The all-new 2011 Chrysler 200 made quite the splash during Super Bowl XLV with its “Imported From Detroit” commercial that features rapper Eminem. This midsize sedan has a sleeker design than its predecessor, the Chrysler Sebring. The 200 seats five, and we put it to the test to find out how many child-safety seats fit in the backseat — something Eminem is (probably) dying to find out. Regular MotherProof.com readers will notice that this Car Seat Check uses our old child-safety seats. This car was tested before we bought our new car seats. In this Car Seat Check, we used a Cosco rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Graco convertible and a Graco high-back booster seat. The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat. We also install the infant seat in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Here’s how the 2011 Chrysler 200 did in MotherProof.com’s Car Seat Check: Latch system: The 200 has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard seats. The anchors are difficult to find because they’re buried under the stiff seat cushions. On the passenger side, the inboard anchor is blocked by a seat belt buckle strap (photo below). It took several minutes of struggling with the strap to get past it and connect the Latch anchors. There are three tether anchors on the 200’s rear shelf behind the head restraints. They sit under plastic covers that swivel out of the way. Booster seat: We ran into a few problems when installing this seat. The 200’s fixed head restraints caused the back of our booster seat to be pushed forward a little, and the seat belt buckles are positioned too close to the doors. The second row’s seat bolsters cradle the booster seat, but position it so the car seat is right up against the stable seat belt buckle. Convertible seat: Just like the booster seat, the fixed head restraint didn’t allow the forward-facing convertible’s seatback to lay flat against the car’s seatback, but this was minor. The rear-facing convertible didn’t have any fit problems. It just fit in the backseat, and we didn’t have to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it. Infant-safety seat: This car seat fit well in the backseat, but we did struggle to connect it to the car’s Latch anchors because they’re deeply embedded in the seat bight, where the back and bottom cushions meet. How many car seats fit in the second row? Two Editor’s note: For three car seats — infant-safety seat, convertible and booster seats — to fit in a car, our criterion is that a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat.
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Technorati Tags: 2011 chrysler 200, 2011chrysler 200 car seat check, chrysler 200 car seat check

Toyota is recalling 45,500 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h crossovers from the 2006 and 2007 model years due to a defective power module. Some of the transistors on the module were “inadequately soldered” during manufacture and could become damaged. If the parts do fail, the car will alert drivers with warning lights on the gauge display and then enter either a fail-safe or “limp home” mode. In a worst case scenario, the entire hybrid system will fail and the car will be essentially dead. The recall will begin in mid-July when Toyota is able to obtain enough replacement parts to address the full recall. For more info, owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331, Lexus at 800-255-3987 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.
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Technorati Tags: toyota highlander, toyota highlander recall

BMW is recalling 923 BMW X5 xDrive35d SUVs from the 2012 model year. These diesel-powered X5s have defective engine belt tensioners, and cracks could develop along the welds. If the belt tensioner fails, there could be a sudden loss of power-steering assist. BMW will begin the recall this month, and dealers will replace the belt tensioners free of charge. Owners can call BMW at 800-525-7417 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.
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Technorati Tags: bmw recall, bmy x5 recall

The 2011 Infiniti EX35 was named a Top Safety Pick in the midsize luxury SUV category from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The 2011 Acura RDX was also tested, but it did not receive the top honor.

The EX35 has won the award in previous years, when the title was given to vehicles earning the agency’s top rating of Good in front, side and rear crash tests, and had electronic stability control. This was before IIHS added its roof-strength test, which made it harder for new cars to be named Top Safety Picks. To pass the test, a vehicle’s roof must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle’s weight.

The EX35 was able to withstand exactly four times its weight. The RDX, previously a Top Safety Pick, did not earn the designation because it scored a Marginal rating in the roof-strength test. The luxury crossover could withstand only 2.9 times its own weight.

Neither car has been fully crash-tested using the updated evaluations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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TORRANCE, Calif., June 28, 2011 — Scion announced today that its first release series for the second generation tC sports coupe, the 2012 tC Release Series 7.0 (tC RS 7.0), will be available at dealer showrooms this summer. Scion is also pleased to announce that the 2012 tC sports coupe will come standard with a new Pioneer™ audio system that features Bluetooth® hands-free, Bluetooth^® streaming audio and HD Radio™ technology.

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General Motors’ Chevrolet is sponsoring the ‘Table of Brotherhood Project,’ a four-city tour honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The initiative culminates on August 28 with the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. The dedication will mark the 48th anniversary of King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech [...]
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Washington — Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will recall about 82,200 hybrid SUVs in the United States, after government investigators opened an investigation into stalling. The Japanese automaker said it will recall 45,528 2006-2007 Toyota Highlander hybrids and 36,745 Lexus RX500h models.
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Ford Motor Co. has already sold more Ford Explorers this year than all of 2010, as consumers continue to buy the revised utility vehicle as fast as the automaker can build them. Ford gambled when it overhauled the trusty SUV as a car-based crossover that buyers would embrace the smoother ride and better fuel economy.
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