Fleet Times - Japan car crisis deepens

Japan car crisis deepens

The crisis facing Japanese car manufacturers deepened today (25 Feb 2010) after new vehicle recalls were announced.

The crisis facing Japanese car manufacturers deepened today after new vehicle recalls were announced.

Nissan, Japan's third-biggest automaker, said it would will recall 76,415 cars across 10 models in Japan and 2,281 cars overseas due to a possible defect that may cause engine failure.

Suzuki Motor, Japan's No. 4 car maker, said in a separate filing that it would recall 432,366 units of two minicar models in Japan after two reported incidents of fire due to a possible defect in air conditioners.

The recalls come amid heightened scrutiny of car safety following the recall of more than 8 million cars by industry leader Toyota.

Nissan unveils the Juke

Skills Minister John Hayes was in Sunderland yesterday to help celebrate the production launch of the Nissan Juke.

Survey shows how to improve driver safety

Fleet drivers, working alone, are traditionally much harder to safeguard than their office-based colleagues.

Driver error to blame for Toyota crisis

A safety scandal over sticking accelerators that almost forced car maker Toyota out of business may have been little more than media hysteria.

Pendragon's sales bounce back

Car dealer Pendragon reported a 48 percent rise in first-half profit, driven by growing demand for high-end cars, and said mass-market and used vehicle sales would continue to grow in 2010.

Electric vehicle grant is introduced

An electric vehicle grant of up to £5,000 per vehicle will be introduced from the start of 2011, Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed.

Fleet transactions move online

The number of fleet service and maintenance e-commerce transactions has risen by more than 20% so far in 2010 and is set to hit three million by the end of the year.