Articles by Craig Trudell and Yuki Hagiwara

Toyota $1B Research Labs Near Stanford, MIT to Develop Autonomous Vehicles

Toyota Motor Corp. is spending $1 billion to form a research institute focused on the artificial intelligence and robotics technology it needs to make cars that can overcome driver errors and reduce traffic fatalities. Toyota Research Institute Inc. will pitch …

Takata Air Bag Recall Could Be Expanded to Other Car Makers

The U.S. regulator overseeing the replacement of Takata Corp. air bags is considering an order that would expand the recalls and has contacted seven manufacturers who could be affected, including Volkswagen AG and Tesla Motors Inc. Takata identified the seven …

Fully Self-Driving Cars Still 15 Years Down the Road: Supplier

The technology to make cars fully autonomous probably won’t be established until at least 2030, according to the top supplier for the world’s biggest automaker. The auto industry will take intermediate steps toward that future, first with safety systems that …

Snow Problem When It Comes to Self-Driving Cars, Says Google

Google Inc. sees Detroit’s snow as a bigger barrier than Washington’s regulators for its self-driving car. The technology giant doesn’t intend to offer a self-driving car to areas where it snows in the near term, Chris Urmson, director of Google’s …

8 Million Cars Recalled for Air Bags; Only 6% Repaired: Bloomberg

Honda Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and other major automakers have fixed only a fraction of the almost 8 million cars called back in the last two years to replace potentially defective Takata Corp. air bags. About 6 percent of …

Takata Quality Control Committee Formed in Response to Air-Bag Crisis

Takata Corp. said it will form a global quality control committee in response to an auto-safety crisis created by flaws in its air bags. The company’s chairman and chief executive officer also issued an apology. “We deeply regret that the …

Air Bag Recalls Renew Doubts About Carmakers’ Responses to Defects

A deepening crisis involving deadly air bags is shaking confidence in the ability of automakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. to ensure the safety of millions of U.S. drivers. Toyota is advising U.S. owners to keep passengers …

Toyota Recalls 1.75 Million Vehicles Worldwide for Fuel, Brake Flaws

Toyota Motor Corp., the automaker under supervision in the U.S. by an independent safety monitor, recalled 1.75 million vehicles worldwide to fix flaws in the braking and fuel systems. The Lexus IS, GS and LS luxury sedans and Toyota Auris …

Automakers Race to Be First With Driverless Cars

Nissan Motor Co. will introduce cars that park themselves by 2016, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said, as the Japanese carmaker rushes to be among the first to offer automated driving. The feature, along with technology enabling cars to autonomously …

Auto Recalls On Rise Following Toyota-GM Cases

Recall first, ask questions later. After Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. — two of the largest carmakers — were criticized for dragging their feet before calling back defective models in recent years, automakers are accelerating safety actions. Recalls …