Ford Owners File Lawsuit, Claim EcoBoost Engine Loses Power During Acceleration
Late last year, Ford owners made headlines when they sued the automaker over inaccurate fuel economy claims for the Fusion Hybrid and C-Max Hybrid. According to the Detroit News, Ford now has another lawsuit on its hands -- this time, over its acclaimed EcoBoost engine.
The suit has been filed by three Ford owners from Ohio, who say that the company's six-cylinder EcoBoost engine is defective. The three claim that the engine has caused their vehicles to shudder and lose power during acceleration. (Our own John Voelcker noticed similar problems in a test drive of the upcoming 2014 Ford Fiesta, outfitted with a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost.) Two of the plaintiffs (a couple) drive a Taurus SHO, the other owns an F-150 pickup.
There are several interesting things to note about this case:
- The suit involves only the six-cylinder EcoBoost. Ford also produces three- and four-cylinder versions of the engine, and all three variants make use of similar turbocharging and direct-injection technologies.
- According to the lawsuit, more than 100 complaints about the six-cylinder EcoBoost's performance have been filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, though NHTSA hasn't launched an investigation into the issue, nor has Ford recalled any vehicles over those complaints. (The automaker did, however, recall 2013 Ford Escapes with 1.6-liter EcoBoost engines for an unrelated fire risk.)
- A similar lawsuit has been filed in Louisiana. The law firm representing the plaintiffs in that case state that "Many Ford F150 EcoBoost owners have reported that their trucks have stalled, shuddered, failed to accelerate and/or entered into limp mode while driving." The firm claims that the problem is related to the Charge Air Cooler and cites technical service bulletins from Ford intended to address the problem.
Ford has yet to issue a statement about the lawsuit, but you can be sure that the automaker is looking into the matter. After all, the EcoBoost engine is slated to play a big role in the company's future.
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2014 Subaru Forester Aces IIHS Crash Test; Many Other Small SUVs Don’t
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has run a group of 13 small sport-utility vehicles or crossovers through its relatively new small-overlap frontal crash test, and the results aren't pretty.
Only the 2014 Subaru Forester earned a top 'good' rating. In fact, it's the best-performing vehicle yet in the new IIHS test, earning a top rating in every aspect of the new test, according to the IIHS.
The new test has 25 percent of the vehicle's front end strike a rigid five-foot-tall barrier at 40 mph, measuring the forces in a 50th-percentile crash-test dummy (belted) in the driver's seat.
“With the redesigned Forester, Subaru’s engineers set out to do well in our new test, and they succeeded,” commented Joe Nolan, IIHS vice president for vehicle research, in a release accompanying the announcement. “This is exactly how we hoped manufacturers would respond to improve protection for people in these kinds of serious frontal crashes.”
Outlander Sport: Only other one in this group with an acceptable score
Only one other vehicle, the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander, earned an 'acceptable' score in the new test, while the other 11 models run through the new protocol earned substandard scores of 'marginal' or 'poor.'
With the Institute's new Top Safety Pick+ designation requiring 'good' ratings in four of the five tests (small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side, rollover, and rear), both the 2014 Forester and 2013 Outlander have been given that top nod.
The results correspond to a far lower likelihood of injury to a driver of the Forester or Outlander Sport in the type of accident that it simulates--an offset, head-on crash with another larger vehicle, or with a tree, pole, or barrier.
The BMW X1, Nissan Rogue, Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler (2-door), and Volkswagen Tiguan were among those to earn 'marginal' scores, while the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Buick Encore, Jeep Patriot, and Ford Escape all earned a 'poor' overall score in the small overlap frontal test.
Encore disappointing for a 'new' model
The Buick Encore and Jeep Patriot stood out as having the most 'poor' scores in sub-categories, ranging from vehicle structure, restraints, and kinematics, to crash-dummy-related injury measures. The Patriot, the IIHS notes, otherwise qualifies as a Top Safety Pick; yet it was among the worst for restraints and kinematics, with the dummy's head sliding off the frontal airbag as the steering wheel pushed off to the side—and the side curtain bag didn't even deploy.
The IIHS notes that Toyota requested a delay in its test so that it could make changes to the RAV4 compact crossover and improve its performance in the test.
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To Combat Drunk Driving, NTSB Wants Tougher Blood-Alcohol Limits
Seeking to toughen the allowable alcohol limit for drivers, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling on states to lower the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) to 0.05 or lower from the current 0.08.
The intent behind the proposed new standard is to cut down on the nearly 10,000 annual deaths related to alcohol-impaired driving.
The NTSB board made the recommendations on the 25th anniversary of this country’s worst drunk driving crash in Carrollton, Kentucky in which 24 children and three adults were killed and 34 were injured when a drunk driver in a pickup truck rammed a school bus returning from a church trip to an amusement park.
