This particular problem isn’t terribly troublesome, but does have the potential to cause a crash if the brake pedal or accelerator can’t be pressed properly. Says Subaru, the backing on the floor mats wasn’t made correctly, and because of the problem are prone to curling up when they get too warm, such as on a hot summer day. Upon curling, they could interfere with the pedals.

According to the report, this problem hasn’t caused any injuries, but has been the cause of unintended accerlation that resulted in runaway vehicles, a situation that could have a fatal outcome. The total number of vehicles involved in this recall tally out to 10,137, and will see the auto maker replacing the mats with new ones. Recall notifications are expected to go out to affected vehicle owners this month.

This is Subaru’s second recall this month, with the first happening back on April 9 due to brake lines that could corrode when they come in contact with salt water. That particular recall involved 200,000 Outback and Legacy vehicles made from 2005 to 2009. And that recall followed one shortly before thatinvolving a remote starter glitch that made the cars start up on their own.

[via Wall Street Journal]

The voluntary guidelines call for automakers to limit the amount of time it takes to perform a single function using a vehicles audiovisual system to 2 seconds. The voluntary regulations also call for automakers to limit drivers to a maximum of six screen touches in 12 seconds to reduce the amount of time drivers can take their eyes off the road. The NHTSA also calls for a ban on manual text entry and the display of websites, social media, books, and other distractions on touchscreens and vehicles while driving.

Interestingly, these voluntary regulations come right on the heels of a report published earlier this week showing that entering texts using voice to text services is no safer than entering text manually. The NHTSA wants to phase these voluntary rules into effect over the next three years. The extended rollout will allow automakers to make changes to their vehicle electronics systems according to regulators.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that while the regulations are voluntary, the NHTSA will look into giving automakers incentives to comply. Under current guidelines in effect for the auto industry, drivers are allowed to read texts and perform other tasks on vehicle infotainment systems wildcards removing it under 5 mph. Current regulations also limit drivers to 10 screen touches for a total of 20 seconds with the drivers eyes off the road.

“The new guidelines and our ongoing work with our state partners across the country will help us put an end to the dangerous practice of distracted driving by limiting the amount of time drivers take their eyes off the road,” Strickland said.

[via HearldNet]

Honda has now announced that it has developed its own accident avoidance support system called the City-Brake Active System. The Honda safety system operates when the vehicle is traveling at speeds under 18 mph. The system relies on a laser radar installed in the upper part of the windscreen to detect when a collision is imminent.

Once the safety system identifies a high risk of collision, it will activate both audio and visual warnings for the driver. If the driver doesn’t take action to avoid the collision the City-Brake Active System automatically applies the vehicle’s brakes. The safety system also has a secondary function designed to prevent accidental acceleration.

At speeds of less than 6 mph, or from a standstill, if the system determines that the driver has pressed too hard on the accelerator when there is another vehicle within 4 m of the front, the system will deliver audio and visual warnings. The system will then restrict engine output to prevent the vehicle from moving forward. The idea is that the system can help prevent rear end collisions in instances where the driver mistakenly steps on the accelerator rather than the brake.

[via Honda]

That attention will require a trip back to the dealership, and can’t be done remotely. General Motors says that 26,582 of the impacted cars are located in the US, though insists that it’s yet to hear of an injury or a crash caused by the problem.

Exactly what the cause of the software issue is, GM hasn’t said, only that it identified the fault while testing a 2014 engineering model. However, the end-result is clear: during driving, the auto gearbox can unexpectedly flick over from manual mode and into Sport mode, something which could increase the risk of a crash.

That’s because Sport mode has the side effect of “removing any transmission-related engine braking effect” GM explains [pdf link], so that taking your foot off the gas doesn’t allow the car to naturally slow itself. General Motors expects to kick off the recall on March 28, and owners of affected vehicles should speak to their local dealership to arrange a fix. There’s more information

Of the 4,459 cars being recalled overall for the issue, approximately 2,500 have been bought and delivered to drivers. The rest are still with dealers, Chrysler says, which should make addressing the wiring problems more straightforward.

However, those who do have an affected Challenger could find the recall puts a temporary freeze on their muscle-car fun. Chrysler has warned owners that not only should they not drive the 2013 V6 model until the wiring harness has been replaced, they should even park it outside and away from other buildings and cars, just in case it catches fire before the fix is applied.

Owners will get a free loaner while they wait, and the car company is speeding the recall process by trying to contact all of those affected by phone rather than waiting for them to check their mail.

Chrysler wouldn’t confirm to USA Today which particular component in the wire harness is at fault, describing it only as “a single batch of misconfigured electrical components” that resisted engineers’ attempts to address the flaw. It’s unclear how much the recall will cost Chrysler, and indeed how long the fix will take to apply.

According to the IIHS, the majority of semis have underride guards installed, which are steel bars hanging below the rear of the vehicle’s trailer to stop a car from going underneath in the event of a rear-end crash. The minimum requirements for these guards, however, have been demonstrated as inadequate for keeping drivers safe, and because of this the IIHS petitioned the NHTSA back in 2011 to adopt harsher requirements.

