Japanese automaker Toyota announced today that it would fix 378,000 of its Prius hybrids built between 2004 and 2007, saying a water pump design defect could produce poor performance.Toyota Motor Sales national manager of environmental, quality and safety communications John Hanson explained the technical aspect of the problem."The water pump is part of a system [...]
A rise in the number of car insurance claims seen lately for catalytic converter theft has been noticed in St. Louis, according to a report from local CBS affiliate KMOV. The thieves tend to target vehicles that have been parked in large commuter lots, where many cars will be left for an extended period of [...]
There are some simple ways drivers can both save money on their car insurance policies and improve the quality of their coverage, according to an article in Forbes Magazine.One type of car insurance no driver should be without, according to Forbes, is uninsured motorist coverage. While someone whose car is damaged by another driver with [...]
Laws governing registration, driver's licenses and motorcyclists will be enforced in North Carolina in December and January, according to a Wilmington Star-News report.The paper says several changes related to license plates and registration will take place on December 1. Car owners can be subject to a fine of up to $100 for obscuring any part [...]
American car rental firms are being investigated by a government watchdog over accusations they did not complete necessary repairs to vehicles that were the subject of safety recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's action comes months after an alliance of consumer advocates asked the government to find out whether such repairs were completed by [...]
A new website that will allow prospective Ohio car insurance customers to get rough rate estimates and compare prices between companies was unveiled Monday.The director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, Mary Jo Hudson, expressed her gratitude to the efforts of the department and of participating insurers to get the comparison tool up and running."Thanks [...]
Motorists without auto insurance coverage in West Virginia will have a tougher time flouting state law in the future, as officials move to complete an electronic system that will provide up-to-the minute information on insurance status.According to West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Joe Miller, "with the passage of this vital legislation, DMV will [...]
Despite what may be a decidedly mixed record as a car brand in the American marketplace, Italian carmaker Fiat is set to return, according to Bloomberg News: The company's Fiat 500 sub-compact will be released to the public this winter.Many older Americans may remember Fiat as a make plagued by mechanical problems, driving up repair [...]
A major unit of German automaker Porsche was sold to Volkwagen today, continuing the somewhat drawn-out process of merging the two companies and moving the transaction one step closer to completion.The transaction may not be fully finalized until a year from now, but the deal is likely to be completed during the first six months [...]
An East Orange, New Jersey, police officer pleaded guilty to insurance fraud last week after admitting to torching his 2002 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Kareem Spence faces three to five years in state prison when he is sentenced early next year.Spence was indicted in March 2010, at which point he was suspended from the force. He [...]