Takata Offers Its Rebuttal to Report of Secret Airbag Tests

By HIROKO TABUCHI

Toru Hanai/Reuters

A billboard for the Takata Corporation in Tokyo.

The Japanese manufacturer said the accusations that it knew of defects in its airbags but did not report them confuse “multiple events occurring at different times.”

Honda Discloses Fifth Takata Airbag-Linked Fatality, Widens Recall

By REUTERS

Honda said on Thursday that a driver in Malaysia died in July after being hit by shrapnel from an airbag supplied by the Takata Corporation - the fifth such fatality and the first outside the United States.

U.S. Accepts Trinity’s Plan to Test Design of Guardrail

By DANIELLE IVORY and AARON M. KESSLER

The ET-Plus, made by Trinity Industries and suspected of malfunctioning during crashes, will be tested by a research organization in San Antonio.

Passat sedans are assembled in Volkwagen's plant in Chattanooga.

VW to Allow Labor Groups to Represent Workers at Chattanooga Plant

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE

The U.A.W., which lost a vote in February to represent the workers, hailed the policy because it would mean partial recognition of the union and regular discussions with management.

From Our Automobiles Section

In Self-Driving Cars, a Potential Lifeline for the Disabled

By PAUL STENQUIST

Google

Google has done extensive testing with self-driving vehicle prototypes.

The cars could prove to be a life-changing breakthrough for many people with disabilities, granting them a new measure of independence.

Behind the Wheel

Power in the Mercedes GLA250 comes from an engine shared with the CLA sedan, a 2-liter direct-injection 4-cylinder rated at 208 horsepower. The turbocharged engine produces 258 pound-feet of torque.

Pampered Baby Knows How to Crawl

By CHRISTOPHER JENSEN

The GLA, which shares much of its innards with the least expensive Mercedes automobile, the CLA-Class, enters a growing segment of small luxury S.U.V.s from other automakers.

Slide Show: 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 and GLA45 AMG

Berlin Welcomes Back the Trabant, if Only for a Day

By PAUL HOCKENOS

The Trabant, the flyweight car produced by East Germany, remains a beloved artifact in Germany.

Maintenance

Free Service, for One Owner Only

By CHERYL JENSEN

BMW has announced that its complimentary maintenance plan can be transferred to subsequent buyers only if they are members of the owner’s family.

Motoring

Some 2014 Camaros with manual transmissions may get stuck in gear.

An Outbreak of Fluid Leaks

By SCOTT STURGIS

Harsh-shifting Jaguar transmissions and Volkswagens with balky door handles are among the maladies covered in the latest technical service bulletins.

Other News

Video: The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe Is Not Your Aunt’s Coupe DeVille

By TOM VOELK

Martin Campbell

The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe.

Cadillac has brought the coupe form to its ATS line, aiming to compete with German cars like the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series.

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

William Clay Ford Jr., executive chairman of Ford, on Tuesday at the introduction of the new F-150 pickup, said gasoline consumption was a concern for drivers.

First Aluminum-Body Ford F-Series Pickup Trucks Come Off Assembly Line

By BILL VLASIC

The automaker hopes that the truck will be a hit with consumers and be a step toward reaching new government fuel standards.

Jean Averill, shown in a photograph with her son Mark, died in a car crash in December 2003, the earliest fatality linked to a defective ignition switch used in G.M. cars.

11 Years Later, Woman’s Death Is Tied to G.M. Ignition Defect

By RACHEL ABRAMS

The family of a woman who died when her General Motors car crashed in 2003 was never told her death was linked to a flaw that has killed at least 12 others.

G.M. Ordered a Half-Million Replacement Switches 2 Months Before Recall NYT Now

Rodney O’Neal, left, chief executive of Delphi Automotive, and Mary Barra, head of G.M., after a Senate hearing in July.

G.M. Ordered a Half-Million Replacement Switches 2 Months Before Recall

By HILARY STOUT and BILL VLASIC

An urgent order for new ignition switches was made in December 2013, though it took General Motors nearly two more months to recall cars with the defective part.

SheRides, a New York Taxi Service Aimed at Women, Finds a Loyal Following

By WINNIE HU

A new app for a livery car company in New York is offering rides for women by women, but critics say the business reeks of gender discrimination.

G.M.'s Futurliners, lined up for a Parade of Progress tour.

Wheelies: The Parade of Progress Edition

By BENJAMIN PRESTON

A restored G.M. Futurliner from the Parade of Progress to appear at a Washington car show; G.M. to cut a shift at its Cadillac plant in Lansing, Mich.

Andi McCann, head instructor of the Rolls-Royce White Glove driver program.

Rolls-Royce Resurrects Professional Driver Course

By PHIL PATTON

The automaker says the White Glove program seeks to train drivers that match the quality of its high-end cars.

Wheelies: The Scion Concept Edition

By BENJAMIN PRESTON

Scion says it will introduce the iM Concept at the Los Angeles auto show next week; Chrysler announces pricing for the Ram ProMaster City compact van.

Wheelies: The Duality of Honda Edition

Honda releases an interactive ad for the sporty Civic R; Ford begins production of the new F-150 pickup truck.

The hulk of Detroit’s old train station has long stood as a symbol of the city's urban decay.

DealBook

Detroit Emerges From Bankruptcy, Pension Risk Still Intact

By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH

While Detroit’s plan to exit bankruptcy has been praised, its pension system relies on some of the same assumptions that got it into trouble in the first place.

‘What Exit?’ For Some in New Jersey, the Answer Has Changed

By MARC SANTORA

Residents of Lakewood have lost Exit 88 on the Garden State Parkway as part of a plan to improve connections with local roads.

Advertising

Volkswagen to Sponsor a CNN Series

By STUART ELLIOTT

The sponsorship opportunity includes automotive category exclusivity during each CNN Films presentation.

T Magazine

The Knowledge, London’s Legendary Taxi-Driver Test, Puts Up a Fight in the Age of GPS

By JODY ROSEN

Memorizing the city’s 25,000 streets might be the most difficult test in the world. As technology imperils this tradition, is there an argument for learning as an end in itself?

Exclusive-Volkswagen's Talks to Raise Stake in Its Chinese Joint Venture Stall

By REUTERS

Volkswagen's bid to increase its stake in a lucrative joint venture with Chinese partner FAW has stalled just as the German automaker is stepping up expansion in its biggest market, company sources said.

Frequent Flier

Mr. O'Connell in Chicago earlier this year.

Making Friends With Free Racing Tickets

By JIM O’CONNELL

A Nascar executive tries to be as civil as possible on flights, happily changing seats and hoisting luggage — but giving away tickets makes him most popular.

A Buick LeSabre was seized in September by the Robbinsville Police Department in New Jersey.

Police Use Department Wish List When Deciding Which Assets to Seize

By SHAILA DEWAN

Police officers and prosecutors give tips on civil asset forfeiture, the practice allowing the government, without ever filing a criminal charge, to seize property believed to have ties to crime, in seminars across the country.