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27 Mar 2010 14:25

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Biz: GM recalls a bunch of vans, but you probably don’t own one

  • 5,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans have been recalled
  • 1,300 are being used by rental fleets and are no longer being rented source

25 Mar 2010 00:44

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Biz: A little clarity on that whole baby-sling-recall thang we posted

  • Babywearing is safe, but some slings and positions are not. While baby carriers are as old as civilization, modern babywearing has exploded in the last four years.
  • Mothering Magazine writer Elizabeth Carovillano • Giving some context to our earlier report on wearing babies like messenger bags. There’s a difference between the old-school approach holding a baby on your back or stomach and these new slings, which almost treat babies like laptops. The magazine offers some suggestions for choosing the best sling. Tip number one: “Only choose a sling that allows you to see your baby’s face.” Good idea. (hat tip Heather Denkmire) source

16 Mar 2010 21:13

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Biz: Honda trying to be like Toyota in the worst way possible

  • 412,000 cars recalled for bad brakes source

15 Mar 2010 11:05

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Biz: Odd: Toyota couldn’t make that guy’s runaway Prius run away

  • They suggest that he might’ve been lying. Last week’s uber-bizarre story, the guy whose Prius had a stuck gas pedal and was talked to safety by police, may get even weirder. Apparently, technicians have been playing with the guy’s car and have not been able to replicate the circumstances that created the incident. Driver Jim Sikes says that he stands behind his story, BTW. source

09 Mar 2010 09:37

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Biz: The runaway Toyota Prius story has legs, getting huge coverage

  • I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny … it jumped and it just stuck there. As it was going, I was trying the brakes … it wasn’t stopping.
  • James Sikes • Whose Toyota Prius wouldn’t stop on a San Diego interstate, but was miraculously stopped with the help of police. Sikes’ Prius, by the way, was one of the cars recalled because of possibility of the floor mat accelerator getting stuck in the accelerator. No word on if he took advantage of the recall. source

04 Mar 2010 20:31

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U.S.: A common flavor-enhancer just got recalled for salmonella. Yikes.

  • 50 foods that contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein recalled source

03 Mar 2010 10:34

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Biz: Let’s make sure every major car manufacturer does a recall

  • 540,000 Nissan vehicles recalled source
 

24 Feb 2010 21:29

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Biz: Why is Toyota not called “Toyoda,” like its namesake?

  • ten the number of brush strokes to write “Toyoda” in Japanese
  • eight the number of brush strokes to write “Toyota” in comparison
  • Why does this matter? Well, the number ten in Japanese resembles the plus sign, which apparently was seen as a bad omen due to the fact it also resembles crossroads. Also, “Toyota” sounds better than “Toyoda,” according to the company, which seems reasonable to us, kinda. Akio Toyoda feels shame on his company. 🙁 source

21 Feb 2010 21:25

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Biz: Toyota saved a lot of money, left a paper trail, shot itself in the foot

  • $100 million reportedly saved by having a smaller recall for their gas pedals, according to a July document
  • four people reportedly died in a crash from floor mat-related problems a month after that internal document source

13 Feb 2010 12:43

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Biz: Toyota: Might as well recall a few thousand more trucks, eh?

  • 8,000 Tacomas recalled due to drive shafts source