Motor News

The Maverick is entering its fourth model year, and Ford decided it was time for a new look. In addition to a redesigned face and fresh tech, the 2025 Ford Maverick lineup has grown. The off-roady Tremor becomes a standalone trim, and Ford brings back the street truck with the new Maverick Lobo. Since we planned on spending our working hours on the configurator anyway, we decided to make that time somewhat productive by writing up our picks for you to scrutinize. Here’s what we came up with:Austin Irwin’s $31,335 Maverick XLFordFordWell, it’s a shame you can’t equip a large wooden stick in Ford’s configurator because when the neighborhood catches wind that you’ve bought a new vehicle in 2024 for under $32K, they could grow violent. While my $31,335 Ford Maverick XL isn’t the cheapest truck you can buy today, it’s pretty close. I chose the 238-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder over the hybrid for two reasons: It has more horsepower and uses an eight-speed automatic instead of the hybrid’s gearless CVT transmission. I added the 4K Towing package ($745) that increases the maximum towing capacity from 2000 to 4000 pounds. It includes a trailer brake controller, a 2.0-inch receiver with a four- and seven-pin harness, and a transmission cooler. That package requires all-wheel drive ($1020), but if I had originally picked the hybrid powertrain, adding all-wheel drive becomes a $2200 expense, which would’ve pushed my final bill to $32,565. I’m not made of money, folks! There are some options penny-pinchers like me are forced to pay, that come standard on higher trim levels. The spray-in bedliner ($495) and the optional locking tie-downs with brackets ($225) are an important duo when it comes time to bring home a plastic storage bin from Menard’s that our dog will eventually chew into a dog house. Both of these options are standard on the Maverick Lobo. One thing that’s not standard anywhere in the lineup—even on the most moneyed Mavericks— is the keyless entry keypad ($195). Still, once you’ve experienced using that keypad versus digging into your jeans pockets just to unlock the truck, you’ll never go back. For as much as a couple of iPhone 15 Pluses, I feel I’ve added some meaningful options to a base trim level. The Eruption Green paint is a freebie and the easiest way to tell it apart from the fleet version with these same 17-inch steel wheels—29 mpg, here I come. Wait, how much did my neighbor pay for his used 2017 Chevy Colorado ZR2 diesel? “Honey, grab the torch, let’s pay him a visit.”–Austin IrwinCaleb Miller’s $28,655 Maverick XLFordFordWhen the Maverick nameplate reappeared for 2022 on Ford’s first compact truck in ages, the efficient hybrid model carried an extremely enticing $22,470 starting price. Three years later, the Maverick’s starting price has ballooned to $27,890. So for my 2025 Maverick, I aimed to spec a hybrid model as frugally as possible. This meant starting with the base XL trim, which rides on steel wheels and is motivated by a hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. Luckily, all of the paint options on the XL are free, so I selected Velocity Blue, which goes a long way towards making the XL look less like a cheap work truck.I kept my options to a minimum. Living in an urban area, I wanted a tonneau cover to hide whatever items I might have lying in the bed. The cheapest option was the soft-folding cover for $590. My only other add-on was front and rear rubber floor liners to protect the cabin against salt stains during the winters. My restraint paid off with a $28,655 final price, but it’s still way higher than a similarly specced truck might’ve been just a few years ago.–Caleb MillerCarter Fry’s $42,870 Maverick LoboFordFordI have to go with the Lobo. Street trucks are very cool to me, and looking back at recent automotive history, I’m surprised the trend tapered away by the end of the 2000s. Now it seems everyone is jacking up their trucks to the point of looking like a crop-sprayer in traffic begging you to drive right under it—of course, we advise against that behavior. Once the pandemic hit and America fully embraced the overlanding/camping lifestyle, it seemed people just started putting lift kits on whatever was in their garage. Four years later, Ford releasing a street truck could be a sign the pendulum is beginning to swing in the other direction. Will we start to see pickup trucks approaching speed bumps at an angle again? I sure hope so. The Maverick Lobo comes standard with a lot of features, which explains its $40,495 starting price. However, Ford doesn’t give you many options to choose from. In fact, I only selected four. The first one, at no extra cost, is the Carbonized Gray Metallic paint. I know, the last thing the streets need is another vehicle in a grayscale color, but who’s to say I can’t wrap it later? I chose to add the soft-folding tonneau cover for $590 because let’s face it, the Maverick’s bed is a glorified trunk and not nearly as big as a heavy-duty truck’s cargo bed. Maverick owners can feel free to prove me wrong in the comments. I also selected the $140 bed mat to keep things from sliding around back there and added the $50 first-aid kit because I can. The total comes to $42,870, and I would most certainly buy a 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport for that money.