Unfortunately, the NHTSA never responded to the request, but trailer manufacturers took the initiative anyway and began putting in guards above the minimum requirements. While this was an excellent measure on their part, a new rear-crash test performed by the IIHS, which you can see in the video above, has demonstrated that there are still safety concerns that need to be addressed – specifically, the guard’s inability to help keep drivers safe when there’s an overlap in the collision, meaning only part of the car hits the back of the semi’s trailer.

Says the IIHS, the 30-percent overlap is still within the range for the driver’s (or passenger’s, depending on the side) head to hit the back of the trailer if the vehicle underrides the semi, something that is sure to be fatal. As a result, the Institute has stated that while the stronger guards being used with trailers is a “good first step,” much more can be done to keep drivers safe and help reduce the number of deaths in these sort of collisions.

[via IIHS]

The reason for the recall is a sensor that could be faulty which would result in the front passenger’s seat airbag not deploying when it is needed. Such an issue poses a potentially serious safety concern, and as a result the five affected models have been recalled. The number of vehicles that are being recalled is still being calculated.

The affected vehicles are comprised of the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan, the Nissan Sentra, the Nissan Pathfinder SUV, the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV, and the 2013 Infiniti division’s JX35 luxury SUV crossover. The information comes from data posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The faulty sensor’s discovery was made when Nissan observed airbag warning lights at one of its automotive plants, as well as warranty claims being made. The problem was traced back to the sensor’s supplier, which altered the process it uses to make the sensors. Those with the affected vehicles will begin receiving notifications in April.

[via USA Today]

The five workers were dispatched to clean up the spill, which had leaked outside of the plant. The worker who died was not wearing a full hazmat suit or a gas mask. The other four were wearing hazmat suits, and gas masks, but still sustained damage from the exposure. They were hospitalized and have made a full recovery. Because of Samsung’s delay to report the leak, the company was fined $900 by the local law enforcement.

Kwon Oh-hyun, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman, stated that the company will revoke its application for its Hwaseong plants to be certified as “green” operations, at least for another 5 years. Kwon also stated that they will make sure incidents like this are prevented in the future. He stated, “We plan to overhaul the system in a bid to better make environmentally-friendly workplaces.”

There were a total of seven people arrested for the incident. Three of the individuals were officials of Samsung Electronics. They were charged with negligence due to the fatal accident. Yonhap also reports that the semiconductor plant in Hwaseong was designated “green” by the government in 1998, dismissing them from any future government check-ups. The government is currently reviewing the application Samsung submitted back in August that would re-certify its “green” status.

[via Yonhap News]

The malware attacks have knocked several oil rigs and platforms offline. A facility in the Gulf of Mexico has their systems locked up due to the malware. Misha Govshteyn, co-founder of Alert Logic – a network security company, says “They literally had a worm that was flooding their network, and they’re out in the middle of the ocean.”

Jack Whitsitt, the principal tactical analyst for the National Electric Sector Cybersecurity Organization, stated that typical malware infections may not seriously affect the systems, but there could be a tailored attack, that involves widely distributing malware, that could cause extreme damages. A good example would be the Stuxnet worm that infected computers connected to centrifuges at an Iranian nuclear facility. The worm used the infected computers to manipulate and destroy many of the centrifuges. Because of an incident like that, Whitsitt wants to take all of the steps necessary in ridding the malware from the oil rigs’ systems and protecting the systems from future attacks.

Many of these malware attacks could have been prevented with anti-virus systems and updated system software. However, it seems that many of the infected oil rigs opted against investing into cyber-security systems, which is why an outbreak of malware like this was able to occur. The infected oil rigs, and many rigs who currently don’t have cyber-security protection, will begin to take cyber threats seriously in the future in order to prevent an incident like this from occurring in the future.

[via Houston Chronicle]

Reuters reports that the investigations into the failed batteries are going well so far. Kelly Nantel, spokeswoman for the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, says that “investigators are moving swiftly and we are making progress.” Authorities from the US, France, and Japan are all investigating into the matter.

However, according to Bloomberg, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (who recently just stepped down from the position), says that investigators are “not feeling any pressure,” and mentioned that the team is “going to get this right,” meaning that they’re not taking any shortcuts whatsoever in order to get the planes back in the air.

However, this means that there’s no specific timeframe when Boeing and the FAA will have the 787 Dreamliners flying again. Tom Haueter, aviation investigations chief at the NTSB, said that the investigation could take years to complete, based on the complexity of the evidence found during the battery failures. In the meantime, airlines are making due without their new 787s in service, and you can bet that Boeing is paying dearly for this incident.

The airbag issue is the broadest and most worrying of the two problems, having already caused “minor injuries” in eighteen cases, Toyota admits. A chip in the control unit can be confused by electrical interference from other systems, it’s said, and will require a filter be installed. That could take between 60 and 90 minutes per car, with 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix models impacted.

As for the wiper worry, that has affected 385,000 Lexus IS models and variants, with the front arm nut apparently not being tight enough to ensure consistant performance even in tougher conditions such as snow. The nut will be replaced by dealerships, a process expected to take around half an hour.

