1954 Buick Century Special Convertible - 322cid V8 - Power Steering - 74k Miles on 2040-cars

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GM recalling 1.5M cars in China for faulty bracket

General Motors and its Chinese partners have announced their second recall in the People's Republic this year, following a 2,653-unit recall of the Cadillac SRX earlier this year. This latest recall affects nearly 1.5 million cars built between 2006 and 2012. It's not explicitly stated, but as there's no movement from the US NHTSA, we suspect that the cars in question were all Chinese-built rather than imports.
The vast majority of the affected vehicles are Buick Excelles (pictured), with 1.2 million units being recalled over a faulty bracket that's meant to secure the fuel pump. The Excelles in question were built between 2006 and 2012, while an additional 250,000 Chevrolet Sail superminis, built between April 2009 and October 2011, are being recalled for a similar reason.
According to the PRC's Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the faulty bracket could crack and potentially cause a fuel leak.

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.

Buick Regal, Hyundai Sonata

Toyota is ramping up production of an all-new 2018 Camry and spending over $1 billion – with a "b" – at its Georgetown, Ky., plant. That investment speaks to the popularity of midsize sedans, despite sales inroads made by crossovers. While Accord and Camry are givens in the segment, less attention is paid to Buick's Regal and Hyundai's Sonata. And if shopping for a midsize sedan with a $30,000 budget, you should pay attention. Both offer a compelling combination of attributes and can be well equipped for that price point. Finally, both are due for either a major redesign (Regal) or aggressive freshening (Sonata) in the 2018 model year. Both Buick and Hyundai will be offering incentives 2017s, but Hyundai's program is more aggressive, with up to $6,000 in savings (as this is written). BUICK REGAL: For those seeking exclusivity at well below an "exclusive" price, there is the Regal. Designed by GM's Opel as the Insignia, the version sold stateside keeps most of its Eurocentric nature. It doesn't pretend to be an Audi or BMW, but it provides something more German than Volkswagen's Germany-by-way-of-Tennessee Passat. A Regal, in all-wheel-drive 'Regal' trim, supplies you with a turbocharged 2.0 liter and 6-speed automatic transmission. Its 259 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque propel the 3,600-pound Regal with authority and respectable efficiency. Despite its relatively low curb weight, the Regal feels substantial, with a heavy feel behind the wheel and a quiet authority going down the road. Inside, you'll find an interesting mix of Old World and New Detroit, with informative gauges, a center stack that dominates the instrument panel, supportive buckets up front and a reasonably spacious rear seat. The Regal's interior volume is respectable (97 cubic feet inside, while the trunk has 14 cubic feet), but this remains a better environment for young families or empty nesters. Those with a lot of kids or stuff should shop Buick's about-to-be-redesigned Enclave or midsize Envision. For the 2017 model year, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been added. The Driver Confidence 1 package (optional) includes Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Following Distance Indicator and memory seats. Driver Confidence 2 has Collision Preparation with Collision Mitigation Braking and Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control. It's all good stuff.