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10 automakers sued over keyless ignitions

Keyless ignition has rapidly proliferated throughout the auto industry to become a fairly normal feature on new cars. It's supposed to offer the convenience of keeping the fob in your pocket and just pressing a button to drive away. However, ten major automakers are now being sued in US District Court over claims that the system is dangerous, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that people are forgetting to shut off the engine, and the lack of an idle timer is the cause for 13 deaths by carbon monoxide poisoning and multiple injuries. The suit currently includes 28 plaintiffs, according to Reuters, but the lawyers are asking for class-action status to potentially add many more. The case goes after a major swath of the industry, including BMW, Daimler, FCA, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen, plus their related brands like Acura, Infiniti, Mini, and Lexus. In all, over five million vehicles are affected. The assertion here is that people walk away from their vehicle without shutting it off because they believe the engine shuts off automatically. If parked in a garage, carbon monoxide can build up, leading to poisoning. The lawyers claim automakers know this is a problem and also cite 27 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the issue, according to Reuters. The plaintiffs are asking for an automatic shut-off and damages from the companies. These concerns have come up before, though. Toyota previously faced a lawsuit over a carbon monoxide death after a woman accidentally left her Lexus running. Also earlier this year, GM recalled 64,186 examples of the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volt because owners weren't shutting them off. The problem resulted in two injuries, and the company released a software update to limit the idling time.

Here's a sneak peek at the 2023 Acura Integra interior

Photos: Zac Palmer / Autoblog DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Acura staged its Integra Prototype at a display at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, inviting enterprising amateur and professional photographers alike to sneak a peak at the interior thanks to the bright Florida sun. The photos you're looking at here are ones we took at Rolex, and they essentially reveal what the 2023 Acura Integra's interior will look like. If you recall from the car's initial reveal, Acura did not show photos of the Prototype's interior. Before we dive too deep, though, we can tell that while the design appears to be final, some of the finer details are still a bit rough. Not all of the plastics, surfaces and badging look final, so don't expect everything you see here to directly port over to production. That said, this is still an awesome sneak peek at the upcoming Integra that we weren't expecting to get. From what we can see here, the interior design seems to take a cue from the Integra's underpinnings, which can be traced back to the sporty Honda Civic Si. Photos posted to integraforums.com show the prototype's dash before Acura's reps covered the upper portion to hide it from view. In them, you can see the mesh air vent design that debuted on the Civic, albeit with a different execution here (that treatment runs the full width of the dash in the Honda). Plus, the touchscreen infotainment rising from the dash is also in plain view. The seats look like Acura's latest seat style as opposed to Civic Si seats, and they even feature a neat two-tone black and white design. What does appear to be a direct Civic rip is the steering wheel, which gains an Acura badge and what looks like the rough outline of an A-Spec badge for Integra duty. We'll note that this likely means that the Integra will be offered in A-Spec trim, just like every other new Acura on sale today. The original Integra was never sold as an A-Spec in the U.S., but the RSX Type S (named Integra outside the U.S.) was available in A-Spec trim. Another difference between the Integra interior seen here versus the Civic is a new door panel design. Very little changes in the rear bench, though, as it's featuring the same drop-down armrest and pair of USB ports for rear occupants. The Integra Prototype is notably longer than a Civic Hatchback, but we didn't see any discernible increase in utility in the back.

Honda recalls 250K vehicles because connecting rod bearings can fail

DETROIT — Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles in the U.S. because bearings can fail, causing the engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks. Also affected are certain 2015 to 2020 Acura TLX cars and some 2016 to 2020 Acura MDX SUVs. Honda says in documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that connecting rod bearings in the engine can wear and seize due to a manufacturing error, damaging the engines. The engines could run improperly or stall while being driven, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury. The automaker says in documents that it has 1,450 warranty claims due to the problem but no reports of injuries. Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the engines if needed. Owners will be notified by mail starting Jan. 2. Recalls Acura Honda