Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Crossover, Acura, Honda, Luxury

Ford isn't the only one having recall trouble with its crossovers this week. Honda has just announced a voluntary recall for its 2012 CR-V, as well as the 2013 Acura ILX, to correct an issue with their front door latches. According to Honda, operating the front driver or passenger inner door handle and the door locks simultaneously could disengage the handle's release cable, which in turn may result in the door not latching when closed or popping open when the door locks are used.

No accidents or injuries have been reported, but the recall casts a wide net over vehicles sold in North America and elsewhere around the world. Honda says 166,000 CR-V models and 6,200 ILX models are affected in the U.S., but Automotive News reports those numbers swell to 321,453 affected vehicles when the rest of Honda's markets around the world are taken into account.

To fix the problem, Honda will begin notifying customers in August by mail to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer where both front door latches, as well as the interior door handles in some CR-Vs, will be replaced.

Continue reading Honda recalls 172,200 CR-V and Acura ILX models over bum door latches

Honda recalls 172,200 CR-V and Acura ILX models over bum door latches originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Ford

This is shaping up to be a pretty bad week for the brand spankin' new 2013 Ford Escape. Just three days ago, a recall was announced concerning a brake interference issue, and today, the Escape is under fire for, well, fire. Or at least the possibility of it.

Escape models fitted with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine are being recalled due to a faulty engine compartment fuel line which could possibly split and leak fuel. You know the natural progression from there - leaky fuel in the engine can potentially cause a fire underhood.

Ford is currently advising its owners not to drive their vehicles. The automaker is having dealerships deliver loaner vehicles to these customers and dealer representatives will transport the affected Escapes to the service bay for repair. The full repair should reportedly take about an hour to complete, depending on part availability.

Escape models fitted with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost and naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four are not affected by this recall. Ford estimates that roughly 11,500 models in North America will be recalled due to this issue, most of which are in the United States.

Heck, this hasn't even been a good week for older Escapes. 2002-2004 models are drawing new scrutiny from investigators following accusations that Ford botched a recall over an accelerator cable issue, issuing a fix that may have resulted in damaged cruise control cables. The recall happened seven years ago, and the investigation covers some 470,000 examples of the popular SUV.

Scroll down for the official release.

Continue reading 2013 Ford Escape suffers second recall this week

2013 Ford Escape suffers second recall this week originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Toyota

Aside from its shiny new EV counterpart, there hasn't been much happening in the world of the Toyota RAV4. That's set to change, though, as these spy shots indicate that a refreshed model isn't too far down the pipeline.

Just how refreshed will it be? Well, considering the fact that the RAV4's last major redesign took place six years ago, we hope that there are some significant changes under all of that camouflage. We can already see some new design elements, including a front fascia that reminds us of what we see on the new Camry. Arguably, the current RAV4 is a pretty handsome little thing, but with more and more crossovers adding curvy lines, we wouldn't be shocked if this new model gained a dose of rakishness. Well, as much as Toyota can muster, anyway.

Other details remain slim, but expect the interior to get a much-needed update, likely incorporating features like Toyota's Entune infotainment system. Under the hood, four-cylinder engines are likely going to be the driving force, including a rumored hybrid variant, but we won't rule out the inclusion of the automaker's 3.5-liter V6, as well.

The new RAV4 will likely debut later this year in time for the 2013 model year.

Camry-inspired Toyota RAV4 prototype caught originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Citroën, Humor

Europeans, as we know, take their football (our soccer) seriously - it isn't until a team wins that their fans can stop being so focused and have some serious fun. Exhibit A: after the German national team beat Argentina in Euro 2012, some chaps still full of cheer (and beer, presumably) came upon this woman trying to slot her tiny Citroën C2 into an equally tiny parking spot. Naturally, they decided she could use a cheer of her own. It is guaranteed this did not happen after the Germany-Italy game.

When people say they want their own theme music or cheering section or Mariachi band, we're pretty sure this is isn't at all what they mean. But it's funny for us. Check it out below.

Continue reading Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker

Watch some drunk German football fans cheer on a parallel parker originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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