Toyota, Ford, Honda 1.3 million vehicles under inspection

Toyota, Ford, Honda 1.3 million vehicles under inspection The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a 1.3 million vehicle inspection on Toyota, Ford...

Toyota, Ford, Honda 1.3 million vehicles under inspection The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a series of investigations into safety issues in about 1.3 million different models of Toyota, Ford and Honda. The vehicles under investigation include 561,000 Toyota Prius hybrids from 2004 to 2009, 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mercury Mariner and Milan models from 2009 to 2011, and 87,000 2005 Honda Pilot utility vehicles. NHTSA has not yet decided whether to issue a recall for these models. NHTSA said the Prius hybrid may have an improperly assembled steering shaft. However, many of the models under investigation this time have been included in Toyota's previous recalls related to steering shaft defects. Ford's four models are under investigation after receiving 123 reports related to the sudden loss of power or complete stalling of the vehicle. The problem may have several causes, including a defective carburetor assembly and a contaminated circuit board. The focus of the Honda Pilot multi-purpose vehicle investigation is that the authorities received 205 reports indicating that the model would suddenly brake violently. The problem may be a sensor failure of the "vehicle stability assist system". On the other hand, Consumer Reports magazine announced on the 26th its "Top Ten Best Cars of the Year" list. Honda Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company each had three models on the list. Honda's redesigned 2013 Accord was named Best Midsize Car by Consumer Reports, the Odyssey was named Best Minivan, and the CR-V was named Best Small SUV. Toyota's gas-electric Prius has been named the best green car for ten consecutive years, while the Highlander was named the best mid-size SUV. Toyota's Scion brand's FR-S, which focuses on the younger generation, and Japan's Subaru BRZ were selected as the best sports car. Subaru's Impreza was named the best small car, while South Korea's Hyundai's Elantra was named the best deal. Germany's Audi A6 and BMW 328i were named Best Luxury Car and Best Sports Car respectively, becoming the only two non-Asian models among the top ten best cars.