–Carter FryJack Fitzgerald’s $41,390 Maverick TremorFordFordI’m not sure I should let out a sigh of relief that my truck wasn’t the most expensive or groan at the pain of a $40K Maverick. Along with the rest of the staff at Car and Driver, I love the Maverick. It’s a capable little truck, but it’s at its best in the cheaper trims. Unfortunately for my bank account, my eyes are often bigger than my stomach, and I can’t help but like nice things.I went for the Maverick Tremor, which starts at $41,390. You’ll notice that the starting price and my overall price match. That’s because despite what I just wrote about liking nice things, Ford ticks most of the option boxes for you on the Tremor. Transmission cooler and towing package? Check. Adaptive cruise? Got that too. Trailer hitch receiver, spray-in bed liner, locking tie-downs and brackets? Check, check, check. Plus, with the truck’s improved approach angle and higher ride height, I’ll be ready for some light off-roading or any sudden Midwest weather changes.–Jack FitzgeraldMore on the New MaverickJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Ford has revealed the Maverick Lobo, a long-awaited street-truck variant of the compact pickup truck.The Lobo drops 0.5 inch up front and 1.1 inch in the rear, while the truck nabs its brakes from the Focus ST and twin-clutch drive unit from the Bronco Sport. Power is unchanged from the 238-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but the engine is now mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Pricing starts at $36,595.Ford’s compact pickup truck earned its first facelift yesterday, adding new standard technology and improving the hybrid powertrain along with updating the look. Now, the Blue Oval brand is adding a new Maverick to the lineup with the introduction of the Maverick Lobo street truck. We first spotted the Lobo testing almost a year ago at about the same time the company trademarked the name. Changes to turn the Maverick into a street truck include dropping the ride height and improving handling. Unfortunately, those hoping the Lobo would feature a rough and rowdy powertrain will be disappointed to learn that’s not the case. The Lobo retains the standard truck’s reasonably fun 2.0-liter four-cylinder—though the setup has been detuned for 2025 and now produces 238 horsepower (down from 250). The eight-speed automatic transmission is gone and the seven-speed auto from the European Focus ST hatchback takes its place, with unique calibration for the Lobo. A set of paddle shifters add to the transmission’s sporty flavor. Cooling duties are helped by the inclusion of the 4K towing package’s upgraded oil cooler and transmission coolers. Family TiesFurther upgrades are focused on handling, with the Lobo borrowing parts from the rest of Ford’s lineup. The steering rack for the Lobo was lifted from the European Kuga model, while the dual-piston brake calipers come from the Focus ST. The suspension setup is unique to the Lobo. It drops the truck 0.5 inch up front and 1.1 inch at the rear, bringing the roof down 0.8 inch. The top mounts are borrowed from the Mustang Mach-E, and the monotube rear dampers come from the Maverick Tremor, though the whole setup is tuned specially for the Lobo. The biggest performance shift will come from the torque vectoring and reduced stability control, which are activated through a new Lobo drive mode. The Lobo mode is intended for closed courses, and it makes uses of the twin-clutch rear drive unit, which the truck picked up from the Bronco Sport. The increased torque to the outside wheel and reduced traction control should help the Lobo get sideways—when conditions allow, of course. There are a handful of visual changes too. The Lobo comes standard on a set of 19-inch wheels that recall the OZ Racing rollers used on Ford rally specials such as the the Escort RS Cosworth. Like every 2025 Maverick trim, the Lobo gets a unique fascia. The bumpers and rocker panels are painted to match the body color, and contrast with the black roof. Inside, the Lobo uses