Articles by Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin

AP Auto Writer

Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee Defies Expectations on Employer-Employee Cases

Labor unions and worker advocates have applauded President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court. Yet a look back at Jackson’s decisions in cases involving business and labor suggest that she won’t always rule as …

Tesla to Fix 800K Vehicles for Seat Belt Chime Problem

Tesla is recalling more than 817,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the seat belt reminder chimes may not sound when the vehicles are started and the driver hasn’t buckled up. The recall covers the 2021 and 2022 Model S sedan …

Transportation Safety Chief Objects to Use of Driver Error Statistic

With traffic fatalities spiking higher, the nation’s top safety investigator says a widely cited government statistic that 94% of serious crashes are solely due to driver error is misleading and that the Transportation Department should stop using it. Jennifer Homendy, …

Complaints of Hyundai-Kia Engine Fires Trigger Safety Probe

U.S. auto safety regulators have stepped up a series of investigations into engine fires that have plagued Hyundai and Kia vehicles for more than six years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a new engineering analysis investigation covers more …

NTSB: Driver was Behind Wheel When Tesla Crashed Near Houston, Killing Two

A driver was behind the wheel when a Tesla electric car crashed and burned last April near Houston, killing two men, neither of whom was found in the driver’s seat. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced the findings in …

U.S. Auto Safety Agency Faces Backlog of Rules and Missed Deadlines

After their 16-year-old daughter died in a car crash, David and Wendy Mills wondered whether she would be alive if federal rules on rear seat belt warnings had been issued on time. Four years later, with no rule and traffic …

Safety Regulator Questions Tesla on No Recall With Autopilot Update

U.S. safety investigators want to know why Tesla didn’t file recall documents when it updated Autopilot software to better identify parked emergency vehicles, escalating a simmering clash between the automaker and regulators. In a letter to Tesla, the National Highway …

GM Recall Due to Fire Risk Covers All Chevrolet Bolts

General Motors said Friday it is recalling all Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles sold worldwide to fix a battery problem that could cause fires. The recall and others raise questions about lithium ion batteries, which now are used in nearly all …

Biden Regulators Plan Safety Standards for Truck Brakes, Autonomous Vehicles

DETROIT (AP) — In a reversal from Trump administration policies, U.S. auto safety regulators say they will move to require or set standards for automatic emergency braking systems on new heavy trucks. The Department of Transportation, which includes the National …

Tesla Loses Top Safety Rankings From IIHS, Consumer Reports

Two key groups that offer automobile safety ratings are yanking their top endorsements from some Tesla vehicles because the company has stopped using radar on its safety systems. Consumer Reports pulled its “Top Pick” status for Tesla’s Model 3 and …