General Motors recalls over 350,000 Pickups because Poor Alternator Connection may cause Crash or Fire

Washington, D.C. – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks.

An intermittent electrical connection between the B+ battery cable and the alternator could cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The intermittent connection could also lead to electrical arcing, which could generate sufficient heat to damage surrounding material, increasing the risk of a fire.

[Read more]

2014 Annual Auto Reliability Survey by Consumer Reports shows Infotainment Systems are a Growing First-Year Reliability Plague

Troublesome Q50, QX60 models drop Infiniti 14 spots; Lexus tops rankings

Yonkers, NY – Multi-function, cross-linked infotainment systems and the associated in-car electronics are a growing reliability plague for many brands, according to Consumer Reports 2014 Annual Reliability Survey.

First-year models from Infiniti, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, Cadillac, Ford, and Honda have all seen significant problem rates from infotainment bugs and glitches. Of the 17 problem areas CR asks about in its survey, the category including in-car electronics generated more complaints from owners of 2014 models than for any other category. [Read more]

Consumer Reports road test scores lists Chevrolet Silverado the Top Truck, but Ram 1500 Makes For a Better Daily Driver

Showdown between the Silverado 1500 & Ram 1500 was neck-and-neck

Yonkers, NY – In a heavy-metal duel between two top pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500’s “Excellent” road-test score makes it Consumer Reports’ top-rated truck. But testers point out that the second-place Ram 1500 may be a better daily driver.

Each model won skirmishes along the way, and they finished one-two in a competitive pickup truck category— separated by only three points. Both trucks outscored the previously-tested Ford’s F-150 XLT, which 3.5-liter EcoBoost turbo V6 and 5.0-liter V8 versions rank third and fourth respectively.

[Read more]