Grabber Blue and Electric Lime stitching, with a matching overprint on the seats that Ford says is inspired by street culture.Order books for the Maverick Lobo are open now, with deliveries expected to start in early 2025. The street variant will be available in two trims. The standard version starts at $36,595, and the High version that starts at $42,090 adds more features such as a heated steering wheel and seats and a spray-in bedliner. More on the 2025 MaverickJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Honda and Pininfarina have restored the HP-X concept, Honda’s first ever concept car.The HP-X concept’s return to the spotlight will take place at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in mid-August.The HP-X featured a mid-mounted 2.0-liter V-6 and measures just 163.8 inches long, four inches shorter than a new Toyota GR86.Between political unrest and the ever-expanding use of seemingly omnipotent artificial intelligence, it can sometimes feel like we are living in a version of George Orwell’s 1984. But at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Honda will rewind history to 1984 in a more positive light. The Honda HP-X concept, a stunning mid-engine sports car originally revealed at the 1984 Turin auto show, has been meticulously restored and will gleam under the sunlight on the Pebble Beach lawn in August.HondaThe HP-X was Honda’s first concept car and was penned by the iconic Italian design house Pininfarina. Now the 40-year-old concept has returned to Pininfarina’s workshop for a full restoration, and the refurbished HP-X will compete for an award in the “Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars and Prototypes” category at this year’s Pebble Beach show.The HP-X is fairly compact, measuring 163.8 inches long—roughly four inches shorter than a Toyota GR86—and it is only 43.7 inches tall. The body is a sleek wedge, with a short hood and a series of angled lines along the side that accentuate the cab-forward look. The HP-X eschews doors for a single-piece Perspex canopy that lifts upward and wears two-tone paint with the white and dark blue sections separated by a sporty red stripe. HondaAlong with funky styling, the HP-X featured advanced aerodynamics with ground effects, and the streamlined rear section of the canopy was meant to act as a driver-controlled air brake. The HP-X also utilized carbon fiber and Kevlar to minimize weight. The HP-X packs a mid-mounted DOHC 24-valve 2.0-liter V-6, which was derived from a Honda Formula 2 racing engine. The cabin’s screens displayed real-time telemetry, GPS, and road condition warnings that used sonar.While the HP-X concept never reached production, Honda says it inspired and informed the development of the first-generation NSX, sold globally as a Honda and with an Acura badge in the United States. We can’t wait to check out the HP-X concept in the metal when the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance kicks off on August 18.More Honda ConceptsCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More

A letter to the Federal Trade Commission from two U.S. senators explains that automakers sold drivers’ data for a shockingly low amount. The letter marks an escalation from a New York Times report that was published in March of this year. The letter from the senators focuses on GM, Honda, and Hyundai because all three sold data to Verisk, according to the initial NYT report. UPDATE 7/31/24: This story has been updated to include a statement from Hyundai regarding the brand’s relationship with the data broker Verisk. If you drive a car that’s capable of connecting to the internet, the manufacturer may be collecting and selling data based on your driving habits to third-party data brokers. A report by the New York Times in March detailed the practice, and now a letter by U.S. senators Ron Wyden and Edward J. Markey to the Federal Trade Commission explains how little manufacturers actually made. In the letter, Wyden and Markey chose to focus on three automakers: GM, Honda, and Hyundai. That’s because all three sold data to the data broker Verisk. In turn, Verisk sold the data to auto insurers, helping them to assign risk scores. According to the letter, one of the company’s products, which it shut down following the NYT report, rated drivers’ driving habits with data collected from internet-connected cars. HyundaiOne shocking revelation from the letter is just how little the manufacturers actually profited from selling the data. Staffers from Sen. Wyden’s office investigated the three automakers and found that Verisk paid Honda $25,920 over four years for information about 97,000 cars, amounting to just 26 cents per car. Hyundai was paid just