2004 Buick Rendezvous Suv Clean... on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM announces six new recalls, covering 3.5 million vehicles

General Motors has just initiated another crushingly large recall, this time affecting some 3.36 million vehicles built between 2000 and 2014 and sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. Once again, the issue surrounds the cars' ignition switches, which can be kicked out of the run position if they're carrying extra weight or if they experience a "jarring" event. In this particular case, though, GM will modify the keys, rather than the ignition itself.
A four-by-six-millimeter hole will be drilled into the key, which will more safely accommodate the weight of the key ring. As is usually the case, the work will be done free of charge. The recalled vehicles include the 2000 to 2005 Cadillac Deville, 2004 to 2005 Buick Regal LS and GS, 2004 to 2011 Cadillac DTS, 2005 to 2009 Buick Lacrosse, 2006 to 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 2006 to 2011 Buick Lucerne and 2006 to 2014 Chevrolet Impala. Only the Impala is still in production, and even then, it's only sold to fleet companies.
According to an official statement from GM, there have been eight crashes and six injuries due to this latest issue. As if this isn't a dire enough blow for GM, the company has announced five smaller recalls, covering 165,000 vehicles.

Opel readying Adam model with SUV cues

The Opel Adam, the microcar of General Motors' European subsidiary, has seen its sales cool significantly since it first hit the market in the United Kingdom and Europe, but a push is reportedly under way that just might be enough to get the stylish, little car moving again.
Using the Opel Adam Rocks Concept as a template, Opel will ruggedize the Adam, so that it might compete with the growing herd of city cars that sport SUV styling, like the Volkswagen Cross Up and Fiat Panda 4x4, according to a report from Automotive News Europe. Sporting a bumped-up ride height and tougher body work, it's a dedicated soft-roader, but will freshen the Adam's lineup and, hopefully, broaden its customer appeal.
The Adam Rocks, according to IHS Automotive analyst Ian Fletcher, should also make some more coin for GM's struggling European arm. "Automakers are happy to meet demand for SUV and crossovers as the customer pays a premium," Fletcher told ANE. And although the Rocks might have been planned from the start as a production vehicle, the timing, with the Adam's sales slowdown, doesn't seem like a coincidence.

Man arrested after teaching his dog to drive a Buick 100 mph

A Washington state man riding shotgun in an old Buick was arrested after fleeing a hit-and-run incident and leading police on a high-speed chase on an Interstate freeway. Meanwhile, the driver, his pet pit bull, got off scot-free. Such was the scene Sunday near Seattle, where police arrested a 51-year-old man from Lakewood, Wash., who told them he was teaching his dog how to drive. The man was apparently steering the car from the passenger seat. Reports say the man, whose name was not released, was driving his 1996 Buick on Interstate 5 when he allegedly struck two vehicles in South Seattle near the Boeing Access Road and then fled north on I-5. The car was spotted on the interstate near the Snohomish River in Everett, and officials told KOMO-TV the vehicle was driving more than 100 miles per hour when they began pursuit. The vehicle left the freeway near the Stanwood exit — 57 miles north of the hit-and-run — and then drove onto the nearby Centennial Trail, a rails-to-trail bike path. The chase finally ended after police were able to deploy spike strips. Police found the man seated in the passenger seat and his dog behind the wheel. The man appeared to have been steering for the canine. The man was arrested on suspicion of DUI, reckless driving and hit-and-run feeling eluding. Weird Car News Buick