The two recalls are further embarrassments for Toyota, and come on the heels of several other multi-million call-backs in the years following the acceleration issue that prompted over $17m in US regulator fines and more than a billion dollars in lawsuits. The company announced it was the world’s largest auto maker earlier this month.

Pressure to develop a software update that would prevent the images from the backscatter scanners from being personally identifiable to the travellers themselves came from the US Congress, after increasing complaints from privacy advocates and passengers. That resulted in a new contract back in August 2010, with the TSA demanding new software that preserved highlighting of potential weapons or other contraband, but did not overstep the mark on identification.

OSI Systems eventually revealed that it did not expect to have such a fix until 2014, despite rival suppliers to the TSA being able to meet the requirement in 2011. “As a result of that,” assistant administrator for acquisitions Karen Shelton Waters said, “we terminated the contract for the convenience of the government.”

The manufacturer will foot the bill – expected to amount to around $2.7m – for pulling the Rapiscan machines from airports and shifting them to other US government agencies (which have less stringent privacy demands). Still in operation, however, are other body scanning machines manufactured by L-3 Communications Holdings, which use a different technology and have had a privacy patch installed for several years.

Sixty of the L-3 scanners – which use millimeter-wave technology rather than X-rays – are in operation across US airports; the TSA also has contracts out with L-3 and two other providers for new models. Far more prevalent, of course, are the equally-controversial “enhanced pat-downs” introduced in late 2010, in which TSA agents investigate with their hands the groin, inner-thigh area, waistband, and other parts of the body. Exact details of the enhanced procedure are confidential, with the TSA citing security concerns.

In addition to the new scanners, the TSA apparently intends to broaden the existing PreCheck program, which trades personal information supplied in advance of travel for the potential for reduced checks while at the airport. However, the scheme only operates for domestic flights within the US, and only US citizens are eligible to register for membership.

The addition of restaurant inspection scores is actually a part of a government-backed effort to increase transparency for customers, as well as boost promotion for local businesses. Yelp has created a new open data standard called the “Local Inspector Value-entry Specification” or, simply, LIVES.

The LIVES standard was a collaboration between Yelp and the technology departments of the cities of San Francisco and New York, and it was created thanks to the guidance and encouragement from the White House administration. LIVES enables restaurants to display their hygiene inspection score as a business attribute on Yelp, and users will be able to view the inspection history of a local establishment before eating there.

Yelp is currently rolling out the new feature as we speak to restaurants all around San Francisco and New York. The website plans to expand the feature to other major cities in the future if the new standard is well received. Hopefully, this new feature will have a positive impact on the society, and it will no doubt help undecided foodies decide on where to eat on Saturday nights.

The boxes will reportedly be able to record all sorts of information about a vehicle including how fast it was traveling, the number of passengers, and the vehicle location. The National Transportation Safety Agency is calling for public comments on the proposed rule by February 11, 2013. The NTSA has the authority to set motor vehicle safety requirements and it is within the agency’s power to require automakers install event data recorders in the vehicle.

The way these boxes would work is that the devices would activate the record data for about 30 seconds during certain events. This would mean during sudden braking, acceleration, swerving, or other types of driving that could lead to an accident. The information would be able to be downloaded from the box remotely or through physical connection depending on the vehicle model.

The federal regulators say that the data would be used “primarily for the purpose of post-crash assessment of vehicle safety performance.” You can bet if the information is available; it will also wind up being used in court to prove or disprove the drivers fault in an accident. Privacy advocates want the data to be anonymized and wants guarantees that the information won’t be marketed. Insurance companies could potentially take this information and use it to increase rates for an area.

[via Wired]

The safety defects in question center around the car’s floor mats, which could potentially entangle gas pedals, thus causing some drivers to accelerate unintentionally. That, as you can imagine, is a rather big problem, and it’s one that forced the company to recall 150,000 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450s after the defect was discovered earlier this year. The $17.35 million fine is as much as the NHTSA is legally allowed to levy, so you can tell that the organization takes things like this seriously.

Toyota has agreed to pay this fine, but denies that it actually violated the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Whether it did or didn’t doesn’t much matter now, as Toyota has not only signed an agreement to pay the fine – which is due in full within the next 30 days – but also to meet with the NHTSA every month for the next six months to show what it’s doing to resolve these floor mat issues.

It could potentially get worse for Toyota too, as this agreement “does not release Toyota from civil or criminal liabilities,” so government agencies could still hit the company with charges. We’ll have to see where this whole thing goes in the coming weeks, but for now, it’s clear that Toyota would just like to move on from this whole controversy. Check out our story timeline below for more on Toyota!

[via Business Insider]

If you fear drowning in your car because you can’t get your seatbelt unlocked, a new device has surfaced called the Escape Belt that will automatically unlock your seatbelt for you if the car become submerged. The Escape Belt buckle looks like a traditional female seatbelt latch that the cars belt buckle plugs into. The Escape Belt has some sort of salt pill inside the latch.

When that salt pill is subjected to water, it dissolves and releases the latch allowing the seatbelt to pop open. The technology is said to be the same that airlines use in self-inflating lifejackets. The salt cartridge would have to be replaced every few years according to the manufacturer of the belt.

The manufacturer also says that the cartridge that releases the belt can withstand spills such as accidentally dumping your drink into your seatbelt latch. The mechanism reportedly costs slightly under $40 and the company is pursuing automotive supplier partnerships for the device.

[via Wired]

In fact, the artificial smarts are so good, the robot can automatically avoid obstacles as it wanders through the Tokyo Electric power plant, in addition to climbing stairs. A maximum speed of 1km/h (0.6mph) means it’s hardly going to worry the 18mph DARPA cheetah robot which broke records back in March, but should be enough a fair amount of exploration given its 2hr battery life.

Toshiba developed the robot because there are still plenty of areas at the Fukushima plant where wheeled or tracked alternatives simply can’t get through. However, it’s not small – standing more than a meter high, and over half a meter wide – and so there’s a second camera robot that can be deployed via a robotic arm, for narrower gaps.

That companion ‘bot – a little taller than a 1U rack unit – is tethered back to the main tetrapod via a cable, but carries its own battery good for an hour of use. It’s even slower than its parent, with a top speed of 0.12mph, but means the safety team can navigate through pipes and around toppled equipment.

Toshiba says the next stage is to give the robot the ability to install shielding, end leaks, and remove obstacles, helping make the power plant safer for human involvement. There’s no word on when it might first go exploring.

“Deputy Administrator Medford brings a long history of working on safety issues involving automobiles and other consumer products,” an NHTSA spokesperson said in a statement to Wired, “and will use that experience at Google.” Prior to his position at the NHTSA, Medford worked at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, where he was Assistant Executive Director for Hazard Identification & Reduction.

Interestingly, Medford has also worked with Segway-creator Dean Kamen in the past, taking time during a sabbatical to look at safety issues around the self-balancing scooter as well as the iBOT mobility system that – though now discontinued – harnessed a complex array of sensors and other autonomous features to help disabled users move around their environment.

The relative safety of self-driving cars has been something Google has been pushing strongly in the years it has been developing its project. The search giant insists that, in fact, its system is safer and more responsive than a traditional, human-piloted car; however, there are lingering concerns around whether the driverless system is sufficiently safe from malware, and though public road testing is ongoing, Google must outfit each car with not one but two human occupants in case they need to wrest control from the computers.

Medford’s role at Google will be to help the company navigate as smoothly through developing regulations as it does through traffic. Simultaneously, the NHTSA will be running its own program to investigate the regulatory requirements around self-driving vehicles.

Innocently running the passenger seat forward and backward, with objects in the rear footwell, could be enough to incur damage, Toyota has warned. “Cables for the sensors located in the seat track can come into contact with an object placed near the seat track and become damaged” the Japanese company’s US arm said in a statement on the recall, “as the front passenger seat slides forward or backward.”

However, no actual crashes or injuries have been recorded as a result of the fault, and Toyota says it will only begin notifying owners from early December. The repair process – which involves examining the sensors and cables for damage, and then fitting new protective covers – takes around an hour, the company claims.

Approximately 11,200 2012 and early 2013 Scion iQ models are affected by the recall, the latest in a series of safety call-backs for Toyota. In October, the company announced that as many as 7.43m vehicles were at potential risk of an electric window switch overheating or even catching on fire. Earlier in 2012, more than three quarters of a million cars were recalled after suspension issues were identified.

The probe is being carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which posted a document of driver complaints regarding the issue on its website. Specifically, the investigation is looking into the issue of “a cruise-control cable collar [that] can fracture at a mounting bracket and cause the throttles to stick open.” A recall would affect approximately 310,000 vehicles.

Ford spokesperson Marcy Zwiebel said, “Ford is aware of NHTSA’s preliminary investigation on 2000 to 2003 Taurus and Sable models and will cooperate fully with the investigation as we conduct our analysis. We have just begun our analysis and we have very limited information at this time. Until we are able to gather more information and complete our own investigation, we cannot speculate as to what actually occurred during the reported incidents.”

This comes after the NHTSA’s investigation back in March regarding sticky throttles in 2001 through 2006 Taurus and Sable models. That issue was closed by the government agency without a recall and was replaced by this new preliminary probe. The last investigation concerned a different cruise control element.

[via The Droid Guy]

According to the NHTSA, counterfeit air bags look nearly identical to the real deal, making them hard to spot. Often times, the fake air bag will bear the manufacturer’s branding and other identifications marks. Upon testing, the counterfeit air bags consistently performed poorly, at best failing to deploy, and in the worst cases, bursting with an impressive explosion of metal bits and flames.

There are no known deaths or injuries that have resulted from counterfeit air bags, which are estimated to be present in less than 0.1% of vehicles in the United States. Any car that has had the air bag replaced within the last three years by anyone other than a dealership is at risk, however. If you’re worried that your car may be home to a counterfeit air bag, you can call a call center associated with your manufacturer and pay to have the air bag inspected.

The NHTSA is actively gathering data from auto manufacturers so that a system can be set up that more easily allows counterfeit air bags to be identified. The agency is working wtih several other government agencies to identify where and how these fake air bags are entering the country, and how to stop them.

