Hasta La Gadget!

Toyota is talking up some of the details on its refreshed 2014 4Runner SUV. Toyota says that the new SUV has a “rugged exterior design” helping it to look as if it’s meant to go off-road. The 4Runner is one of the more off-road capable of the SUVs on the market today. The 2014 will mark the fifth-generation of Toyota’s classic SUV and brings a new exterior design along with interior refinement according to the automaker.

The SUV uses body-on-frame construction with suspension technology yielding off-road capability with a smooth ride and comfort on the road. The vehicle will be offered in three different versions including a SR5, Limited, and Trail version. The Trail version of the all-new SUV is aimed specifically at drivers who want the most off-road capability they can get.

The less off-road oriented SR5 and Limited will also have optional third row seating allowing the SUV to haul up to seven people. Toyota will continue to offer rear wheel drive, part-time 4×4, and full-time 4×4 drive trains. All models will use the same 4.0-liter 270 hp V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission. The refreshed 4Runner gets a new front fascia the more rugged and aggressive appearance.

The new front end includes a “muscular front grille” and spoke headlamps. Both the SR5 and Trail editions have color keyed grille inserts and front bumper with fog lamps. The Trail version also has color keyed bumpers and over fenders. All versions of the 2014 4Runner get a standard roof rack. The Limited edition is fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels and the SR5 and Trail grade get 17-inch wheels, all painted black. Available colors for 2014 carrying over from 2013 include Blizzard Pearl, Classic Silver Metallic, Magnetic Grey Metallic, and Black. Several new colors will be available including Super White, Attitude Black Metallic, Barcelona Red Metallic, and Nautical Blue Metallic.

[via Toyota]

Toyota 2014 4Runner refresh tries to ramp up ruggedness is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Nissan has issued another recall for its 2013 Nissan Altima sedan due to a potential issue regarding the Altima’s spare tire. The company filed a document with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, stating that 123,308 of its 2013 Nissan Altima’s potentially have spare tires that are significantly over-inflated or under-flated. Nissan says that Altimas built between March 21, 2012 and March 26, 2013 are potentially affected.

With the spare tires being over or under-inflated, they can fail without warning the driver, leading to an bigger risk of crashing. 2013 Nissan Altima owners are expected to receive their recall notifications beginning May 3rd. They will be asked to bring in their vehicles to their nearest, authorized Nissan dealer who will proceed to inspect and fix the spare tire issues at no charge.

This isn’t the first time that Nissan issued a recall for the 2013 Nissan Altima. Earlier in March, Nissan recalled the vehicle due to a potential problem with the airbags. The airbags would improperly deploy during a crash, which could have led to injury, and worse, death. Alongside the 2013 Nissan Altima, the Nissan Sentra, the Nissan Pathfinder SUV, and the 2013 Nissan Leaf EV were all recalled as well.

Just last week, Nissan also issued a recall for around 20,000 of its 2013 Pathfinder and 2013 Infinite JX vehicles as well. The vehicles potentially had faulty brakes due to one component in the brakes being manufactured incorrectly. The faulty component could potentially reduce the braking power of the affected vehicles, resulting in an increased chance of crashes. Customers with the affected vehicles are expected to receive their recall notifications in early May as well.

[via The Wall Street Journal]

2013 Nissan Altima recalled due to potential spare tire issue is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

General Motors will soon lose its title as North America’s leader in rechargeable auto sales and Tesla will take its throne. Shanna Hendriks, spokeswoman for Tesla, stated that the company is expected to report a minimum of 4,750 deliveries of its Model S vehicles in North America when it releases its first quarter results on May 8th. That number will surpass the 4,421 Chevrolet Volts that GM delivered as well as the 3695 Nissan Leafs that were delivered.

Tesla started selling its Model S vehicles back in the middle of 2012, and it has plans of delivering 20,000 of its vehicles this year. So far its shipments are limited to North American consumers. Customers are able to purchase a Model S thanks to Tesla’s financing tool that will allow customers to pick up a Model S for virtually no down-payment and with monthly payments of $500 a month for 36 months. Elon Musk also promises customers that they can sell their Model S back after 36 months for the “same residual value percentage as the iconic Mercedes S Class.”

