(June 1, 2011) TORRANCE, Calif. — Toyota today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 52,000 first-generation 2001 through 2003 Prius vehicles sold in the U.S. to replace the electric power steering pinion shaft attachment nuts.

The announcement is for U.S. vehicles included in Toyota’s global recall of 106,000 vehicles.

(June 1, 2011) ORLANDO, Fla. (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — AAA recently launched the latest addition to its suite of free mobile applications with the release of the AAA Insurance app for iPhone and iPad. The AAA Insurance app walks drivers through the post-traffic crash process of collecting information, photos and even requesting a tow truck.

(May 31, 2011) LANSING, Mich. – General Motors will invest $88 million for a future product at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant, home of the Cadillac CTS models.

The investment will be used for equipment and tooling for a new model.

(May 31, 2011) Honda reported today that it will add 1,000 jobs at its Greenburg, Ind., plant by the end of the year by adding a second shift.

The plant makes the  Honda Civic sedan and the Honda Civic GX natural gas vehicle. Civics are also made at plants in Ohio and Ontario. Demand has been rising for the Civic and other small cars as gasoline prices hit $4 a gallon in the U.S.

(May 31, 2011) LOS ANGELES (PRNewswire) -- Policy prices continued their slow ascent, two states signed "no pay, no play" proposals into law, the Kansas government banned crash taxes statewide, Allstate finalized plans for a $1 billion acquisition and a report indicated that 37 million quotes were generated through online auto coverage sites in 2010.

(May 30, 2011) Renault SA has appointed Carlos Tavares, Nissan's top executive for the Americas since 2009, as its new chief operating officer. Tavares will fully assume his new duties by July 1, Renault said in a statement today. The development of French production sites will be "a priority," the carmaker said.

Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said Tavares' "talent and experience will be key strengths for Renault and for all its employees as we go into the first year of our Renault 2016 -- Drive the Change program." Tavares replaces Patrick Pelata, who stepped down in April over his role in a botched industrial espionage investigation.

(May 30, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — When owners of the upcoming Ford Focus Electric or C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid charge up their cars, they’ll find a natural, instinctive fit. That’s not by chance — it’s by design, and it’s because Ford engineers did their homework in ensuring customers had the perfect place to “fuel” up.

(May 30, 2011) The performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars has revealed a new dream-car: the SLS AMG Roadster. Mercedes says this super sports car thrills with a perfect synthesis of open-top driving pleasure, outstanding driving dynamics and systematic lightweight construction. The overall visual appearance of the new two-seater is marked by its purist design.

(May 30, 2011) To celebrate its 10th anniversary in China, Porsche has released a special Gold Bronze Metallic 911 Turbo S for the Chinese market. The unique model is limited to just 10 units with no pricing announced, but it will surely be a big increase from the standard car’s already steep $160,700  price tag.