Toyota is recalling certain models of the 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid passenger vehicles equipped with a third row seat. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard NO. 208, “Occupant Crash protection”. The non driver designated seating positions (DSP) on these vehicles is equipped with seat belt assemblies that have a feature that converts the retractor from a emergency locking retractor (ELR) to a automatic locking retractor (ALR). The belts covert to the ALR mode after the webbing has been fully withdrawn from the retractor. The system is designed so that as the belt is released into the retactor, the system remains in the ALR mode so that a child restraint system (CRS) can be tightly secured.

German carmaker Daimler, which has joined a push to convince US motorists to drive diesel cars, said it was recalling an unspecified number to fix an engine part.

A spokesman in Stuttgart said 2007 M-Class, GL-Class and R-Class cars as well as the E 320 Bluetec model were affected.

by Chris Tutor

Ford is recalling more than 500,000 Escapes after receiving reports from 50 owners of engine fires from 50 owners. Ford says the fires were caused by improperly installed ABS units on 2001-2004 models, and did not result in any accidents or injuries. Missing or improperly installed seals could allow water or other liquids […]

by Sam Abuelsamid

Within the past month, Porsche has stated that it has no intention of installing diesel engines in itsvehicles and would instead focus on hybrids. The automaker has also threatened to pull out of the European market if new mandatory CO2 regulations go into effect. Now, Porsche research head Wolfgang Dürheimer is backtracking. Although […]

by Damon Lavrinc

During an interview with Automotive News, Mark Fields, Ford’s U.S. division president, said that the automaker would not be offering diesels in any of its passenger cars in the near future. For the time being at least, Ford’s only diesel-equipped vehicles will be in their flagship F-series line of pickups.
The reasons behind […]

by John Neff
AutoblogGreen has reason to be happy, having found evidence that Toyota’s recent purchase of a 5.9% stake in Isuzu will bear fruit in 2010 when the Japanese juggernaut marries its Synergy hybrid drive system with a diesel engine. Presumably such a hook up was made possible, or at least hastened, by the expertise […]