel

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Australia, Humor

Aussie man caught driving with vice grip pliers instead of steering wheel

We’ll be the first to say that taking short cuts to keep a car on the road isn’t a good practice, but sometimes, people take it too far. No, we’re not talking about using a coat hanger for a throttle linkage, or driving on bald tires for one more week, even though the cords are showing. We’re talking about driving without a steering wheel and using locking grip pliers clamped around the steering column shaft to navigate, which is just what one man has been caught doing in Adelaide, Australia, the Daily Mail reports.

The unnamed 38-year-old man’s Monday morning commute was interrupted when police pulled him over for driving erratically with two flat tires, and they were surprised to find him holding the pliers instead of a wheel. He was arrested and charged with many offenses, including driving without a license in an unregistered vehicle, uninsured while under the influence of illegal drugs and more. Police also said they believe he was involved in a hit-and-run accident.

There are many things one can learn from this man’s mistakes, which can be summed up in two words: Drive safely. And that includes taking good care of your car.

Man arrested in Australia for driving with pliers instead of steering wheel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steering wheels are nine times dirtier than public toilet seats

Filed under: Etc., Safety

international interior and steering wheel

Have you ever driven a vehicle that had a sticky steering wheel? It’s probably one of the most disgusting feelings there is, and a report in IBN Live shows that the adhesive can be more than just grape jelly. Researchers at Queen Mary University in London claim that there are, on average, 700 different kinds of bacteria per square inch of steering wheel. That compares to 80 distinct bacteria types on a public toilet seat. Even worse, the trunk has 1,000 bacteria types per square inch. The most common form of bacteria was bacillus cereus, which can cause food poisoning.

The reason cars are filthy is simple; we simply don’t clean them. While we vacuum, dust and disinfect our home on a semi-regular basis, only one third of study participants cleaned their vehicle once a year or more. That sounds pretty crazy (and a bit lazy), but think about it. You may jettison the trash and vacuum the carpet on a somewhat regular basis, but how often do you wipe down that nasty steering wheel? And when you think about how many Americans regularly eat in their vehicles, our cars could be a solid reason why we are sick as often as we are. Now we know why valet parking attendants tend to wear white gloves.

Beyond cleanliness, the study also shows that many drivers know next to nothing about their vehicles. For example, two-thirds of us don’t know how to change a tire, while one third of those surveyed don’t even know how to put air in the tires. It’s a sad, sad world.

[Source: IBN Live | Image: Zach Bowman/AOL]

Steering wheels are nine times dirtier than public toilet seats originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2,500 Chevy Cruze sedans recalled for “improperly fastened” steering wheels

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Chevrolet

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

2011 Chevrolet Cruze – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chevrolet has reportedly issued a recall of 2,100 of its Cruze compact car in the U.S. and 400 units in Canada after one car was found to have an improperly attached steering wheel. While the defect sounds terrifying, Chevrolet says the mishap hasn’t caused an accident or any injuries.

According to The Detroit News, Chevy is confident that only one car had the issue, and the recall is a precautionary measure. According to the story, Chevy says it inspected more than 2,000 vehicles at the plant where the defective Cruze was built and several hundred more at dealerships and didn’t find any with a similar fault.

Those affected by the recall will be asked to take their Cruze in to the dealership to be inspected for the fault, which will be repaired for free if a problem is found.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT: Review

2011 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT

[Source: The Detroit News]

2,500 Chevy Cruze sedans recalled for “improperly fastened” steering wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge recalls 2008-2011 Ram 4500, 5500 pickups over potential steering loss

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Work, Chrysler, Dodge

Dodge Ram 4500

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Chrysler is recalling model year 2008-2011 Dodge Ram 4500 and 5500 Heavy Duty trucks. The culprit is apparently the left ball stud on the tie rod that could weaken and potentially fracture, which could result in a loss of steering control.

As NHTSA plainly states, “loss of steering control of the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash.” And that’s a bad thing. Directions on contacting Chrysler or NHTSA can be found after the break, and, of course, the automaker will be fixing affected models free of charge.

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

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Dodge recalls 2008-2011 Ram 4500, 5500 pickups over potential steering loss originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Cadillac SRX recalled over power steering lines

Filed under: China, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Cadillac, Luxury

General Motors has announced a voluntary recall of the 2010 Cadillac SRX luxury CUV over concerns of possible damaged power steering lines. The recall affects 3,996 units, and of those GM believes only two or three are actually affected by this issue. If the power steering lines in question are damaged, they could leak steering fluid onto the engine and start a fire, which has actually happened in at least one case. GM’s official statement after the jump. [Source: General Motors]

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2010 Cadillac SRX recalled over power steering lines originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NHTSA investigating steering issues on 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Hyundai Sonata – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has only been on sale for a few months, but it’s already winning over many American mid-size sedan buyers, and we’ve been every impressed by what we’ve found in our first drive and review. However, the rakish new Sonata could face a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into about 16,300 Sonatas due to potential steering issues.

NHTSA has received reports that cite problems with either a separation of the upper universal joint in the intermediate steering shaft assembly. The result is a complete loss of steering capability, though the universal joint was not completely separated.

Hyundai says that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries connected to this issue and that it is fully cooperating with NHTSA on the investigation. The automaker also says that it had received reports of two vehicles with a steering problem linked to the upper universal joint, but that both were repaired without issue. Expect the results of NHTSA’s investigation to be released in the coming weeks.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS

Report: NHTSA investigating steering issues on 2011 Hyundai Sonata originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA reportedly opens Kia Soul investigation after steering shaft failure

Filed under: Budget, Safety, Hatchback, Kia

2010 Kia Soul – Click above for high-res image gallery

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has opened an investigation into a potential problem with the Kia Soul. According to the Los Angeles Times, the government safety watchdog is looking into an incident where the steering shaft in one vehicle separated from the steering wheel and then blocked the brake mechanism. The problem resulted in a total loss of control. It’s unclear as to whether or not anyone was harmed in the incident from the LAT report. Typically, the federal government doesn’t investigate single incidents, but in the case of the Soul, the problem presented itself on a fairly new vehicle and was so serious that NHTSA has elected to investigate. The hatch in question is a 2010 model and had just 4,300 miles on the clock when the problem occurred.

Kia hasn’t commented on the situation other than saying that it is waiting for NHTSA’s findings. The 2010 Kia Soul has been one of the Korean automaker’s best-selling vehicles, with over 37,000 of the boxy econocars sold so far.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Kia Soul

NHTSA reportedly opens Kia Soul investigation after steering shaft failure originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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