over $1 million for data on roughly 1.7 million cars over a six-year period, totaling 61 cents a car. GM would not reveal how much it was paid, according to Sen. Wyden, though a new report this week from the New York Times suggests the manufacturer sold data for more than 8 million cars. “Companies should not be selling Americans’ data without their consent, period,” wrote the senators. “But it is particularly insulting for automakers that are selling cars for tens of thousands of dollars to then squeeze out a few additional pennies of profit with consumers’ private data.”The letter also details that while GM and Honda customers had to opt in for their data to be shared, Wyden referred to the process as “deceptive.” Hyundai, on the other hand, confirmed to Wyden’s office that customers who enabled internet access in their vehicles were automatically enrolled for their data to be shared with Verisk. Car and Driver received a statement from Hyundai regarding the brand’s relationship to Verisk. “Regrettably, Senator Wyden’s letter mischaracterizes Hyundai’s data policies and the safeguards it implemented to ensure customer consent for sharing driving behavior information with insurers. The letter also inaccurately describes the customer consent required for the sharing of customer driving behavior data with Verisk, a third-party data-sharing service provider. Each customer’s vehicle usage-based “Drive Score” information was activated only after the customer affirmatively opted into Hyundai’s BlueLink connected car suite of services. It is important to note that Verisk was not authorized by Hyundai or the customer to share the Drive Score data with insurers until the customer affirmatively consented to this on an insurer’s website or app.”The good news for drivers concerned about their data being sold to insurance companies is that following the report in March, Verisk shut down the program in April. The letter concludes with the senators urging the FTC to investigate the practice within the industry and to hold the senior executives accountable. This story was originally published July 28, 2024. Related StoriesJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Audi has revealed two new members of its electric-vehicle lineup: the 2025 A6 e-tron and S6 e-tron.The new models will join the gasoline-powered A6 and S6. The e-trons will be 2025 models, with the order books set to open in September 2024.We expect the A6 e-tron to start around $70,000 and the more performance-oriented S6 e-tron to top out in the $90,000 range.High floor and low floor are the two descriptors Audi uses to relate the primary difference between the Q6 e-tron SUV and the A6 e-tron Sportback. Both are on the same electric platform; the choice is whether you want to sit high or sit low in your electric vehicle. The new A6 e-tron isn’t Audi’s first battery-powered four-door, the first being the Porsche Taycan–based e-tron GT, but it’s the first one under six figures. Exact pricing is not yet available, but we expect the brand’s new electric sedan to start around $70,000 for the rear-drive version with 362 horsepower, rising to $80,000 for the 422-hp A6 e-tron and cresting over $90,000 for the 543-hp S6 e-tron when it goes on sale late next spring.All versions get a shapely new body, and as the Sportback name implies, there’s a hatch around back. The large taillight is made up of OLED lights that can be configured via the settings menu in the car to change the look of the rear end. The rest of the world will get the even better-looking Avant (wagon in Audi-speak) version. Audi representatives wouldn’t comment on the possibility of an Allroad version of the wagon.The interior design is shared with the Q6 e-tron and has a large, curved panel that has an infotainment display measuring 14.5 inches and the driver’s display that measures 11.9 inches. We do wish for more options for the gauge cluster. Current Audis do it better. To allay passenger boredom, there’s an optional 14.5-inch display mounted to the dashboard in front of the passenger’s seat for them to play games or watch videos. A panoramic glass roof can go from transparent to opaque with a push of a button and can mimic a shade or even display a checkerboard-like design. Cargo space under the hatch measures 26 cubic feet. A tiny front trunk is just short of one cubic foot, and usefulness.A 94.4-kWh battery is buried in the floor of the A6 e-tron and is likely to provide a 350-mile range. Official EPA range numbers are not yet available and the over-450-mile European Union number is likely not repeatable in the real world. The 800-volt electrical architecture allows for up to 270-kW charging speeds on a DC fast-charger and