Ford Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Unintended Acceleration

Consumers in 14 states have filed a class-action lawsuit against Ford over unintended acceleration in cars built between 2002 and 2010. The suit, which was filed in a West Virginia U.S. District Court on March 28, alleges that Ford models built between 2002 and 2010 with electronic throttles can allow unintended acceleration. The vehicles in question, which include nearly three-dozen Ford, Lincoln and Mercury nameplates, lack a brake override system. Ford began installing the system in its U.S. cars in 2010.

Plaintiffs want compensation for lost resale value as well as brake-override retrofits, according to one of several law firms representing the plaintiffs. Ford began installing brake-override systems in certain European vehicles as early as 2005, the suit claimed via the Detroit News.

Unintended acceleration from electronic throttles raises a familiar storyline. From September 2009 through December 2010, Toyota recalled some 12 million cars over unintended acceleration, eventually spending well over $1 billion to settle lawsuits and pay civil fees associated with the recalls. The automaker's electronic throttles encountered heavy scrutiny, but a government panel later found that driver error, stuck gas pedals and bad floormats were to blame.

Recall Alert: 3,037 Ford and Lincoln Sedans and SUVs

Ford is recalling 3,037 model-year 2012 Taurus and 2012 Lincoln MKS sedans and 2013 Ford Explorer SUVs due to leaky fuel tanks, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were manufactured between July 19, 2011, and March 15, 2012, and their fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed side seam, which may not be strong enough in an impact. This could cause the tanks to leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Ford will begin notifying owners on April 22, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary for free. Owners may call Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236; for more info, go to www.safercar.gov.

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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Lincoln MKS

The redesigned 2013 Lincoln MKS may look more like an executive's car than a mom mobile, but it handled family duty without any problems, says Cars.com Family reviewer Sara Lacey. Its spacious backseat allowed plenty of room for her two school-aged kids, and the trunk easily handled all their luggage for a trip.

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Five New Cars Earn IIHS Top Safety Pick+

Well, that was a quick turnaround. Just seven months after eight of 11 luxury cars blew the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's new small-overlap frontal test, all five cars in the latest IIHS small-overlap test scored Acceptable or Good — the top two of four possible scores.

The 2014 Mazda6 sedan, 2013 Honda Civic Coupe and Civic Sedan, 2013 Volvo XC60 SUV and 2013 Lincoln MKZ sedan passed IIHS' most challenging frontal test, which simulates a 40-mph impact with a rigid barrier that overlaps just 25% of the front of a car. All five cars earned IIHS' Top Safety Pick+ ("plus") honor, a rank above Top Safety Pick status.

IIHS said in 2012 that some 10,000 annual highway deaths in the U.S. occur from frontal collisions, and nearly a quarter of those occur because of so-called small overlap situations.

The 2013 MKZ is the first car that documents an automaker's improvement in the same test. In August 2012, its predecessor scored poorly, allowing a belted crash-test dummy to careen toward the A-pillar rather than the front airbag. The redesigned MKZ offered better front-airbag protection, earning the car an Acceptable score. The Mazda6 scored Acceptable, too.

Lincoln Expects 2013 MKZ Supply to Hit Full Speed by April

Looking for Lincoln's redesigned 2013 MKZ or MKZ Hybrid that you saw advertised during the Super Bowl? You might have to wait a while. Cars.com national inventory has just 781 new 2013 MKZs in stock. That’s a drought compared to the rival Acura TL and Lexus ES, which each have more than 6,000 new 2013 sedans on Cars.com.

Blame a slow ramp up for the redesigned car, which went on sale late last year. The Detroit News reports Lincoln dealers should have enough cars to sell by April.

Those dealers sold just 453 MKZs in January. That's down 73% from January 2012 when the midsize luxury sedan was Lincoln's best-selling model. The plunge hobbled Lincoln sales to a 32-year low, notes Ward's Auto via Bloomberg News. The torpid sales pace came because Lincoln heightened its quality inspections, Ford sales chief Ken Czubay told Bloomberg on Feb. 1.

