A statement from Mark Templin, Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager, April 29, 2010
“I’m happy to announce that an update for the 2010 GX 460 vehicle stability control system is now available at Lexus dealers nationwide. Our dealers began contacting customers yesterday offering to make arrangements to perform the update, and we expect them to get in touch with most GX owners within one week. With the revision now in place, we are also resuming sales of the 2010 GX 460. We are confident that the update will make the performance of the GX even better for our customers.

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I get why people love their Jeeps: They’re rough and tumble and go anywhere from a weekend at the beach to an extreme off-roading adventure. However, the 2010 Jeep Patriot feels cheap, sluggish and plastic-y, making it seem more like a toy Jeep than a real one (and not even a cute one like the miniature electric pink Barbie Jeep the neighbor girls have).

Upon starting the Patriot for the first time, I realized pretty quickly that this wasn’t a toy electric Jeep. The rumbling engine actually made me wonder for a moment if my test Patriot had a diesel engine. Nope, no diesel, just a really loud cabin.

I was not only underwhelmed with the Patriot but actually annoyed by the continuously variable automatic transmission in it, which was part of the Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package. It felt slow to get up and running from a stop, and if I tried to coax it to go any faster it would rev loudly as if to say, “The kids’ll get to school when I’m damn well ready to get them there.” Sheesh! On top of stressing about getting the kids out the door on time, I hated having my car bark at me every morning.
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Ford has issued a recall for 33,256 Ford and Mercury vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The models include the Ford Explorer, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Mercury Mountaineer from the 2010 model year.

The recall affects vehicles manufactured between Dec. 15, 2009, and Feb. 3, 2010, and equipped with front seat manual recliners. The recliner gear plate teeth for the head restraint may have improper dimensions and could result in “limited pawl to gear plate tooth engagement.” This means during a crash the seatback and head restraint may slip backward, which could increase the risk of injury.

Dealers will replace the manual recliners for power or manual seats. The fix will be free of charge.

Owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.
Recall Alert: 2010 BMW X5 M

BMW has issued a recall for an unspecified number of high-performance X5 M crossovers from the 2010 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In some models, the power supply cables leading to the side marker lamps are missing. The lamps can’t illuminate, and this means the vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 108 regarding lamps and reflective devices.

BMW has not yet said what its fix will be, and this likely does not affect a large number of vehicles. Still, it’s startling that BMW built an $85,500 vehicle without attaching power lines to the blinkers.

Owners may contact BMW at 800-525-7417 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Recall Alert: 2010 Porsche Panamera

Porsche has issued a recall for 3,176 Panamera vehicles from the 2010 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall affects the Panamera S, 4S and Turbo four-door sedan.

In some of these vehicles, there is a defect with the front seat so that if it’s adjusted to an extreme position, the mating components may break and the seat-belt locking mechanism can’t be trusted. The seat-belt mount could break from the anchoring system when the belt is fastened or open. In a crash, the belt could fail, increasing the risk of injury or death for any passengers.

Dealers will install an additional locking element on the seat-belt anchoring system for both of the front seats for free. Owners may contact NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.
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The Detroit News is reporting that Toyota will recall 50,000 2003 Toyota Sequoia SUVs due to problems with the stability and traction control systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has at least 64 complaints about the systems engaging at “inappropriate” times. Toyota counts 96 reports.

Toyota says there are several issues responsible for the problems that can include loss of throttle control, braking and brake light illumination once the traction control system engages.

The news comes just weeks after the company’s brand-new 2010 Lexus GX 460 was recalled for a stability control problem that was discovered by Consumer Reports.
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The 2011 Ford Mustang combines muscle-car mayhem and fuel efficiency without compromising the features ’Stang lovers enjoy most. This car still roars like a lion and shimmies when you press the gas pedal while in Park. The 2011 Mustang’s V-6 engine kicks out 305 horsepower and manages to pull down 31 mpg highway.

The Mustang’s optional six-speed automatic transmission — a six-speed manual transmission is standard — and electronic power-assist steering provide its fuel-economy boost. A lighter Duratek V-6 engine helped reduce the car’s overall weight by 41 pounds. She must have been watching her carbs!
Why would anyone shopping for a sports car care about fuel economy?  After all, that market is dedicated primarily to performance, right? Not anymore. The No. 2 reason buyers walked away from a Mustang purchase in the past was because of its poor fuel economy, according to the automaker.  After 45 years of producing Mustangs, fuel economy has finally been injected into its powerful DNA. 

But what’s in a Mustang for moms?  How about a fun ride with an actual backseat?  Also, a car like the Mustang is a novelty that kids will love! In the metro-Detroit area, family traditions are built around domestic muscle cars.  My own uncle still has the Mustang he bought as a teen, and each of my four cousins prayed for the day he might turn the keys over to them.  Unfortunately, their prayers were never answered, but today, their own kids are looking forward to helping Grandpa restore the ’Stang. Maybe the keys will land in their palms in years to come.

MotherProof.com photo by Ian Merritt
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The 2011 Ford Mustang. We’ve seen it, and it’s heading to dealers right now. The buzz could not be greater. And then there’s the marketing behemoth known as “American Idol.” It’s doubtful that too many “Idol” viewers are the right demographic for the new Mustang, but with nearly 20 million viewers each week – many likely against their will – there’s bound to be a good number of people who will be impressed by this ad.

Above is a one-minute version of the spot, which debuts tonight during the “Idol” results show. We’ll note we’re not sure the music is synched up right at the beginning, but otherwise it appears to be the real deal. Overall, it’s the type of car commercial that muscle car fans, including moms, will enjoy. 
 
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Ford is recalling certain 2010 Explorer Sport Trac pickups to fix a problem in the manual recliner mechanism of the truck’s seats that could cause the seatbacks to lose support and fall backwards in an accident.
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General Motors has announced that it’s investing more than $890 million to build its next-generation small-block V-8 truck and car engines.
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Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 50,000 early-2003 Model-Year Toyota Sequoia sport utility vehicles to upgrade program logic in its Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system.

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