The safety board said that one-third of all traffic fatalities today are related to alcohol. It contends that the risk of a crash is lowered by half if the recommended lower level of 0.05 BAC is enforced.
Following the 1982 recommendation by the NTSB to lower the BAC to 0.08 from 0.10, in 1983, Utah became the first state to do so. It took until 2004 before all states fell in line.
Noting that most of the industrialized world – more than 100 countries -- has already adopted the lower standard, Robert Molloy of the NTSB said, “We are behind the world.”
Other NTSB recommendations include increasing penalties for first and repeat offenders, mandating that convicted drunk drivers use an ignition interlock device that requires them to blow into a device to show they are sober before they can start the car, using special DWI courts to handle offenders, and more technology, such as “sniffing flashlights” that can be used by police officers to detect the odor of alcohol.
As reported in The Detroit News, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has not endorsed the NTSB proposal. The paper said the GHSA “agrees with NTSB’s approach of a comprehensive strategy to address drunk driving.” Further, the GHSA said, “We do, however, support the current .08 BAC threshold level. NTSB’s action raises the visibility of drunk driving and we will consider their recommendations.”
Immediate reaction from the American Beverage Institute called the NTSB’s recommendations “ludicrous,” saying that this was “the latest attempt by traffic safety activist groups to expand the definition of ‘drunk.’”
While the NTSB has no authority to change the current standard and can only recommend that each state adopt the lower standard, Congress can make adherence to such standards a requirement for states to receive federal highway funds.
Click here to read the NTSB’s full report, “Reaching Zero: Actions to Eliminate Alcohol-Impaired Driving” (PDF).
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Florida Shortens Yellow Lights, Red-Light Camera Tickets Surge
Do you live in Florida? Have you received a ticket from a red-light camera lately?
There may be a reason for that: according to Tampa's CBS affiliate WTSP, the state recently shortened the legal length for yellow lights. That's caused a surge in red-light citations -- and proved beneficial for Florida's coffers.
WTSP became suspicious of yellow-light times last December, when a Hernando County woman was killed after another motorist ran a red light. Timing of the yellow light revealed that it was shorter than expected, making drivers more likely to run the subsequent red light and making the intersection considerably more dangerous.
After further digging, reporters found that in 2011, a law had been changed to reduce minimum yellow-light lengths throughout the state. Previously, minimum lengths were based on the posted speed limit at the intersection in question or the average speed of drivers, whichever was greater.
The 2011 change eliminated the "whichever is greater" stipulation, giving cities with red-light cameras the opportunity to reduce yellow-light times. In Tampa, WTSP found that times were most often reduced at intersections with red-light cameras or along corridors with such devices.
In Hernando County, that made all the difference. Yellow light lengths had been trimmed by a few tenths of a second, from 4.5 to 4.3 seconds, which likely played a role in the aforementioned woman's death.
The Florida Department of Transportation says that it reaps no financial benefit from red-light cams and had no incentive to trim yellow-light times. A spokesperson went on to say that any reductions in time to the bare minimum were implemented by engineers who didn't fully understand the amended law.
Whether or not that's the case, we can't say. What we can say, however, is that red-light cameras generated $100 million for Florida last year, and they're on track to haul in $120 million in 2013.
And although some studies show that red-light cameras do make roads safer, curtailing yellow-light times can do just the opposite.
Check out the full report on this story in the news clip below.
[h/t Marty Padgett]
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2014 Acura ILX: Higher Price, More Features, And More Luxury Value?
Last year, Acura introduced an all-new entry sedan, called the ILX. And now just in its second year, Acura is giving the 2014 ILX some new standout standard features.
The catch? It's also raising the base price on the ILX by $1,000—to $27,795, including destination. But we'll venture to say that you get more for your money.
Leather upholstery and active noise cancellation are among the new features added to all models of the ILX, which in a press release Acura terms its “gateway sedan.” An eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera system have also all been added as standard.
Carry-over standard features include a Bluetooth hands-free phone interface; power moonroof; keyless entry with push-button start; rear-view camera; a leather-wrapped steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control; and a 12-volt power outlet.
Add the Technology Package and you get premium audio with USB and Pandora integration, a navigation system with voice recognition, a rear-view camera system, and real-time traffic and weather info.
This past year, Honda surprised us all by giving its Civic a very significant refresh—just one model year after a complete redesign that, by some accounts, fell a little flat. It's not all that surprising that with the Civic moving more upscale and refined, Acura made a similar move with the ILX.
In our full review of the Acura ILX, we found it to be a balanced—if a bit compromised—near-luxury sedan that combined fun and style at an affordable price.
Acura cites J.D. Power and Associates data in noting that the ILX is the only luxury-brand model that's on the top-ten list for Generation Y shoppers.
Do these feature changes add up to make the ILX a better value? Let us know what you think, and in the meantime, peruse our review pages on the 2014 Acura ILX.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2014 Acura ILX: Higher Price, More Features, And More Luxury Value?
Last year, Acura introduced an all-new entry sedan, called the ILX. And now just in its second year, Acura is giving the 2014 ILX some new standout standard features.
The catch? It's also raising the base price on the ILX by $1,000—to $27,795, including destination. But we'll venture to say that you get more for your money.
Leather upholstery and active noise cancellation are among the new features added to all models of the ILX, which in a press release Acura terms its “gateway sedan.” An eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, and a Multi-Angle Rearview Camera system have also all been added as standard.
Carry-over standard features include a Bluetooth hands-free phone interface; power moonroof; keyless entry with push-button start; rear-view camera; a leather-wrapped steering wheel; cloth-trimmed front seats (2.0L base and Hybrid); dual-zone automatic climate control; and a 12-volt power outlet.
Add the Technology Package and you get premium audio with USB and Pandora integration, a navigation system with voice recognition, a rear-view camera system, and real-time traffic and weather info.
This past year, Honda surprised us all by giving its Civic a very significant refresh—just one model year after a complete redesign that, by some accounts, fell a little flat. It's not all that surprising that with the Civic moving more upscale and refined, Acura made a similar move with the ILX.
In our full review of the Acura ILX, we found it to be a balanced—if a bit compromised—near-luxury sedan that combined fun and style at an affordable price.
Acura cites J.D. Power and Associates data in noting that the ILX is the only luxury-brand model that's on the top-ten list for Generation Y shoppers.
Do these feature changes add up to make the ILX a better value? Let us know what you think, and in the meantime, peruse our review pages on the 2014 Acura ILX.
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This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander Recalled For Electrical Flaw
Chrysler is conducting a voluntary safety recall of certain 2005 through 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2006 through 2010 Jeep Commander SUVS for an electrical flaw that could cause the vehicle to shift into neutral without warning.
A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected in the U.S. at 295,000. Build dates for the affected vehicles are as follows:
- 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee – built from February 11, 2004 through March 9, 2010
- 2006-2010 Jeep Commander – built from January 31, 2005 through March 10, 2010
The problem
The NHTSA bulletin and Chrysler documentation (PDF) indicate that the problem stems from an electrical failure in the transfer case that may result in unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.
This condition may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. Chrysler opened an investigation into the problem on January 18, 2012 after receiving a complaint from the owner of a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee that allegedly shifted into neutral and rolled upon a remote start.
Warranty analysis and software modifications were completed in October and December 2012, respectively. Chrysler completed software validation March 19, 2013 and determined to issue a voluntary safety recall on April 30, 2013.
According to a report in The Detroit News, Chrysler said there have been 26 crashes and two injuries related to the issue.
What Chrysler will do
Chrysler will notify owners of affected vehicles and dealers will “reflash” the final drive controller which governs the transfer case, with new software. The service will be performed at no charge.
The Chrysler safety recall campaign, identified as N23, is expected to begin in June 2013. In the meantime, owners of 2005 through 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2006 through 2010 Jeep Commander SUVs with any questions or concerns may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Alternatively, owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may contact NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to http://www.safercar.gov. Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 13V175000.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Teaching Teens Safer Driving: Skip Barber Racing School
Poll parents with teenagers at driving age, and probably, you'll find they don't think their kids have been trained adequately to drive defensively on the road. Some teenagers might even admit the same.
Our own driving experiences run the gamut. Without giving away the ages of our editorial staff (hint--we range from 27 years old to more than 50 years old), we've talked about our own driver training, and find major gaps in generations--what was considered mandatory is hardly noted now when it comes time for a learner's permit.
Spoiler alert: teens are being let down and the driver-education system is failing them. Most are no longer required to spend time behind the wheel with a licensed instructor before taking the license test.So where should parents turn for better education? Many driving schools teach teens how to use turn signals, to look over their shoulders, to check their blind spots, and to figure out which driver has the right of way. But is that enough? What happens when a driver is put into an emergency situation and needs to react quickly?
Skip Barber Driving School is one of the well-known and respected driving schools that focuses on improving skills while giving new drivers a better understanding of the road beyond just learning the rules. Barber's schools offer courses ranging from a teen driving school all the way to a Formula racing series.
The Barber school invited us out to attend their Mazda Driving School at Road Atlanta to see exactly what drivers are learning. They waived the cost of tuition, but we paid our own way to get there and stay in the Atlanta area, so we could see how teens of various experience levels were learning more than just the basics.