However, despite Tesla’s growth in sales last quarter, it still won’t reach the sales of GM and Nissan, who both sold 30,000 of their rechargeable vehicles last year. Tesla, being a small business, is limited to sales in only the United States and Canada, and until it can sell its Model S vehicles to other countries, it may have a tough time. According to one analyst, its small size will put it under financial pressure. John Wolkonowicz, an auto analyst in Boston, states,

“Tesla’s small size, relative to GM and Nissan, will keep the electric-car maker under financial pressure. The auto business is all about capital intensity, you have to spend money to keep improving your products and develop new ones. A small little auto company like Tesla, I just don’t think they can do it.”

Regardless, Tesla is doing well so far. The company says that in its 10-year history, it will be reporting its first-quarter profit on May 8th. The company also plans on repaying its loan from the Department of Energy 5 years in advance. Tesla’s vehicles appeal to customers not just because of their build quality, but also because of the company’s policies that assure that its customers will receive high quality service when purchasing their vehicles. Alongside the financing tool, Tesla will also provide a complete warranty program that will cover “essentially anything that happens to your vehicle”. The program will last for 8-years after you purchase your vehicle.

[via Bloomberg]

Tesla Model S surpasses GM Chevrolet Volt in sales is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Carfax is a service that allows users to essentially perform a background check on cars, getting a look into their history and whether they’ve been in any reported wrecks, been salvaged, or any other details that could drastically reduce the asking price. While some consumers swear by the service, some dealerships aren’t happy with it, saying that the company is “monopolist” and in violation of antitrust laws.

A total of 120 car dealerships have joined forces to file an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Carfax, rallying against what they say is its anti-competitive practices and other related issues. The dealerships are located across the nation, spanning from California to the East Coast and back again.

Such a high number of dealerships exceed what the plaintiffs, represented by Bellavia Blatt Andron & Crosset, expected, with their attorney saying they anticipated between 25 and 50. Such wasn’t the case, with many more proving eager to take part in the push against Carfax and its alleged devious actions, which include charging higher-than-industry-norm rates for dealers to pull up vehicle history reports and exclusive agreements that leave its competitors without a leg to stand on.

For example, the lawsuit says that Carfax has exclusive agreements that requires dealers to purchase its history reports. With dealers in this vice, the company then jacks the price up, charging more than is considered within the normal range. Another problem is the exclusive agreements it is said to have with AutoTrader.com and Cars.com that require dealers who list used cars on the sites to only provide history reports from Carfax.

Carfax said it can’t comment on the issue.

[via Automotive News]

Carfax suffers antitrust lawsuit from auto dealerships across the nation is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This week the folks at Tesla have made it clear that they’re aiming for the complete satisfaction of the final owner of any Tesla Model S electric vehicle with a complete warranty program. This program has been announced to be bringing on an initial fleet of around 100 Model S vehicles in a “loaner service fleet” for if a customer with a vehicle in the shop for repairs. Tesla has also revealed a valet services along with this warantee program update complete with an 8-year time span.

The program spoken about here will work with current owners of the Tesla Model S and will cover essentially anything that happens to your vehicle just so long as you didn’t intentionally make it happen yourself. In fact, they go so far as to cover all damage excluding intentional damage, colission, or the opening of a battery pack by non-Tesla crew.

“Except in the cases of a collision, opening of the battery pack by non-Tesla personnel or intentional abuse (lighting the pack on fire with a blowtorch is not covered!), all damage is covered by warranty, including improper maintenance or unintentionally leaving the pack at a low state of charge for years on end.” – Tesla Motors

If you’ve got your car in for repairs, this program lets you grab a loaner car that, if you enjoy using more than the car you own, can be purchased at a price lower by 1% per month of age and $1 per mile. Using this program will allow the Tesla fleet on the road to never turn in to an “aging fleet of overused cars”, as they say.

“We’re focused on the things that needed the most attention, it started with the design and engineering of the car, then went to the production of the car… now we’re focusing on a warantee program for the world’s best car.” – Musk

This system works with the Model S, but we’re expecting it’ll be pushed to whatever other vehicles are released by the company in the future as well. If you yourself own a Tesla vehicle, please feel free to contact SlashGear with your input on the new warrantee system, whether your satisfied or not. Have a peek in our Car hub for more information on the vehicle universe in general and head down to the timeline below to track Tesla’s change in the very recent past!

Elon Musk promises “complete peace of mind” in newest Tesla Motors bid is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.