2002 Buick Century Custom Sedan 4-door V6 Better Than Excellent Condition!!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

NHTSA may greatly expand GM airbag recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is pondering whether to dramatically upscale a pair of airbag recalls on General Motors vehicles. The two existing campaigns, one launched in the fall of 2012 and the other in January of this year covered just 6,845 vehicles, but the government agency is considering whether to boost the recall to around 400,000 units.
The existing recalls involve the the closely related 2012 Buick Verano (shown) and Chevrolet Cruze sedans, along with Sonic and Camaro models. The root of the problem is a shorting bar in the inflator module of the steering-wheel-mounted airbag that may contact the primary state airbag terminal, a condition that could prevent deployment in an accident. Dealer technicians have been replacing the steering wheel airbag coils to fix the issue.
According to a post on NHTSA's website, the root cause, said to be a production issue, may not have been completely isolated - particularly for the second recall, which was for the Camaro. According to Automotive News, GM says it is cooperating with the government investigation, but won't say whether or not it knows the true origin of the problem.

2021 Buick Envision is a vision of Buick's future that's shockingly stylish

Allow us to introduce you to the new and much improved 2021 Buick Envision. Don’t let the handsome shape and sharp design fool you. This compact crossover is a Buick. The Envision has been a frumpy and rather boring looking crossover since its launch for the 2017 model, and now GM has remedied that sticking point. This new made-in-China (the first Buick sold in America that was assembled there) crossover is full of sharp edges, muscular lines arcing through the body and crisp lighting fixtures. ItÂ’s verging on European in nature. If this is a hint of things to come at Buick, we are quite optimistic for the future of its crossover designs now that the cars are dead. “The 2021 Envision will be lower and wider, with premium proportions and striking styling designed to combine the expressiveness of a car with the practicality of an SUV,” said Helen Emsley, executive director, Global Buick and GMC Design. Perhaps youÂ’re hoping for additional details? We only have a few. Buick says it will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and shifting duties will be handled by a nine-speed automatic transmission. ItÂ’s likely the same 2.0-turbo that makes 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque in the outgoing Envision. ThereÂ’s no word on the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder model, but itÂ’s likely being dropped from the lineup. There are no interior photos, but itÂ’ll have a 10-inch infotainment screen in the center that comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality as standard equipment. There will also be a number of safety and driver assistance features tacked on as standard including lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, rear parking sensors and GMÂ’s safety alert seat that pulses directionally for alerts. Some options include a 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, head-up display and GMÂ’s rearview camera mirror. Buick also says the Envision will be available in their top-tier Avenir trim. Other details will have to wait for later in the year, as Buick says all will be revealed at some point down the road. Consider this a preview with a few tasty bites of info about whatÂ’s to come. For now, weÂ’re liking the direction that Buick is taking this crossover. Related video:

U.S. new-vehicle sales in 2018 rise slightly to 17.27 million [UPDATE]

DETROIT — Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. rose slightly in 2018, defying predictions and highlighting a strong economy. Automakers reported an increase of 0.3 percent over a year ago to 17.27 million vehicles. The increase came despite rising interest rates, a volatile stock market, and rising car and truck prices that pushed some buyers out of the new-vehicle market. Industry analysts and automakers said strong economic fundamentals pushed up sales and should keep them near historic highs in 2019. "Economic conditions in the U.S. are favorable and should continue to be supportive of vehicle sales at or around their current run rate," Ford Chief Economist Emily Kolinski Morris said after the company and other automakers announced their sales numbers Thursday. That auto sales remain near the 2016 record of 17.55 million is a testimonial to the strength of the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. The job market, he said, has created new employment, and wage growth has accelerated. "That's fundamental to selling anything," he said. "If there are lots of jobs and people are getting bigger paychecks, they will buy more." The unemployment rate is 3.7 percent, a 49-year low. The economy is thought to have grown close to 3 percent last year, its best performance in more than a decade. Consumers, the main driver of the economy, are spending freely. The Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate four times in 2018 but is only expected to raise it twice this year. Auto sales also were helped by low gasoline prices and rising home values, Zandi said. It all means that people are likely to keep buying new vehicles this year even as they grow more expensive. The Edmunds.com auto-pricing site estimates that the average new vehicle price hit a record $35,957 in December, about 2 percent higher than the previous year. It will be harder for automakers to keep the sales pace above 17 million because they have been enticing buyers for several years now with low-interest financing and other incentives, Zandi said. He predicts more deals in the coming year as job growth slows and credit tightens for higher-risk buyers. Edmunds, which provides content, including automotive tips and reviews, for distribution by The Associated Press, predicts that sales will drop this year to 16.9 million.