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Minnesota Policeman Uses Mace On Deaf Driver, City Settles Case For $93,450
On November 17, 2006, Douglas D. Bahl was pulled over in St. Paul for allegedly running a red light. Ordinarily, a driver in that situation would've provided a license and other documents, chatted with the police officer, and maybe gotten off with a warning. (Or not.)
Bahl is legally deaf and wanted to communicate with Officer Stephen Bobrowski using a pen and a pad of paper. Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated before that could happen.
When Bahl failed to produce his license in a timely manner, Bobrowski shoved him, then yanked Bahl by the wrist. Bahl finally reached his notebook and wrote the word "joint", choosing what was, in hindsight, a less-than-ideal way of indicating that the officer had hurt his wrist.
And that's when Bobrowski maced him.
Bahl was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital, where his eye was treated for mace burns. The hospital had a sign language interpreter on hand, but in a classic "not my job" move, she refused to serve as an intermediary between Bahl and Bobrowski, meaning that the two still couldn't have much of a discussion.
The grim comedy of errors continued when Bahl was locked up. He was given the opportunity to use a TTY machine but declined, saying that it wouldn't be much use in reaching his girlfriend. He asked to email her, but the police refused. Later, when he thought of someone he could reach via TTY, he was told he'd have to wait until morning.
When Bahl was finally interviewed the next day and given his Miranda Rights, it was done in writing. Police Sergeant Bryant Gaden said that the cost of hiring an interpreter was unjustified.
Naturally, a lawsuit followed.
The case was complicated, but the gist was that Bahl sued under the Americans with Disability Act, arguing that the police force had failed to accommodate his needs.
Interestingly, the courts ruled almost entirely in favor of the police:
- Bobrowski talking with Bahl rather than allowing him to retrieve a pen and paper? Totally appropriate. According to the court, Bahl should've known that he needed to provide a driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance immediately.
- Police denying Bahl's request to email his girlfriend? Also appropriate. As U.S. District Judge David S. Doty said in his decision, "[E]mail is not a modification of a telephone call; it is an entirely different service."
- Apparently, the macing was fine, too.
What was not fine, however, was the department's refusal to bring in an interpreter for Bahl's interview and the Miranda warning. An appellate court ruled that "[A] custodial interrogation with an interpreter would have afforded Bahl certain benefits, including the right to ask questions and tell his side of the story, which arguably could have affected the charging decision".
As a result, the city of St. Paul has agreed to implement officer training to help deal with hearing-impaired citizens in the future. It also forked over $20,000 to Bahl.
But the big winner of the day was Bahl's legal team, who walked away $73,450 richer. Though now that we think about it, that's just a little more than $10,000 a year for the nearly seven-year case. Which is slightly less than some attorneys' annual bowtie budget.
How's about we call it a draw?
[h/t Joel Feder]
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Best Used Wagon 2013: The Car Connection’s Picks
Let’s face it; Americans are biased against wagons. Whether it’s due to the associations that the Baby Boomer generation has with bloated, motion-sickness-inducing land yachts with names like Country Squire or Vista Cruiser, or to the idea that wagons represent parenting in some quaint way that’s more reprehensible than utility vehicles, crossovers, or even minivans, wagons get a bum rap.
Yet those of us who sample nearly every vehicle on the market can’t help but love them. Simply put, because a well-designed sport wagon can pair the some of the best attributes of both worlds. When they’re really good, they combine rational, sensible utility-mindedness and versatility with the responsive driving manners of a sport sedan.
Besides, you can see it either way: Wagons, and their two-box design, are essentially lower, more rakish versions of crossovers; and likewise, crossovers are taller, often less fuel-efficient wagons that are also often less exciting to drive.
While the number of affordable wagons has remained very limited for new-car shoppers, there have been a plenty of good options with luxury nameplates. So if you crave a wagon on a more limited budget, going used is especially smart. We've taken some of the work out of your search, honing in on factors we know are important to any sensible shopper--putting some weight on safety and reliability, as well as on all the rest of our review criteria like performance and features. To place on our Best Used Wagon 2013 list, each model must score:
- at least an 8.0 rating on The Car Connection's full reviews from three years ago--in this case, the 2011 model year
- at least four circles on J.D. Power's predicted-dependability rankings, or at least average reliability on Consumer Reports
- no reported score lower than four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
We also excluded brands that are no longer sold in the U.S., or those that no longer exist (sorry, Saab fans).
Considering those requirements, we ended up with a lot of models that drive just like sport sedans yet can more easily haul 'stuff.' Here are the 2011-model-year used wagons that made the cut—along with their Bottom Line from our full reviews:
The 2011 Acura TSX is the essence of what the brand should be: compact, light, efficient, and user-friendly—not to mention fully equipped. Read more »
BMW 3-SeriesThe 2011 BMW 3-Series continues the tradition of excellent handling, brisk performance, and high quality, though its relatively compact size does result in some compromises. Read more »
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