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NHTSA Probes Nearly 400,000 Infiniti, Honda Vehicles Over Steering Faults

As many as 391,000 vehicles from Honda and Infiniti may eventually need to be recalled as a result of two, separately announced Preliminary Evaluations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ascertain the scope of the potential safety hazards. In one of the queries, NHTSA is looking into 24 reports from drivers of the 2013 Honda Accord who say they had total loss of their power steering or experienced a sudden increase in the necessary effort to turn the wheel. In four cases, the problem may be linked to crashes. According to the claims, 13 people reported seeing a warning message during the failure. Turning off the car and restarting it would fix the issue in some cases. If a recall is necessary, it could affect an estimated 374,000 Accords. The second investigation is much smaller in scope. The safety agency is investigating the 2008 Infiniti EX35 after two complaints of the steering wheel shaft separating and the vehicle losing the ability to steer. Both reports say the steering became loose when driving and then completely failed once the vehicle was stopped. A recall for the problem would affect an estimated 17,000 vehicles. Recalls Honda Infiniti Safety NHTSA steering

Comma.ai makes your car semi-autonomous for $999

At TechCrunch's Disrupt conference in San Francisco, Comma.ai founder George "Geohot" Hotz announced the launch of the Comma One semi-autonomous driving device. Hotz said at the conference that his company has worked on the Comma One for about a year, and it will be available at the end of the year for $999 and a $24 per month subscription fee. But aside from the reasonable price, which TechCrunch points out is possible thanks to off-the-shelf components, the appeal here is that it's an add-on to an existing car that can be installed at home by the car's owner. This gives people with normal cars the opportunity to have semi-autonomous features without having to buy an entire vehicle... that is, if you have a Honda or Acura with lane-keeping assist, since Comma One is currently only compatible with those vehicles. It remains to be seen if the company will add more vehicles to the list over time. The device is roughly the size of a large cell phone or aftermarket navigation system, and it has a screen on the front and a pair of cameras on the back. The computer combines information from the device's cameras and the car's radar sensors to understand what's happening and how to respond. Hotz explained at the conference that this system is similar in capability to the Tesla Autopilot system, and will be able to complete a drive, start to finish, without the driver having to touch anything. He did however emphasize that the driver must still pay attention in the event something goes wrong, comparing the experience to watching a young student driver. Hotz told TechCrunch that the device should start shipping at the end of the year. He also said that owners of compatible Honda products in the San Francisco area are eligible for beta testing, and can get involved by emailing him at george@comma.ai. So if you've been pining for a semi-autonomous vehicle of your own, but couldn't spring for a Tesla, you won't have to wait much longer. We should point out that we don't know yet how well the system works, though we hope to find out soon. Related Video:

Takata airbag victim urges consumers to head to the dealership

A man who lost an eye in a low speed collision due to faulty Takata airbags is urging the owners of cars with recalled parts to take their vehicles into a dealership, before it's too late. The public service announcement comes from ConsumerWatch.com. In a video, the consumer rights website gives factual information about the recall, and adds a personal plea from Corey Burdick. The Florida man lost an eye due to shrapnel from an exploding Takata airbag. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Burdick was traveling just 15 mph in his Honda Civic when he collided with another car. There were no other injuries caused by the crash, except for the loss of Burdick's eye. He filed a lawsuit against Honda and Takata this year. "I lost my eye because of a defective airbag. Take your car in today so this doesn't happen to you," Burdick said. ConsumerWatch.com told Honda and Acura owners not to drive their vehicles until the faulty airbags were replaced. Good advice, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recently advised owners of 2001-03 Hondas and Acuras to get their airbags replaced immediately. NHTSA says airbag inflators in those vehicles have up to a 50 percent chance of exploding in an accident. But replacing the airbags isn't as easy as simply going into the dealership. Many owners who take their cars in for replacement are finding out that new parts are in short supply as manufacturers grapple with the largest automotive recall in US history. Takata may not have enough replacements until 2019, CNN reported earlier this year. The problem is so pervasive that some brand new cars were found to be sitting on dealer lots with faulty airbags still in place months after the initial recall. Some cars have received replacements that were also faulty and now will require a second trip to the dealer. However, waiting is not an option for many owners. At least 13 people have been killed and over 100 injuries have been blamed on the airbags. Related Video: News Source: consumerwatch.com, Orlando Sentinel, CNN Government/Legal Recalls Acura Honda Driving Ownership Safety consumer airbag Takata airbag recall