can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in a claimed 21 minutes. If the hookup is a 400-kW connection, the A6 will charge its two banks separately at up to 135 kW. The onboard charger allows for 11 kW on an AC connection.Audi has more speed claims. The base single-motor A6 e-tron should hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, the two-motor A6 e-tron Quattro reduces that time to 4.3 seconds, and finally the S6 e-tron will hit 60 in 3.7 seconds. The slippery body goes as low as 0.21 in European versions with camera sideview mirrors; ours will undoubtedly be a little less slippery.A handsome, if lozenge-shaped, new member of the Audi family, the new electric A6 joins the gas-fed A6 in the lineup next year. Eventually, the internal-combustion-powered A6 will exit production, leaving only the electric version. So how do you want it? High floor or low floor?Tony Quiroga is a 20-year-veteran Car and Driver editor, writer, and car reviewer and the 19th editor-in-chief for the magazine since its founding in 1955. He has subscribed to Car and Driver since age six. “Growing up, I read every issue of Car and Driver cover to cover, sometimes three or more times. It’s the place I wanted to work since I could read,” Quiroga says. He moved from Automobile Magazine to an associate editor position at Car and Driver in 2004. Over the years, he has held nearly every editorial position in print and digital, edited several special issues, and also helped produce C/D’s early YouTube efforts. He is also the longest-tenured test driver for Lightning Lap, having lapped Virginia International Raceway’s Grand Course more than 2000 times over 12 years. More

The 2025 Ford Maverick arrives with a redesigned front end and updated interior, plus the Tremor package has been added as a full trim. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain also adds optional all-wheel drive and increases the max towing capacity to 4000 pounds. All Mavericks now come with a larger 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.CLARIFICATION 7/31/24: This story has been updated to state the Maverick’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine now makes 238 horsepower versus its previous 250-hp output.The Ford Maverick is entering its fourth model year with a visual evolution, updated tech, and increased capability for hybrid models. Our favorite compact pickup truck has proven popular since launching in 2022. With the new facelifted version, Ford looks to increase the Maverick’s value by packing it with more tech and expanding the lineup—the Tremor is now a standalone trim. The big news pertains to the hybrid models, which can now be optioned with all-wheel drive on the XL, XLT, and Lariat trims. Ford says it was the number one request from owners. Along with adding all-wheel drive, hybrid Mavericks can now add the optional Tow package, matching the turbocharged four-cylinder’s 4000-pound tow rating. The truck’s available powertrains still consist of the 191-hp hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder that comes standard as well as the optional 2.0-liter turbo four, which sees its output drop from 250 to 238 horsepower.The Maverick’s visual changes add more distinction between trim levels. The headlights now have black accents, and the top trims add LED running lights. The front bumper now extends upwards into the headlight housing which takes on the shape of the number “7,” but the aesthetic looks strange to some of us—like partially boarded up windows. Still, each trim level now comes with a unique grille design, and the overall changes result in a Maverick that looks fresh but also familiar. Inside, it’s impossible to ignore the new infotainment touchscreen, which has grown from a modest 8.0 inches to a comparatively huge 13.2 inches. All Mavericks come with the larger screen, which utilizes Ford’s Sync 4 software and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The updated infotainment system also has a 5G WiFi connection that allows the Maverick to receive over-the-air updates. Tech upgrades are rounded out with the addition of a 360-degree camera as well as Ford’s Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist features. The trailer assist and backup assist are optional on the XL and XLT trims but standard on the Lariat and Tremor. The top trims also have standard adaptive cruise control and lane-centering. However, the full lineup has improved active safety systems.All the 2025 Ford Maverick’s improvements come with slightly higher pricing. For instance, the base XL trim now starts at $27,890, an increase of $2375 compared with last year’s model. The XLT hybrid starts at $30,390, the AWD EcoBoost Lariat starts at $37,130, and the AWD Lariat hybrid starts at $38,330. The new Tremor model sits at the top of the lineup and starts at $41,390. Order books for the new Maverick open on August 1, with deliveries expected to begin later this year.More on the MaverickJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

