Mike Geylin is the Senior Editor for The BRAKE Report. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.
CHATHAM, Mass. – “LARGER THAN LIFE” headlines Infiniti’s website page for the QX80, and after a week of piloting a Sensory-trim version on the cold roads of Cape Cod, it was obviously the perfect description of the luxury brand’s flagship sport-utility vehicle (SUV). The three-row large-SUV segment — which includes…
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – Daimler Vans USA, LLC is recalling almost 50,000 model-year 2019-2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans with manual parking brakes and seven-speed automatic transmissions because a potentially faulty software program may allow them to roll even when the transmission selector is in “Park.” According to the National Highway Traffic…
NEWARK, N.J. – Ferrari and Bosch are defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court here alleging a brake fluid leak had caused loss of braking capability in several models of the high-end Italian brand and the companies knew about the issue. Ferrari agreed to a recall campaign…
CHATHAM, Mass. – The new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz Limited AWD is the latest in the line of ever-improving, top-flight sport utility vehicles (SUV) from the Korean auto maker, except it’s not. At least, according to Hyundai, it is not a SUV per se, nor, despite its open bed, a…
SAINT-JEROME, Qué. – The Lion Electric Company of Quebec will recall certain hybrid-electric school buses with a potential electrical fault which could lead to loss of power assist for the braking and steering systems. The 170 buses in the recall population, produced between April 1, 2016 and Dec. 10, 2021,…
HAGERSTOWN, Ind. – Autocar, LLC has agreed to recall certain model-year 2020-2021 Autocar Xpeditor large trucks to correct a potentially insecurely attached GPS system which might interfere with the truck’s braking system. Owners of the 251 left-hand-drive Xpeditors produced between Nov. 2, 2020 and June 16, 2021 will be contacted…
CHATHAM, Mass. – The year just concluded brought 52 disparate vehicles for a TBR Drive, from a Mini Convertible to a Nissan Frontier mid-size pickup to a Ford Transit commercial van, all of which featured automatic-emergency braking (AEB) and a suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) which would have been…
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. – Daimler Vans USA, LLC has agreed to a voluntary recall of certain 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans which might have a manufacturing defect which could lead to loss of brake fluid and thus, negatively impact the vehicle’s braking ability. The 98 vans within the recall population, produced…
CHATHAM, Mass. – Amid the growing three-row mid-size segment of sport utilities (SUVs) offered to the American consumer, Nissan launched an all-new-from-the-ground-up Pathfinder for 2022. We spent a very pleasant holiday period in a comprehensively equipped Platinum all-wheel drive (AWD) example, perfect for visiting family during the early winter season.…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nissan announced the pricing for the 2022 Kicks entry-level, sub-compact crossover (CUV) which includes technology aimed at a younger audience, including a robust array of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). All Kick models, including the $19,700 S variant, come with the Nissan Safety Shield® 360, a suite of…
Source: ZF announcement FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany — ZF has announced it has entered a strategic partnership with Swiss-based Embotech, a leading developer of pioneering decision-making software that supports automated driving systems. Providing a scalable and reliable solution for Transportation-as-a-Service (TaaS) on restricted areas, the partnership will develop customer-tailored automated solutions to…
Source: Surface Transforms announcement KNOWSLEY, U.K. — Surface Transforms plc (AIM:SCE) announced it has been selected as a tier one supplier of a carbon ceramic brake disc on the forthcoming launches of three cars of its existing customer, previously described as OEM 6. The carbon ceramic disc will be fitted as…
DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford F-150 PowerBoost™ Full Hybrid pickup truck, reviewed in this week’s TBR Drive, goes about its business quietly and efficiently, including the blending of its regenerative-braking and hydraulic-braking capabilities. Depending upon the hybrid’s need for energy replenishment of the 1.5-kilowatt battery, lifting off the accelerator pedal…
Source: Hitachi Astemo announcement and media report TOKYO – An auto-parts operation within Hitachi Ltd. yesterday admitted to more than two decades of skirting inspections and cheating on quality tests of brake and suspension systems. The company, Hitachi Astemo Ltd., a joint venture with Honda Motor Co., said about 57,000…
CHENNAI, India – Numerous press notices are reporting the recall of certain model year 2021 Royal Enfield Classic 350 motorcycles to rectify an issue with the brake reaction bracket. The reports indicated Classic 350 motorcycles with the brake-reaction bracket issue — isolated to motorcycles equipped with single-channel ABS and rear…
ALLENTOWN, Penn. – Mack Trucks, Inc. has agreed to recall certain model year 2008-2022 Mack TerraPro (MRU and TE) trucks which may have a malfunctioning parking brake and has resulted in several reports of crashes and/or injuries as well as a “stop delivery” order issued Dec. 6. According to the…
CHATHAM, Mass. – Unlike a vast number of American automotive consumers, I have never seen myself as a full-size pickup truck kind of guy. But after my second week-long session in a 2021 Ford F-150 4X4 Supercrew Limited Ecoboost full hybrid, I believe I would enjoy living with one like…
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. – Zero Motorcycles Inc. will recall 45 model year 2022 Zero SR, Zero SR/F and Zero SR/S hybrid-electric models because they have been manufactured with incorrect rear brake pads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-940, “The subject motorcycles were…
Source: Hyundai announcement FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. – The long-anticipated IONIQ 5 electric crossover utility vehicle will have a sophisticated set of standard advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), according to yesterday’s pricing and packaging announcement by the Korean automaker. The standard ADAS will include: Highway Drive Assist 1 & Smart Cruise Control…
Source: Genesis announcement SEOUL – Genesis has revealed the second generation of the G90, its flagship large our-door sedan including a plethora of luxury features as well as numerous performance and platform enhancements, including adjustable brake modes. G90 is equipped with a gasoline 3.5-liter turbocharged engine and an eight-speed automatic…
CHATHAM, Mass. – Nissan – ne Datsun – has been selling pickup trucks in the U.S. market for parts of eight decades and the new third generation of its Frontier immediately jumps to the top tier of compact haulers. The 2022 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab combines the rugged, functional…
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. / IRVINE, Calif. – Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America – both part of Hyundai Motor Group — have recalled certain model year 2020-2021 Hyundai Accent and Kia Rio models due to a potential fault within the brake master cylinder The 76 Accent and 97 Rio…
BELLEVUE, Wash. – PACCAR Incorporated is recalling certain model year 2019-2022 Peterbilt and Kenworth wreckers and auto haulers which might have a defect in the “winch” brake system which could cause the service brake to disengage. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-906,…
CHATHAM, Mass. – Chevrolet offers a diverse family of seven sport utility/crossover utility vehicles ranging from the subcompact Trax to the LARGE Suburban. In 2021 the brand brought back the Trailblazer moniker, a name which for years adorned a midsize, then large truck-based SUV, for a new subcompact slotted between…
DEARBORN, Mich. – Ford Motor Company is recalling approximately 115,000 model-year 2021 and 2022 Escape and Bronco Sport sport utility vehicles (SUV) due to a potential defect in the rear brake linings which could impact braking performance. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Part 573 Safety Recall Report…
