Recall Alert: BMW 550i Gran Turismo, 7 Series

BMW has issued a recall for the 2010 550i Gran Turismo and 2009-2010 7 Series, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is due to a failure to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard No. 110, “Tire Selection and Rims.” The tire pressure label on these vehicles incorrectly indicates the vehicle’s seating capacity as five passengers when its actual capacity is only four. The rest of the label’s information is correct.

For the 7 Series, this refers to a luxury package that adds the option of “rear comfort seats,” which adds power rear seats and reduces the seating capacity from three to two in the back. The Gran Turismo just recently went on sale.

BMW has not yet said what it will do to fix the labeling issue, so there is no schedule for when the recall will begin. Owners may contact BMW at 800-831-1117 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

Cars.com Prepares You for Tax Season

With tax season upon us, Cars.com wants to make sure you’re aware of the credits available to car buyers. Tax credits are still available for many hybrids and clean-diesel vehicles, thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. You can either browse qualifying vehicles by our list of make, model and year, or head to the frequently asked questions page for quick clarifications.

Tax Credits and Cars (Cars.com)

Toyota Adds Brake Override to More Recalled Models

In what it’s calling an “additional measure of confidence,” Toyota is adding a brake override system to three additional models involved in two major recalls. However, the new total of eight models receiving this upgrade is still short of the 15 models involved in either the sticky accelerator pedal recall, the improper fitting floormat recall or the more recent recall of the Toyota Prius and Lexus HS 250h hybrid for faulty braking systems. And Toyota stresses that the brake override system is not an actual remedy for the defects.

The new models include the 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2009-2010 Venza and 2008-2010 Sequoia. They join the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 IS 350 and 2006-2010 IS 250, which are already slated to receive the new system. 

Today's News From the Cars.com Family

A reader wants to know what differences the 2010 GMC Acadia and the 2010 Chevy Traverse might have, and Ask.cars.com explains. Then, PickupTrucks.com reports on GM, which is examining diesel alternatives for heavy-duty pickups. Finally, MotherProof.com takes a look at vanity license plates and asks that age-old question: hot or not?

Is There a Difference Between the 2010 GMC Acadia and the 2010 Chevy Traverse? (Ask.cars.com)
GM Examining Diesel Alternatives for HD Pickups (PickupTrucks.com)
Hot or Not: Vanity License Plates (MotherProof.com)

Recall Alert: 2004 Saab 9-3

Saab has issued a recall for 14,126 9-3 vehicles from the 2004 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is due to a problem with the seat belts. Some of the ’04 9-3s were produced with front seat-belt retractors that could fail.

If the belt does not properly retract during a crash, the occupant might not be restrained, which could lead to serious injury.

Dealers will replace the seat-belt retractor for free on the driver’s side. For the passenger side, Saab will provide only special warranty coverage that will last 10 years from a new vehicle’s date of sale. Owners may contact Saab at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.

Grand Jury Subpoenas Toyota Documents

A federal prosecutor and the Securities and Exchange Commission have opened investigations into Toyota over its recent recalls and safety issues, the automaker acknowledged today.

Toyota says it plans to comply with subpoenas issued from both. The grand jury request was made from the Southern District of New York on Feb.8, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office in that district has not confirmed the investigation. The company also says the SEC has filed a subpoena as well for a document request. The SEC is reportedly looking into the company’s disclosure policies and practices.

These two investigations could be more damaging to the company than the public hearings in front of Congress scheduled for the next two days. Some experts tell the Associated Press that the subpoenas might limit the amount of testimony Toyota executives are willing to give at the hearings because of the risk of legal liability. 

Mercedes-Benz F800 Concept

• Looks like: Mercedes is stealing designs from Volvo
• Defining characteristics: Plug-in hybrid powetrain, minivan rear door
• Ridiculous features: A touchpad control system that uses a video camera to sense where your hand is reaching
• Chance of being mass-produced: The design is actually very close to what the next CLS sedan will look like

If you thought the season of new concept and production cars was over after the L.A., Detroit and Chicago auto shows, you’re wrong. Not only do we have the New York show looming in April, but Europe’s big outing, the Geneva International Motor Show, kicks off in early March.

That’s where Mercedes will show the F800 Style research vehicle shown here. It’s truly a research vehicle because it’s unlikely the tech underneath the hood will make it as-is to any car any time soon. The design, however, is close to what the next-generation CLS sports sedan will look like, but we’re unsure of a release date for that model.

What won’t be found on the CLS are rear doors that open like a minivan’s or a plug-in hybrid powertrain mating a 300-horsepower V-6 engine to a 109-hp electric motor for total power of “around 409 hp,” Mercedes claims. However, Mercedes says this type of powertrain will be found in the next-generation S-Class in an S500 plug-in hybrid. No release date was given for that, either.

If the design is heading to production and the powertrain is likely headed to production, what besides that minivan door is a pie-in-the-sky concept? Try a center console with a touchpad. What’s so wild about that? The touchpad isn’t capacitive touch, like the upcoming MyFord Touch system. Instead, it uses a camera to track where you hand is moving to coordinate what controls to adjust. Sounds intriguing, but it might be hard to use while in motion.

More photos of the F800 are below.

BMW Confirms All-Electric Car

GM may have the Volt and Nissan the Leaf, but BMW is jumping into the electric vehicle game at full tilt as well. Today, the company announced it would build a zero-emission electric car in its Leipzig plant in Germany. That’s where the small 1 Series and X1 SUV — sold only in Europe — are built.

BMW says this new electric car will not be a BMW but will be sold as a “sub-brand” in the next few years. That could mean BMW will create an all-new electric brand or it could be sold as a Mini.

The Leipzig plant opened in 2005 and can produce up to 730 vehicles a day, according to the company’s website. 

Recall Alert: 2005-06 Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Grand Caravan

Chrysler is conducting a recall of 312,442 Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2005-2006 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is for vehicles originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Alaska and the District of Columbia.

A front crash sensor may crack in certain cold environments and allow water to leak into the sensor, causing it to fail. This will illuminate the airbag warning light, at which point the owner should get the vehicle serviced. If the front crash sensors don’t work, the airbag may fail to deploy in an accident.

Chrysler will replace the front airbag sensor with a new one with an improved design for free. The campaign will not begin until June, however. Owners may contact Chrysler at 800-853-1403 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

New Questions Arise Around Toyota Recalls

In documents released to the government and disclosed by the media over the weekend, a Toyota executive touted savings of $100 million for avoiding a full-scale recall of 2007 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 350 sedans — as well as other models — for unintended acceleration. Many news outlets are picking up on this document as a sign that Toyota not only knew about the problem earlier than it publicly admitted, but that cost savings drove its decision making.  

The reality is, it’s not uncommon for corporate documents to attach a monetary value to each and every action, and even the safety divisions of corporations have financial goals set by the company. The statement also clearly uses the phrase “no defect found” in referring to the dealings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, suggesting that it was less a coverup than a disagreement over the nature of the problem.

Unfortunately for Toyota, regardless of what it meant in that internal document, consumers are likely to review this document — and the reams still to come in congressional hearings — for any signs that the company put profits ahead of safety. As the automaker has discovered over the past few months, perception is a reality all its own with American consumers. It’s likely the semantics of Toyota’s internal presentation about a safety issue will be a hot topic at the congressional hearings starting Tuesday.  

In other Toyota news: