1963 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz 2dr Convertible on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Auto execs face life in prison for recall delays under proposed legislation

The stiff punishments are part of broader transportation legislation, but clearly McCaskill has automakers in her sights.
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill threw down the gauntlet this week, proposing a bill that could send auto executives to prison for life if they were found to have delayed a recall. She also wants to eliminate the limit for fines for auto safety violations, which are currently capped at $35 million.

2015 Cadillac ATS, CTS recalled over brake issue

A problem with the brakes on the 2015 ATS and CTS has prompted Cadillac to issue a recall. According to the notice below from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue revolves around the bracket that connects the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the brakes. Even under normal operation, that bracket could fracture, impeding the ability to slow or stop the vehicle. That, as you're surely aware, could increase the risk of a crash. The issue affects a reported 2,163 vehicles in the United States. Owners will need to be bring their vehicles in to their local dealership to have those brackets replaced starting on August 1. See the complete recall notice below. RECALL Subject : Brake Pedal Bracket may Fracture Report Receipt Date: JUN 09, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V358000 Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Potential Number of Units Affected: 2,163 Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Cadillac ATS and CTS vehicles. The affected vehicles have a bracket between the brake pedal assembly and the rod that actuates the brakes that may fracture during normal brake pedal operation. CONSEQUENCE: If the bracket fractures, the driver would not be able to apply the brakes, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected bracket, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 1, 2015. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15352. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Mark Reuss: GM can't afford product 'misses,' has 'thought about' CT6 V-Series

Mark Reuss is a busy man. He oversees General Motors' global product portfolio, an all-encompassing task for a company that sold more than 9.9 million cars and trucks last year. When GM launches a well-received product, like the road-going rocket ship that is the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 – he gets credit. When the company stumbles with the slow-selling Chevy Malibu or grapples with fallout from the decade-old Saturn Ion and its flawed ignition switch, he gets blamed. GM owners, the press and sometimes the federal government, demand answers. Bob Lutz famously held the job before Reuss. So did Mary Barra, who's now GM's chief executive. There's a New GM, but the lineage is connected to a long history. When he's not thinking product, Reuss, an executive vice president, also runs the purchasing and supply chain for the company, which is still one of the largest industrial empires in the world. We caught up with Reuss on the floor of the New York Auto Show, where GM had just rolled out two crucial new products: the 2016 Cadillac CT6 and the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Speaking with a small group of reporters, Reuss delved into a variety of subjects, including the new Malibu, Cadillac's future (he thinks the ATS-V is going to "flame the M3 and M4"), and other topics. On fixing the Malibu: "We can't miss. We can't have those kinds of misses [like the previous generation] on our cars and crossovers and trucks. We can't do that. If we do that, we give a reason for someone to go buy something else. It's that simple. "On a car like the Malibu we have a chance to really fix all of that, which we have, and then lead. Then you've got a real opportunity there. So that's what we've really been focused on here – to fix those things." He later added: "We need that car here to transform Chevrolet desperately because it's the heart of the market. And when you think of Chevrolet, people will come back and think about what we did with the [new] Malibu and the Cruze... It's hugely important to us." On Cadillac: "If we go out and try and out-German the Germans, it's probably not going to work. We've got an opportunity here generationally where there's a lot of people younger than me that have parents that drove BMWs and Mercedes, and I think there's an opportunity there for those people to drive something different than what their parents did, and I think that's always been an opportunity in the auto industry if you look at the history of it.