There has been a trend of high profile NHTSA investigations recently, the most notable being Toyota‘s unintended acceleration and GM‘s Chevy Volt fire hazard. Although both cases have closed, NHTSA has announced a new case involving 830,000 Toyota vehicles for possible fire hazards.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating a possible fire hazard that affects 830,000 Toyota vehicles made in 2007. This investigation consists the 2007 Toyota Camry, Solara, and RAV4. According to reports, Toyota owners have complained of a fire originating from the driver’s door. In a particular report, an owner claimed that a burning odor came from the door, then ignited in flames and destroyed the vehicle. No injuries were reported. Investigators believe it is a malfunction of the master switch controlling power windows.

Recently, Honda has also recalled a million CR-V and Fit models for defected power-window master switches that caused fires.

Before it was floor mats, now its power window switches. Sometimes the smallest components seem to cause Toyota the biggest problems.

After its fourth straight year resulting in a net loss, Mazda is now looking for partners to help bolster their capital.

Mazda has had a net loss $1.29 billion this fiscal year, and is now actively seeking any way possible to help out with its uncertain financial future. This is the worst slide Mazda has been in since 2001, when it showed a $2.0 billion net loss.

Mazda’s struggles come thanks to the strength of the Yen. Since Mazda exports such a large percentage of its cars from Japan, it’s becoming more and more difficult for the automaker to reap the benefits from the sale of those vehicles.

In response, Mazda is setting up a factory in Mexico to build the new Mazda2 and Mazda3 for the U.S and Latin American markets.

Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi has stated that he must raise capital and is “considering every option” when it comes to getting money for Mazda.

Yamanouchi is looking to gain the interest of other car makers with their environmentally friendly technology such as Skyactiv engine’s.

[Source: AutoNews]

A group of angry customers filed a class action lawsuit against Honda because they say the company manufactured and sold vehicles with defective window mechanisms.

“The right passenger side window fell into the door of my 2002 Honda Odyssey LX in September 2011. It was a startling, loud sound that jolted me,” plaintiff Phyllis Grodzitsky of San Diego said. “I lost use of my Odyssey for two days and it cost over $400 to fix the window. I made a complaint to Honda. Honda said there is no recall for the window systems on my vehicle. I feel that arrogance by a large corporation in response to a safety issue is unacceptable in this day and age.”

The suit claims such a defect poses a hazard to drivers and passengers nationwide. The vehicles said to be affected  include Honda Odyssey (pictured above), Pilot, Element, Accord, CR-V, Civic and Acura MDX models from years 1994 to 2007.

According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, there is a defective piece of plastic that is meant to keep the windows in place while the window motor operates. Their claim suggests that piece of plastic breaks under normal operating conditions, causing the defect Grodzitsky described above.

The lawsuit is being filed against Honda by two disgruntled owners who apparently have gone through repeated repairs in an attempt to fix the same issue.

They may need a good bit of luck and patience to win this, though. Power windows in decade-old cars fail routinely and it’s not outrageous to think that after 10 years of weather and friction that such a part may fail. Honda has a crack-team of vicious lawyers who deal with cases like these as if they were insects.

Cases like these also rarely render significant compensation for the plaintiffs. A woman recently took Honda to small claims court over lower-than-expected mileage in her Civic hybrid. She chose that route because even when won, class action suits often offer little more than a coupon for cheaper repairs and minor monetary compensation.

We’ll keep an eye on the case and let you know how it progresses. What are your thoughts? Tell us below.

[Source: lieffcabraser.com]

Nissan has issued a recall on 36,608 Versas regarding the cars automatic transmission system.

The vehicle can apparently be shifted out of park without depressing the brake pedal which could lead to someone inadvertently shifting their Versa into gear, allowing it roll away. This also makes the Versa a much easier vehicle for thieves to steal because they can simply slip the Versa into neutral and tow it away.

Only Versas built between June 9, 2011 and January 13, 2012 are affected by this recall. The recall is expected to begin on February 20.

For more information, Versa owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

What could be cooler than a Toyota GT 86? How about a lighter and less-expensive version, stripped down of all the unwanted frills straight from the factory and ready to be your blank-canvas of customization?

That is exactly what Toyota has done, offering the GT 86 RC model, the perfect package for anyone who wants to convert it into a track car, or modify the hell out of it.

Included in the package are 16-inch steelie wheels that we haven’t seen since the days of a 1993 Honda Civic VX hatchback. The front and rear bumpers, side mirrors, and door handles all come unpainted and of course the fog lights are gone. Even better, the interior comes without air conditioning, all the trim around the steering wheel and shifter and even tosses out the plastic intake cover under the hood – all parts that most car enthusiasts probably would never care for to begin with.

To top it off, Toyota of Japan is pricing this RC model at 1.9-million Yen, which is about $24,600 based on today’s conversion rates. While that’s nothing to really go off of to determine the pricing of the Scion FR-S in America, the point is that it is significantly cheaper than your standard base model GT 86 in Japan. To top it off, it weighs 100-lb less than the base GT 86.

Sadly, the RC trim is currently only available in Japan and Toyota has made no hint that it will offer the RC trim in America.

Check it out below, as well as several other trim models available for the GT 86 overseas, which includes a top-of-the-line GT Limited.

GALLERY: Toyota GT 86 Model Variants

Click here to read AutoGuide’s First Drive of the Scion FR-S

Toyota is taking big steps towards moving hybrids down-market. At the upcoming Geneva Motor Show the Japanese automaker will unveil the production version of its Yaris Hybrid and that’s just the start. Also set to be revealed is what Toyota is calling the FT-Bh concept.

