6 billion a year in insurance claims. Among the worst performers were the Nissan Maxima and Volkswagen Jetta. 9,000 each in estimated damage from four simulated bumps - two each at three mph and six mph. The Nissan Maxima, VW Passat and the Pontiac G6 each sustained the most amount of damage. 4,500 worth of damage were sustained in just one of the tests - the six mph full-width frontal impact. The IIHS said hoods, fenders, headlights and air-conditioning condensers needed repairs. Adrian Lund, the IIHS president, said that in only two of the 68 bump tests of the 17 cars did the bumpers fully protect other components from significant damage: one of a Saturn Aura and another of a Hyundai Sonata. Lund said. "In the rest, what we found is that bumpers aren't up to the job." Federal regulations require bumpers to protect only up to 2.5 mph. If there are worst performers, there should also be the ideal ones.
The IIHS said that the three midsize cars that did "comparatively well" in the tests does include the nation's bestseller - the Toyota Camry. Other top performers include the Mazda 6 and the Mitsubishi Galant. 1,500 damage in each of the four bumps. In a statement, Nissan Motors said, "We believe Nissan vehicles perform competitively in terms of cost of repair. The cost to repair bumpers is just one consideration." The automaker claims that Nissan body kits perform efficiently and reliably. General Motors Corp., on the other hand, said it was assessing the institute's test results. Volkswagen said it would take the tests into account in future designs. The institute said the most costly damage occurs when the bumpers of colliding vehicles do not line up and ride under or over each other. In some cases, the relatively minor bumps required professional chassis straightening. Nonetheless, the institute added that the relatively high costs of replacement parts for some models - not just the amount of damage from the tests - accounted for some of the variation in repair costs. The IIHS started testing bumpers in 1969 but recently modified the test to assess over- or underride. In doing the tests, cars are bumped into a steel and plastic barrier that mimics a car bumper. The lesser the damage a car gets, the better the bumper performance is.
What is the turning circle of the 2012 Ford Expedition? The 2012 Ford Expedition's turning circle is 40.8 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Ford Flex? The 2012 Ford Flex's turning circle is 40.7 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Kia Rio? The 2012 Kia Rio's turning circle is 33.5 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Honda Civic? The 2012 Honda Civic's turning circle is 35.5 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Ford Edge? The 2012 Ford Edge's turning circle is 39.3 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Kia Sorento? The 2012 Kia Sorento's turning circle is 35.7 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Audi TTS? The 2012 Audi TTS's turning circle is 36.0 ft.. What is the turning circle of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra? The 2012 Hyundai Elantra's turning circle is 34.8 ft..
Some 228,236 cars could be affected by the recall, it said. August 20, 2009 -- Yahoo News -- WASHINGTON - Volkswagen of America is recalling 13,500 vehicles to fix problems with a dual-clutch transmission that could lead to a warning on the dashboard. MAY 2009 -- Volkswagen is recalling 25,594 MY 2006-2009 Jetta 5th generation equipped with 2.01 engine. The fastening screw contact surfaces on the driveshaft cover plate may not have been manufactured to factory specifications. Some screws may not have been torqued properly during assembly and could loosen over time, causing a knocking sound when the vehicle is in motion. The driveshaft screws could loosen to the point where the driveshaft detaches from the gearbox. If the vehicle is moving when this happens, the detached driveshaft could cause damage the gearbox housing. A damage gearbox housing could leak gearbox oil onto the street and create a risk of a vehicle crash for both the driver and other motorists. Dealers will inspect the driveshaft screws and replace the screws free of charge. The recall will affect about 58,900 cars and will begin in August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its Web site.
Dealers will remove the plastic tab on the fluid reservoir and, if necessary, replace the fuel line, Volkswagen told the agency, Bloomberg reported. Defective brake lights on Golf, GTI, Jetta, New Beetle and R32 are a potential safety hazard and should be replaced. The malfunctioning brake lights and brake light switches could fail to come on or remain stuck on. This recall expands on one announced by Europe's No. 1 carmaker last year, when 362,000 Jettas and New Beetles were recalled due to the same defective part. Volkswagen said that dealers will immediately be prepared to accept service appointments to perform the repair at no charge, but the notification process isn't scheduled to begin until April. NHTSA did not say if any injuries had been reported linked to the defective brake lights. May 26, 2006, -- DETROIT (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG is recalling 362,000 cars in the United States because a brake light switch may malfunction, according to U.S. The models involved include the Jetta sedan from 1999-2002 model years, Jetta III from 1999-2000 model years and the New Beetle from 1998-2002 model years, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its Web site on Friday. May 26, 2006, -- Volkswagen AG will recall 362,000 Jettas and New Beetles for brake-light failures, the NHTSA said. The Volkswagen recall covers 1999 through 2002 Jettas and 1998 through 2002 New Beetles, the agency said. A brake-light switch may not have been properly installed during previous recalls in 2003 and 2004, and the lights either don't work or stay on all the time.
