Insurance Guzzles Savings From Fuel-Efficient Cars

437K cars added to fix potentially lethal flaw

(AP) - Honda is adding 437,000 vehicles to its global recall for faulty and potentially lethal airbags in the latest quality catastrophe to hit a Japanese automaker. The company will replace driver-side airbags because they can deploy with too much force, causing the inflator to rupture and potentially injure or kill the driver, AP reports. More»

Matthew Broderick stars in 'Matthew's Day Off' for Honda

(NEWSER) - The full-length Ferris Bueller-inspired Super Bowl ad is here, and AdWeek dubs it "awesome." Matthew Broderick stars in "Matthew's Day Off," a Honda ad in which he calls in sick to a film shoot in order to do all sorts of fun stuff in his CR-V. The extended version of the ad (watch in the gallery) clocks in at nearly two and a half minutes, and according to its YouTube page, features more than two dozen references to the 1986 movie. "Broderick doesn't sully the original film's reputation here," writes Tim Nudd. "Quite the opposite—this is how a tribute should look." More»

Insurance firms ordered to stop sex discrimination

(NEWSER) - European women will no longer enjoy cheaper car insurance because of their sex's safer driving habits. A European Union court has made it illegal for insurance companies to base premiums on gender-based risk assessment, CNN reports. Millions of women drivers, who previously enjoyed car insurance up to 50% cheaper than their male counterparts because of male drivers' much higher accident rate, now face a hefty hike in premiums. More»

Faulty ignition locks can cause cars, SUVs to roll away

(NEWSER) - Honda recalled 384,000 vehicles today over a malfunction that could cause the cars and SUVs to roll away while parked, the Detroit News reports. The recall applies to all 2003 Accords and Civics as well as Elements from 2003 and 2004—all of which have problems with their ignition locks. Though the end result—rolling away—was the same, a Honda rep said different problems were to blame in different models. More»

VW Beetles, small SUVs most popular for women

(NEWSER) - Women seem to agree on the cars they want to drive—just nine vehicle models have more female registrants than male, according to a survey of vehicle records. The top pick for women is the Volkswagen Beetle, and after that, a strong preference for small sport-utility vehicles emerges, the LA Times reports. The top 9:

1. Volkswagen Beetle
2. Nissan Rogue
3. Hyundai Tucson