Recalls
*Chrysler is recalling 296,500 2006-07 Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander and Wrangler and Dodge Nitro SUVs to fix an electronic unit that could delay braking while coasting uphill, possibility resulting in a crash.
*Chrysler is recalling 72,333 2008 Sebring covertibles and Dodge Avenger sedans to fix front-door latches and locks.
*Honda is recalling 182,756 2006-07 Civic sedans and coupes to fix a wheel-bearing seal that may leak and cause the wheel to fall off. Water may seep past an O-ring seal on the wheel bearing, damaging the bearing.
*Honda is recalling 19,904 2006 Civic sedans and hybrids to repair a brake-light switch that may fail. Grease can build up on the steering column and allow oil to drip onto the switch, preventing the brake lights from illuminating.
Air
*Planemaker Bombardier has ordered the grounding of at least 40 percent of its Q-400 turboprop planes after a Scandinavian Airlines aircraft skidded off a runway with 52 people aboard, the second such incident in three days. SAS and Horizon Air, a regional U.S. carrier operated by Alaska Air Group Inc., each canceled more than 100 flights to inspect their aircraft. Bombardier says Qantas, Lufthansa, Flybe, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Commuter also are grounding Q-400 turboprop planes.
Lake
*The Wind Point (Wis.) Village Board has named Michael and Susan Arts of Racine, who met at a lighthouse in Cape Hatteras, N.C., and married at one on Sullivan’s Island, S.C., to be unpaid caretakers of the Wind Point Lighthouse. They will live in the lighthouse in exchange for performing maintenance and coordinating events.
FYI
*Hoosiers are buckling up in record numbers, with 87.9 percent of drivers and passengers wearing seat belts, according to an observational survey. That’s the highest in Indiana history and is a 3.6 percent increase from last year, data by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute shows. A law that took effect July 1 requires almost everyone to wear seat belts.
*Toyota and Isuzu will develop and produce small-diesel engines for the European market. The deal allows Toyota to tap into Isuzu’s touted diesel technology to start production of 1.6-liter engines in 2012.
*The European Commission is requiring Toyota, General Motors, DaimlerChrysler and Fiat to pass on technical information to independent garages so they can repair the vehicles. The decisions are part of moves by the EU’s antitrust authorities to ensure that independent repair shops are able to compete with automakers’ authorized garages.
