Ford, Subaru and Volkswagen brands hold the firs positions in a US classification of the new safe cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association awarded the “maximum safety” prize for the next year to 19 regular cars and eight SUVs. The association reduced the number of the “winners” compared to 2009 because of the rough requirements regarding the roof safety introduced this year. Ford Motors and its subsidiary Volvo gathered the most awards – six – compared to the five award the Japanese from Subaru received, to the Germans from Volkswagen and to the General Motors Americans.

Toyota, BMW, Mazda and Mitsubishi were not included in the top.

Ford, awarded especially for Volv0 S80, C30 and Taurus, highlighted in a press release that he commits himself to offer the Ford customers “safe cars that can cope with most kinds of car accidents,” Associated Press informs.

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Nissan will recall over 26,000 Altima and Maxima 2009-2010 models, the NHTSA informs. The cars included on the recall list are facing suspension issues. To be more precisely the problem is the upper front strut insulator, which in certain situations might crack, affecting the vehicle stability and increasing the risk of a crash. The Nissan dealers will be instructed to replace both left and right front strut insulators. The fixing of the issue will be made free of charge and the recall is expected to begin during October 2009. For more information the Altima and Maxima owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-NISSAN1 (1-800-647-7261). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can also inform you about the recall on their hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153).

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Automakers have succeeded something desired for decades: cars that are almost perfectly silent. This quietness reduces what is referred to as phonic pollution . But now a new, unforeseen problem has risen: cars are dangerously silent.

Yes, that’s right. I mean who wouldn’t love a car that glides quickly and silently through the city like in cool 80s SF films.? But auditive feedback has become part of how people cross the street, make turns or even park. Sure, plug-in hybrid and electric cars, it turns out, not only reduce air pollution, they cut noise pollution as well with their whisper-quiet motors.

Kevin Walsh from Fisker Automotive Inc.

So safety experts, worried that hybrids pose a threat if pedestrians, children and others can’t hear them approaching, want automakers to supply some digitally enhanced vroom. Vroom!, Vroom! indeed, this kinda seems lame from where I am standing.

But wait, this gets even more weird.

Working with Hollywood special-effects wizards, some hybrid auto companies have started tinkering in sound studios, rather than machine shops, to customize engine noises. The Fisker Karma, an $87,900 plug-in hybrid expected to go on sale next year, will emit a sound — pumped out of speakers in the bumpers — that the company founder, Henrik Fisker, describes as “a cross between a starship and a Formula One car.”

Nissan is also consulting with the film industry on sounds that could be emitted by its forthcoming Leaf battery-electric vehicle, while Toyota has been working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Federation of the Blind and the Society of Automotive Engineers on sounds for electric vehicles.

Car tones. This seems taken out of Car Tunes. If you get the pun

“One possibility is choosing your own noise,” said Nathalie Bauters, a spokeswoman for BMW’s Mini division, who added that such technology could be added to one of BMW’s electric vehicles in the future.

This is just what the world needed right now: custom car tones. I can already imagine internet adds with ” Adams Family cartone for only $ 0.99 !”

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First it was Toyota that recalled about 4 million vehicles suffering from risky floor mats. Now it’s Ford and their cruise control system. Probably, they didn’t wanted Toyota to set a negative record and now they decided to recall 4.5 million vehicles.

The last 10 years were not the best years for Ford, with the automaker recalling almost 10 million vehicles between 1999 and 2008 for various reasons. Now they will add 4.5 million more and set a new world record.

So, what is the reason of the recall? It seems that the cruse control switch can leak and overheat and in some cases even ignite. Until now the switch is accused of more then 500 fires and about 1,500 owners complained so far.

This is what I call "burn out"

Even though many decided to ignore the issue and rather not use the cruise control system then go to a service, things should not be so easily taken, as there were numerous reports of vehicles catching fire while parked.

These are the Ford models included on the recall list:

1992-2003 Ford Econoline
2000-2003 Ford Excursion
1995-2002 Ford Explorer
1993-1997, 1999-2003 Ford F-Series Super Duty
1994 Ford F-53 chassis 
1995-1997, 2001-2003 Ford Ranger
1995-2003 Ford Windstar
1995-2002 Mercury Mountaineer

The recall will begin on October 26, so if you own one of these models don’t hesitate calling the government agency’s hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information. Or go to a Ford dealer and have the issue fixed.

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