[via NHTSA]

In the US, approximately 2.5m vehicles will be affected, including the Yaris, RAV4, Camry and Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Corolla. All of the impacted cars date between the 2007 and 2009 model years, with the issue being inconsistently applied lubricant to the inside of the switch that could become carbonized and stop doing its essential lubrication work.

“The driver’s side PWMS may experience a “notchy” or sticky feel during operation. If commercially available lubricants are applied to the switch in an attempt to address the “notchy” or sticky feel, melting of the switch assembly or smoke could occur and lead to a fire under some circumstances.

The “notchy” or sticky feel may be caused by an uneven application of the grease during the switch assembly process at the supplier. If the grease is not applied evenly, frequent use of the switch and normal operation may cause the grease to become carbonized and may eventually result in the deterioration of its lubricating properties” Toyota

Outside of the US, there will be roughly 1.4m recalls each in Europe and China, while Toyota says around 650,000 will be affected in Australia. 500,000 cars in the Middle East and 450,000 in Japan will require attention as well.

No accidents or deaths have occurred from the fault, Toyota insists, and it can be addressed with the reapplication of a different grease. Earlier this year, Toyota was forced to recall 778,000 cars after a risk of suspension collapse was discovered, while several hundred thousand cars – including models from Toyota’s premium Lexus marque - have been recalled for stuck accelerator risk.

Those who believe their Toyota may be affected can check their VIN number at the company’s recalls site to see the status. Toyota says it will be contacting owners in late October if their cars are impacted, with the repair to be completed free of charge and in a process taking roughly an hour.

The circumstances surrounding the fire, which occurred in Woodside, Califonia, are still unknown. According to the Fire Department, the owner returned to his car to see it billowing smoke and called the manufacturer before dialing 911. Alas, the Woodside Fire Department couldn’t save the car, as a decent portion of the front of the vehicle was destroyed by the time firefighters were able to put the fire out.

Last year, Fisker recalled over 200 cars for a poorly-placed hose clamp that could potentially allow coolant to leak onto the battery and cause a fire. With more cars being added to that recall list in June of this year, it’s possible that this particular Karma was one of the vehicles that was recalled, but it’s unknown at the moment if that actually is the case. One Jalopnik reader was able to record a brief video of Woodside firefighters putting out the burning car, which you can see below.

Fisker has since made a statement to Jalopnik, saying that it takes safety seriously and that it still has confidence in the Karma. Fisker will be using its own “independent fire investigation representative” to get to the bottom of this fire, and will release another statement once the cause is known. Hopefully this doesn’t become a common thing for the Karma, because the car is actually a really sleek vehicle (when it isn’t bursting into flames). Stay tuned, and if you own a Karma, you might want to get in touch with Fisker to make sure that your car isn’t one of the vehicles that has been recalled.

At fault, Toyota says, is the rear suspension arm, and the way it is fixed together. Some of the nuts may not have been tightened “following the proper procedure” for torque specification, among other things, following a rear-wheel alignment, they may exhibit undue movement around the threads.

If that happens, rust could form and the threaded section itself wear out, eventually leaving the arm to separate. “If the rear tie rod has become loose the driver may notice an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle” Toyota told owners in a statement. “If a driver hears an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle the driver should contact any authorized Toyota dealer for diagnosis.”

However, those dealers may not know what to do to fix the problem yet. The company is “currently developing a remedy” it says and “will send a notification letter by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge” when it has figured out a repair. Model years 2006 to early 2011 for the RAV4 and 2010 for the HS 250h are affected, and those who have independently paid for repairs will be reimbursed.

This latest recall is not the only Toyota embarrassment of late. The company was forced to call back 144,000 2010 Lexus SUVs after they were found to potential suffer from stuck-accelerator problems that could lead the driver to be unable to control the speed of the vehicle.

Instead, the dealer will organize safe collection of the car, and the loan of a replacement vehicle while work to rectify the problem is undertaken. According to Ford, that repair is “straightforward” and should take less than an hour, though parts availability could become an issue; the loaner deal will be in place until the owner’s car is fixed.

“The recall is being taken to replace an engine compartment fuel line, which could split and leak fuel, potentially resulting in an underhood fire; no injuries have been reported” Ford points out. “Ford is advising affected owners not to drive their vehicles and to contact their dealers immediately for the needed repair. Dealers will deliver a loaner vehicle to customers and will then transport their 2013 Escape to the dealership until the repair has been completed.”

If all owners are prompt in contacting their deal, Ford estimates the fixes could be complete within two weeks. “It is extremely important that affected customers not ignore this recall” the company insists; those unclear as to what to do about their Escape can find details at the Ford owner site or by calling 1-866-436-7332.

11,500 cars are believed to be susceptible to the flaw, primarily found in the US. Ford will be ceasing test drives and deliveries of cars until the problem is addressed.

The 2010 Lexus RX 350 and the 2010 Lexus RX 450h – amounting to approximately 131,800 vehicles and 22,200 vehicles respectively – are the cars in question. Owners should expect a safety recall notification by first class mail in early August 2012, Toyota says.