How The Automakers Scored in Super Bowl XLVII

Wondering which of the automakers that advertised in Super Bowl XLVII got the biggest bang from their buck, whether it was from social buzz (people tweeting or posting on Facebook) or through driving consumers to Cars.com to search for their cars and trucks?

Well, we've got answers for you. The winner on the buzz front was Ram, whose "Farmer" ad featuring the voice of the late radio great Paul Harvey drew lots of accolades. As for driving consumer action, Toyota took home the trophy. Check out our infographic below for all the details. Click on it for a larger version.

Car Talk Names Winner in Ugliest Car Contest

Last month we invited you to join us in the democratic ridicule of finalists in the Ugliest Car Contest organized by Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of NPR's "Car Talk" radio show. The votes have been tallied, and it's time to inaugurate the ultimate unattractive automobile currently in production: the Nissan Juke.

What about the Juke offended the most? Those bulbous, froglike headlights situated atop the hood. Not only did voters consider the headlights homely, but some noted the additional creep factor of feeling like they were being watched in the driver's seat. It seems some people just can't take a Juke.

In second place, things also didn't shape up well for the Nissan Cube, whose right angles were all wrong for voters. Finally, in third, the Lincoln MKT's aggressive grille was off-putting for voters who felt the crossover was gnashing its teeth at them.

It should be noted that the Fiat Multipla, which was winning handily as of Jan. 23, was disqualified when contest organizers realized it was no longer in production.

For the full rundown on the Car Talk Ugliest Car Contest, click here.

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2013 Chicago Auto Show: What to Expect

The Windy City is considered one of the fan-friendliest destinations during auto-show season, and to that end the 2013 Chicago Auto Show is unlikely to disappoint. This show will give visitors a first glimpse of a few new vehicles along with a closer look at a host of exciting cars that made flashy debuts at the Detroit auto show.

The 2013 Chicago show — the 105th time the event has been held since 1901, according to organizers — will be open to the public 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 9-17 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 18, with media and charity previews Feb. 7-8, at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. Organizers promote the Chicago show as the largest in terms of exhibit space used, as it occupies 1 million square feet of floor space and hosts about 1,000 vehicles.

For those most interested in the latest thing, the Chicago show will host the world debuts of the redesigned 2014 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck and the Kia Cross GT Concept. That's in addition to the North American reveal of the new Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. The 2014 Ram ProMaster van and the custom Superman-inspired Kia Optima Hybrid also are expected to be unveiled.

Car Talk: What's the Ugliest Car?

Just as a person's beauty is only skin deep, a car's is in the eye of the pink-slip holder. Still, there's just no denying that some have a face only an owner could love. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the hosts of NPR's "Car Talk" radio show, solicited input online to determine the ugliest automobile currently in production.

Based on the nominations received, the field was narrowed to 10: Chevrolet Spark, Fiat Multipla, Infiniti QX56, Kia Soul, Lincoln MKT, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan Cube, Nissan Juke (photo above), Toyota Prius v and the Smart ForTwo. At last check, the Multipla was trouncing the uncomely competition with nearly 39% of the vote. Its nearest opponent is the Juke with nearly 26%; the balance of the nominees' vote tallies were in the single digits.

Is the Multipla being unfairly maligned in the face of an uglier opponent? Or perhaps you wish to contribute to the pile-on? Click here to cast your vote.

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Original TV Batmobile Sells for $4.2M

BAM! POW! ZONK! A mystery bidder defeated competitors at an auction on Saturday to acquire the original Batmobile used in the 1960s "Batman" TV series, according to USA Today.

So, how much did the campy yet classic crime-fighting car fetch in this era of more "serious" Batmobiles like those seen in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy? According to USA Today, renowned car customizer George Barris' 19-foot-long, black, bubble-top 1955 Lincoln Futura driven by actor Adam West's Caped Crusader went for — "Holy sticker shock, Batman!" — $4.2 million.

USA Today reports that the winning bidder has not been disclosed, but at that price, "millionaire Bruce Wayne" of 1966 might have to settle for leasing it from the "billionaire Bruce Wayne" of today.

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