(December 30, 2011) General Motors said today that it is recalling nearly 4,296 new Chevrolet Sonic subcompacts in the U.S. to inspect for a possible missing brake pad. It is recalling an additional 577 cars in Canada.

A GM spokesman said there are no known crashes or injuries resulting from the condition. Based on GM analysis, the condition is expected to exist in very few cars.

(December 29, 2011) WOLFSBURG, Germany — As part of its "Think Blue. Factory" initiative, the Volkswagen passenger cars brand has set itself clear targets for the environmentally sustainable positioning of all its plants.

By 2018, the environmental impact of all Volkswagen plants is to be reduced by 25 per cent. This applies especially to energy consumption, waste volumes, air-borne emissions, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

(December 29, 2011) Nissan is recalling 14,718 model-year 2011 and 2012 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles due to faulty engine bolts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced earlier this week. The recall affects the 2011 Infiniti FX, 2012 Infiniti M, 2011-12 Nissan Frontier, 2011-12 Nissan Xterra, 2011-12 Nissan Pathfinder and 2012 Nissan NV.

(December 28, 2011) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Designed to be the most luxurious and fuel-efficient Chrysler flagship sedan ever, the 2012 Chrysler 300 Luxury Series combines ultra-premium leather — once limited to some of the most exotic Italian luxury cars — with world-class refinement and handling, state-of-the-art safety and connectivity features and eight-speed automatic transmission with the Pentastar V-6 engine for 31 best-in-class highway mpg.