This latest batch of cars adds to hundreds of thousands of existing Lexus recalls for the same floor mat accelerator issue. Back in February 2011, Toyota voluntarily recalled around 20,000 2006 and early 2007 GS 300 and GS 350 AWD sedans so as to modify the plastic pad set into the carpet around the accelerator.

At the same time, it also recalled around 760,000 earlier RX models, and added a further 1.4m cars from its Lexus and Toyota stables – including RAV4 and 4Runner models – to a 2009 recall for a similar mat issue.

Toyota says that, if Lexus owners experience a problem with a stuck accelerator before the recall amendments can be made, drivers should brake and guide the car to the side of the road, putting it into neutral.

“There have been recent online posts displaying pictures of a Samsung GALAXY SIII that appears to have heat-related damage at the bottom of the device. Samsung is aware of this issue and will begin investigating as soon as we receive the specific product in question” the company wrote in a statement. “Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to provide further details on the situation. We are committed to providing our customers with the safest products possible and are looking at this seriously.”

From the report, it sounds like the owner was lucky to avoid an accident. According to his story, he was driving with the Galaxy S III docked “when suddenly a white flame, sparks and a bang came out of the phone.” The handset had been in a case – which was melted to the phone itself - though it “kept working but without any signal.”

No charger was connected to the Galaxy S III at the time, it’s said, and the mount is a passive one with no power connection. Samsung has apparently already replaced the handset, and the owner now says “There is no confirmation that it was a fault with the phone. It may actually have been caused by a combination of my car mount and my cars heating system” though it’s unclear if that is his own suggestion or an early diagnosis by Samsung in Ireland.

[via PCWar and via Sammobile]

There are some vehicles on the road already that have automatic emergency braking when the car senses an accident; Ford has been offering the technology for a while now. With this tech when car sensors detect an impending collision the brakes automatically activate without driver intervention. According to Euro NCAP, autonomous emergency braking systems can reduce accidents by up to 27%.

According to the survey the organization performed, these emergency braking systems are unavailable on 79% of car models sold in Europe. The survey also found that 66% of manufacturers don’t offer autonomous emergency braking systems on any new car models. The survey found that premium car brands such as Volvo, Infiniti, and Mercedes have the best levels of standard autonomous emergency braking system fitment. The company also notes that Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, and Lexis have systems as optional equipment. Standard mass-market automakers offering the system as an option include Mazda, Ford, Honda, and Volkswagen.

Currently, although Nevada has approved the road trials of the Google test cars, each must be accompanied by two human riders, one of whom must be able to take the wheel should the system malfunction. The cars use a combination of high-speed pedestrian and obstacle tracking, among other things, to ensure they do not plow into other road users, but the autonomy can be over-ridden if the manual driver touches the steering wheel or brake pedal.

That hands-on recovery may not always be possible as driverless tech grows more commonplace, experts warn. In a report from McAfee and Wind River last year [pdf link], the Intel-owned companies highlighted the growing amount of code present in new cars and how manufacturers have made the embedded systems that run it remotely accessible so as to allow for periodic upgrades.

“Frost and Sullivan estimates that cars will require 200 million to 300 million lines of software code
in the near future” the report’s authors write. “The increasing feature set, interconnectedness with other embedded systems, and cellular networking or Internet connectivity can also introduce security flaws that may become exploitable.”

Google has been upfront with the software considerations from its first public comments on the driverless car research. “Safety has been our first priority in this project. Our cars are never unmanned” software engineer Sebastian Thrun wrote back in 2010. “We always have a trained safety driver behind the wheel who can take over as easily as one disengages cruise control. And we also have a trained software operator in the passenger seat to monitor the software.”

It’s when that trained software operator is no longer onboard that causes security experts the most headaches. With existing infotainment systems already complex enough to prompt dealers into employing tech specialists to guide new drivers through their navigation, multimedia and other equipment, relying on them to also keep track of autonomy software stability may be overly-ambitious.

“Yes, the Karma was the origin of the fire, but what exactly caused that we don’t know at this time,” Baker said. “The car was brand-new. He still had paper tags on it, so it was 60 days old at [most].”

According to the owner, the Karma had just been parked in the garage when, only minutes later, he smelled burning rubber and then discovered the fire. The flames spread to the second floor of the house, as well as consuming a Mercedes SUV and an Acura NSX that were parked nearby; no injuries were sustained.

Responsibility for the accident is not being left to chance. “There have to be about 15 engineers down here working on this one” the fire investigator confirmed, and Fisker – as the company’s official statement, below, confirms – is exploring all possibilities of electrical faults in the garage, nearby fireworks, or even fraud.

The battery of the Karma was not being charged at the time of the fire, and is believed to be still intact. That would seemingly rule out a connection with the battery replacement scheme that the company was forced to operate earlier this year, after problems with the power supply caused cars to break down.

Fisker has struggled to meet its government-set targets, and has seen its official funding cut off forcing a delay of the so-called Project Nina new model. However, the company revealed a more affordable version of the Karma, the Atlantic, last month; the new car will go on sale “in the near future.”

Fisker statement:

“Last week, Fisker Automotive was made aware of a garage fire involving three vehicles, including a Karma sedan, that were parked at a newly-constructed residence in Sugar Land, Texas. There were no injuries.

There are conflicting reports and uncertainty surrounding this particular incident. The cause of the fire is not yet known and is being investigated.

We have not yet seen any written report form the Fort Bend fire department and believe that their investigation is continuing. As of now, multiple insurance investigators are involved, and we have not ruled out possible fraud or malicious intent. We are aware that fireworks were found in the garage in or around the vehicles. Also, an electrical panel located in the garage next to the vehicles is also being examined by the investigators as well as fire department officials. Based on initial observations and inspections, the Karma’s lithium ion battery pack was not being charged at the time and is still intact and does not appear to have been a contributing factor in this incident.

Fisker will continue to participate fully in the investigation but will not be commenting further until all the facts are established.”

The goal of the new radar technology is to detect pedestrians and bicycles that might be otherwise hidden from the driver’s view. This is an important development as well because accidents at intersections account for about half the traffic fatalities each year. The radar technology would be integrated into traffic monitoring sensors at intersections and to detect pedestrians and bicycles up to 40 m ahead no matter the conditions.

Panasonic’s advance is that the technology can detect humans and cars at the same time despite the fact that humans reflect weak radar signals compared to cars. The radar has a resolution of less than 50 cm and angular resolution of 5°. One thing that I am unclear on from the schematic offered by Panasonic is how exactly a sensor mounted in the intersection will alert drivers of bikes or pedestrians. It seems like this radar would be more appropriate to be installed in a vehicle rather than on the intersection.

One group, representing Washington D.C. restaurants, argues that caution over liability around drink-driving accidents may prompt manufacturers to set lower limits to the locks than legally mandated. Since alcohol can take some time to enter the bloodstream, they argue, car companies or those behind the scanning systems themselves may be tempted to configure the blood alcohol limit below 0.08-percent, the current legal threshold in every US state.

That, it’s suggested, could have the effect of leaving those drivers who do stick to recommended limits – such as a single glass of wine with dinner – falling foul of their in-car system while still actually legally “safe” to drive.

The NHTSA is not looking to push mandatory inclusion of alcohol lock systems in future cars, it claims, leaving adoption something that individual manufacturers or organizations are left to decide upon. One suggestion is that it will be car rental firms and fleet management that opt-in first, adding a discrete sensor to the dashboard that drivers must touch or blow into in order to meet all the criteria for rental.

Still, given some are still reluctant to even use safety belts, the idea of a car telling them that they’re not in a fit condition to drive is unlikely to go down well. We may need to wait until cars can not only stop us from leaving the parking lot, but drive us home themselves – using technology such as Google’s driverless cars - before such systems gain broader acceptance.

Although issues were first observed back in 2006, BMW says [pdf link], it claims subsequent investigations failed to identify the cause of the problem. A new round of testing in April 2011 finally discovered the fault after putting particular attention on the “special environmental or operational conditions around the battery terminal areas.”

“The insulated bulkhead connector for the positive battery cable may have been incorrectly attached to the trunk floor panel, which can lead to a loosening of the bolt connection. As it loosens, an increase in electrical resistance at this cable connection is possible and could cause the cable connection to overheat” the agency said. “As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the remedy has been made.”

Still, BMW is keen to highlight the voluntary nature of the recall, and points out that actual incidents of fire have affected a tiny minority of owners. “We’ve got one known case of actual fire here in the US, having sold 367,000 cars” spokesperson David Buchko said, and the recall notice claims no injuries have been caused.

BMW will be contacting all owners of relevant vehicles, and beginning an inspection and repair process from April.

[via Detroit Free Press]

Lurking on the counter like an oversized microwave, the INSIGHT100 can identify liquids, powders and gels inside sealed containers such as glass or plastic bottles or tubs, even if those containers are opaque. The system is said to have a false alarm rate of 1.5-percent or less, and each scan takes under five seconds.

The magic is in something called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), bouncing certain spectra of light off a substance depending on the molecules that substance is made up of. As each substance scatters light in different ways, the INSIGHT100 can recognize which are safe and which could be potentially dangerous. Cobalt says it can subsequently update the scanner’s database as new molecular “fingerprints” are identified.

Having already been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference for its abilities to check for liquid explosives, it’s seemingly down to airports to decide whether to include the INSIGHT100 in their scanning arsenal. Of course, loosening the regulations around bottled water might make things easier for travelers, but it would also cut into a useful extra revenue stream for retailers and airlines; whether they’ll be so happy is questionable.

[via Gizmag]

“We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we’ve asked the FLA to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers … The inspections now underway are unprecedented in the electronics industry, both in scale and scope, and we appreciate the FLA agreeing to take the unusual step of identifying the factories in their reports” Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

As well as the production shop floors themselves, the FLA will have access to dormitories and other facilities at each site. They will also review procedural documentation, with the first results of the findings – as well as any recommendations – expected in early March 2012.

Foxconn is apparently up first – a reaction it seems to leaks from within the manufacturer suggesting conditions there were particularly grim, in addition to the several suicides of workers at the company’s facilities over the past 18-24 months – with Quanta and Pegatron opening up later in the spring. All suppliers have “pledged full cooperation with the FLA, offering unrestricted access to their operations” Apple says.

The assessment, when complete, will have investigated facilities where more than 90-percent of Apple’s products are assembled.

Apple was the subject of a widely-discussed investigation by the NYTimes, in which inside sources at the company said high-level management was aware of worker mistreatment but failed to act on that knowledge as it might impact production schedules and/or costs. Tim Cook reacted strongly to the allegations, describing them as “offensive” and pointing to Apple’s own annual responsibility reports as well as its relatively recent membership of the FLA.

The Acadia will be the first vehicle to get the center airbag technology. This tech was unveiled in September of last year and is making its way to 2013 model vehicles. In an accident, the center airbag system deploys from the right side of the driver seat. The goal of the new airbag tech is to protect the passenger and the driver from far side impacts.

A far side impact would be an impact on the passenger side with the driver was alone in the car. GM feels that the new airbag technology has a real potential for life saving. This sort of far side impact accounts for 29% of all belted front occupant fatalities in side-impact accidents. Check out the video to see how airbag works.

[via Lansing State Journal]

The original report had consulted current and previous Apple executives, as well as sources at Chinese factories and the workers themselves, piecing together a picture of companies like Apple – though others, such as Samsung, got a passing mention – as juggling human rights for workers with the need to create timely, affordable products at the best possible rates. “An unresolved tension” inside Apple was cited, with high-level execs supposedly aware that production partners such as Foxconn were cutting corners in safety and working conditions, but made only passing attempts to address the problem as it would sap Apple’s device momentum.

The claims were followed by strong responses from Chinese factory workers themselves, some protesting Apple’s actions in the country, but others suggesting that the company was not alone in its priorities and, in some cases, was doing considerably better than other firms.

Apple has taken a vocal stance on employee rights in recent years, releasing a responsibility report detailing the investigations it had undertaken, and becoming the first tech firm to join the Fair Labor Association. “We will continue to dig deeper, and we will undoubtedly find more issues” Cook warns. “What we will not do — and never have done — is stand still or turn a blind eye to problems in our supply chain.”

“As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people are questioning Apple’s values today, and I’d like to address this with you directly. We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don’t care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It’s not who we are.

For the many hundreds of you who are based at our suppliers’ manufacturing sites around the world, or spend long stretches working there away from your families, I know you are as outraged by this as I am. For the people who aren’t as close to the supply chain, you have a right to know the facts.

Every year we inspect more factories, raising the bar for our partners and going deeper into the supply chain. As we reported earlier this month, we’ve made a great deal of progress and improved conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers. We know of no one in our industry doing as much as we are, in as many places, touching as many people” Tim Cook, CEO Apple

“The agency’s investigation has concluded that no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts” NHTSA

Those guidelines will be targeted at emergency response teams and others who may come into contact with electric vehicles. With the Volt, the particular issue surrounded an apparent fire risk prompted after side-impact tests punctured the battery and coolant leaked; atypical tests – including x-rays of batteries – performed on various Volt components replicated a fire, though no real-world example has been recorded.

“NHTSA has developed interim guidance — with the assistance of the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and others — to increase awareness and identify appropriate safety measures for these groups. The agency expects this guidance will help inform the ongoing work by NFPA, DOE, and vehicle manufacturers to educate the emergency response community, law enforcement officers, and others about electric vehicles” NHTSA

In the meantime, GM has offered non-Volt loaner vehicles to nervous owners while the testing was underway, and even to buy back unwanted cars that drivers no longer felt safe in. “We did not have one customer that wanted to sell it back or felt concerned enough to get a loaner vehicle” one Chevrolet dealer told the NYTimes, though the company has missed its 2011 sales target by over 1,000 cars.

Kia reported this problem last week, and the recall is expected to take place en masse starting in March, so says that NHTSA. This vehicle has otherwise had no such similar problems, and you’re encouraged top contact you local dealer now if you’d like to get a fix in the future. Customers affected by the problem will be able to have the problem fixed at their local dealer free of charge when the time comes.

You can also call the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the NHTSA at SaferCar.gov, taking special note of the terrible graphic design they’ve got going on there. Sidenote: why is it that government run websites never look any good? Is it a law that they’re not allowed to hire graphic designers with any salt?

[via CNN]

This recall affects Mini and Mini Cooper vehicles, and those of you that wish to find out more instead of waiting on a call from your friendly BMW dealer should contact BMW directly though their customer relations line here in the USA at 1-800-831-1117 or email customerrelations@bmwusa.com. Those outside the USA should contact the dealers they purchased their vehicles from.

A spokesperson from BMW has noted that there haven’t been any accidents this far as result of reported malfunctions, so don’t fear, but DO NOT think that it’s not possible for you. They haven’t been extremely specific on which models are affected yet, no years or anything like that, so just on a safe side: assume it’s you. If you are affected, BMW will notify you (if you’ve not already contacted them) and your local dealer will replace the water pump free of charge.

[via Detroit News]