A size down from even the sub-compact Yaris, look for the FT-Bh to be iQ sized. Toyota says it will be a full-hybrid and be “ultra-lightweight”, and yet don’t expect the use of pricey composite materials like carbon fiber. Instead, Toyota says the car will utilize materials that are currently commonplace in the industry. In a release, the automaker says the city car is designed to, “achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework,” meaning that it is most certainly already cued for production.

Numerous other concept cars will be on display at the Toyota booth, including the NS4 and FCV-R Concepts. The NS4 is a look at an all-new hybrid from Toyota, while the FCV-R uses a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain and is targeted for sale by 2015.

Joining those two will be Toyota’s diji concept, looking at the future of car-driver interaction and personalization.

And let’s not forget the European premiere of the Toyota GT 86 sports car.

GALLERY: Toyota Geneva Motor Show Preview

An old nemesis is making a return to Australia’s V8 Supercar series. From 1990 through 1992, the Nissan Skyline GT-R dominated the Australian Touring Car Championship series, running rings around Holden and Ford V8′s. During the 1991 Bathurst 1000, the GT-R even set a top-speed record that could not be matched for nine years. Finally, in 1992, Australia’s racing body charged a weight penalty and a boost pressure reduction in an attempt to level the playing field. However, that failed to slow the GT-R down as it continued to dominate its last season before new rules that required V8 powerplants banned the GT-R’s entry.

After a decade, the Nissan GT-R once again returns to the stage under the the Supercar V8′s Car of the Future program, a new project encouraging a wider variety of automakers to join the series. What’s more, Mark Skaife, the man behind the Car of the Future program, was a former GT-R racer that won many of Nissan’s victories in Australia during the early ’90s.

In order to meet the current V8 Supercar regulations, Nissan’s race car will be forced to use a generic rear-wheel-drive, V8 drivetrain. Despite the fact that it will not be an authentic GT-R racing alongside the fire breathing Aussie V8s, we do look forward to seeing more and more automakers following Nissan’s example to freshen up the Bathurst grid. So far, four GT-R’s under Kelly Racing will be participating in the 2013 season.

Watch video of the announcement below:

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Following on from its well received “100 Cars for Good” program last year, Toyota announced at the Chicago Auto Show that it would be returning for 2012.

The program will run over the course of 100 days, with Toyota awarding 100 vehicles to 100 non profit organizations in the US. In order to determine which non profits receive the cars, Toyota has organized a public voting pole on its corporate Facebook page, with the winners selected based on the highest number of votes.

Non profits interested in participating in the program can register online, beginning March 12, with the enrollment process lasting for two weeks or until 5,000 applications have been received. From these, an independent judging panel, whose members specialize in the fields of philanthropy and social responsibility will select 500 finalists. These finalists are then invited to submit videos showing how the addition of a new vehicle would help them in their work. Each of the videos will be posted on the Toyota 100 cars website. From there, beginning in May, voters will then select the 100 winners over the course of 100 days.

“At Toyota, we appreciate what a big difference a new car can make for organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities across the country,” remarked Michael Rouse, Toyota’s vice president of philanthropy and community affairs. “Over the last 20 years, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits throughout the U.S. and  100 Cars for Good allows us to build on that commitment in important, new ways by making the public an integral part of these efforts and harnessing the power of social media to expand awareness and galvanize support for organizations that are having such a tremendous impact in neighborhoods nationwide.”

How would you like to help design Nissan‘s next Z car? You can do just that – using Facebook – as Nissan announces Project 370Z.

Putting Z enthusiasts in the driver’s seat of design, Nissan launched this initiative as a chance to showcase how many options are available in this car. Using a 2013 370Z as a base, this car will be built in several different stages – power, handling/brakes and interior and exterior. To put in your two cents about each section, post your thoughts on Nissan’s Performance Facebook fan page with wall posts, likes and comments. These responses will be reviewed each voting session, and the upgrades and accessories with the most fan support will be picked for that particular phase.

“Car companies build project vehicles all the time, but we thought it’d be interesting to harness the power of social media to reach out to Z enthusiasts – the people who are doing this to their own cars everyday,” said Jon Brancheau, vice president, Nissan Marketing, NNA. “Together we’ll create a vehicle that expands on the already outstanding performance and style of the Nissan 370Z with a balance of street and track ready modifications.”

The final result will be making its grand debut in a grand setting this May during ZDayZ – in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. If you can’t make it to that momentous day, not to worry – the Project 370Z will be making an appearance at other Nissan events, such as ZCON 2012 and SEMA.

Check out a short video about Project 370Z after the jump.

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After revealing two PX-MiEV concepts, the second of which debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi has now released a few details on the production version of its new Outlander crossover, which will make its official world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Looking very much like the second PX-MiEV concept, the new Outlander promises to feature upgraded interior fixtures and proper third row seating, which seems to be the latest trend in the family crossover segment.

Sources say the new Outlander, which will initially go on sale in Russia this summer followed by other European markets, will be powered by 2.0-liter gas four-cylinder and 2.2-liter MIEVC diesel engines with a choice of front or all-wheel drive. Auto Stop technology and a six-speed automatic transmission are also reported to be in the cards, at least for some markets.

In early 2013, Mitsubishi plans to launch a Plug-in Hybrid version of the new Outlander, which will incorporate a variant of the 2.0-liter gas engine with dual electric motors (one for each set of wheels) and a lithium-ion battery pack. Clearly derrived from the second Px MiEV concept, Mitsubishi officials say that the Plug-in Hybrid version will deliver a driving range of more than 500 miles (800 km) and very low emissions output (below 50 grams per km is expected).

As for North American sales of the new Outlander, they’re expected to begin towards the tail end of 2012, though don’t bet on the diesel engine making it to our shores.