U.S. Agency Confirms Air Bag Safety Probe Into 30 Million Vehicles

U.S. Agency Confirms Air Bag Safety Probe Into 30 Million Vehicles

U.S. auto safety investigators said Tuesday they have opened a probe into 30 million vehicles built by nearly two dozen automakers with potentially defective Takata air bag inflators. Reuters reported Sunday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had opened an engineering analysis into an estimated 30 million U.S. vehicles from the 2001 through 2019 model years, citing a document that had not been made public. The agency confirmed the new probe on Tuesday and said it applied to 1,384 different vehicle models. Read more here (Source: Reuters). 

Group 1's Reach Grows in Deal for Prime Stores

Group 1 Automotive Inc., in what would be one of largest dealership transactions in history and the second megadeal of the year, will expand its U.S. store count by a quarter and significantly increase its presence in the Northeast upon acquiring Prime Automotive Group, planned by late November. According to Automotive News, the deal to buy the troubled Prime is Group 1's largest transaction to date, and it would accelerate the consolidation among dealership owners that's been a hallmark of the buy-sell market in 2021. Publicly held Group 1 of Houston, the nation's fourth-largest dealership group, said last week that it had signed an agreement to buy 30 dealerships, three collision centers, and real estate for $880 million from Prime, one of the largest privately owned groups in the country. The deal gives Group 1, which has a heavy concentration in Texas, increased geographic diversification and an additional base to build out AcceleRide, its digital retailing tool. Read more here (Source: Automotive News). 

GM to Begin Fixing Chevy Bolt EVs, Recalled Due to Fire Risk, as Soon as Next Month

General Motors announced Monday that it expects to begin replacing battery modules in Chevrolet Bolt EVs, which were recalled due to fire risk, as soon as next month, reports CNBC. The timing comes after the automaker’s battery supplier LG Chem restarted production of battery cells with updated manufacturing processes at plants in Michigan, GM said. Cell production went down last month following two rare manufacturing issues forcing GM to recall more than 140,000 EVs due to risk of the batteries spontaneously catching fire. The recall is expected to cost the automaker $1.8 billion, some of which it is negotiating to recoup from LG Chem, according to GM. Depending on the vehicle, GM may have to replace some, if not all, of the modules. In addition to shipping new battery modules to dealers beginning mid-October, GM also plans to roll out a software diagnostic update for battery monitoring in the next 60 days. Read more here (Source: CNBC). 

Toyota Plant in Alabama to Hire 450 to Make 2022 Tundra Engines

A Toyota factory in north Alabama will add 450 jobs as the sole North American manufacturer of engines for the 2022 Tundra pickup truck, the company said Monday. The Detroit News reports that employment at the Toyota Alabama plant will increase to 1,800 people, and the company said it plans to spend $288 million on the project, which is separate from a Toyota Mazda factory being constructed west of downtown Huntsville. The twin-turbo V-6 engine was described as a completely new motor for the Tundra. Read more here (Source: The Detroit News). 

Ready to Turn in Your Lease? Record Used Car Prices Could Mean a Financial Bonanza.

For savvy motorists who've been leasing vehicles they're now ready to turn in, record-high used car prices could mean a financial bonanza, reports NBC News. The folks who determine residuals are normally quite good at it, said Michelle Krebs, principal auto analyst with Cox Automotive. But they didn't count on a combination of Covid-19 and a crippling shortage of semiconductor chips. "Lease buyout prices were set three years ago, when they never thought used car prices would be this high," Krebs said. As a result, many lease customers are buying out their leases and then immediately reselling the vehicles. While such deals can be tempting, Krebs warned that buying out a lease doesn't always work so well. "The lease laws vary widely state by state," she said, stressing that "people need to do their homework as to what the laws are." Read more here (Source: NBC News). 

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Lotus's Last ICE Car Now Has a Price [Jalopnik]

The U.S. Cities with the Rudest and Most Polite Drivers [USA Today]