Tesla has been the subject of a great deal of criticism for its Autopilot semi-autonomous technology.The newest report, a video series by the Wall Street Journal, shows footage of several crashes that have been reported to be linked to the use of the Autopilot system.The Journal concludes that reliance on computer sensors and cameras, rather than lidar, is one reason for its problems. Despite being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over its controversial semi-autonomous drive mode, Autopilot, Tesla hasn’t faced any substantial consequences. Tesla models new and old continue to roam city streets and interstates with technology that—while technically an SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous drive mode—can be misused as a fully autonomous system. Hence the controversy over the name Autopilot, and among the reasons for the myriad investigations into Tesla by the federal government as well as news outlets. The most recent investigation by the Wall Street Journal attempts to identify why some Teslas have crashed.The WSJ’s roughly 11-minute video, which requires a subscription to view, is the second in a series that puts Tesla’s Autopilot system under the microscope. It links the cause of some crashes to Autopilot’s overreliance on computer vision, which is basically a way of teaching computers to understand information based on digital inputs such as video. 1000 Tesla Crashes Reported to NHTSAAutomakers in the U.S. have had to report all serious real-world crashes involving SAE Level 2 or higher automated driving systems since NHTSA issued a General Order on crash reporting in June 2021. Tesla has reportedly submitted over 1000 crashes to NHTSA since 2016, but the WSJ claims most of that data is hidden from the public because Tesla considers it proprietary. However, the news outlet says it worked around that by gathering reports from individual states and cross-referencing them with crash data that Tesla submitted to NHTSA.Among the 222 crashes the WSJ says it pieced together for this report, the paper said 44 occurred when a Tesla with Autopilot activated suddenly veered, while another 31 crashes reportedly happened when Autopilot failed to yield or stop for an obstacle. Incidents where the Tesla failed to stop are said to result in the most serious injuries or death. The WSJ had experts analyze one fatal accident where Autopilot didn’t recognize an overturned truck on the highway and the car crashed into it.That’s what some experts who were interviewed by the Journal said is evidence of Autopilot’s gravest flaw. Unlike some other automakers that have radar computer vision and lidar laser imaging to detect objects, Tesla mainly relies on camera-based computer vision with radar as a backup on some models. John Bernal, who was fired from Tesla in 2022 for posing videos of Autopilot failing, tells the WSJ that he has found that the cameras used on some Tesla models are not calibrated properly. He says that when the cameras don’t see the same thing, they can have problems identifying obstacles. And as the investigation suggests, Tesla’s overreliance on cameras to control Autopilot can lead to crashes.One thing is certain: This investigation, and Tesla’s responses to it, will be important to follow.Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Over 1.8 million Tesla models are part of a recall over faulty software that might not detect an unlatched hood, which could then possibly fly open.The recall affects certain Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Ys from the 2020 to 2024 model years.Tesla says the issue can be fixed via an over-the-air software update that’s free.On certain Tesla models, there’s a chance that a software issue might prevent the vehicle from detecting a hood that’s not fully latched. The worst-case scenario is that the hood flies open while the car is driving down the road and obstructs the view ahead. And if you can’t see the road, the odds of getting in a crash obviously increase.This defect is pretty widespread too, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reporting that 1,849,638 Tesla models could be affected. The list of recalled Teslas include the Model S (2021 to 2024 model years), the Model 3 (2021 to ’24), the Model X (2021 to ’24), and the Model Y (2020 to ’24). The Cybertruck was not included in the recall.Michael Simari|Car and DriverWhile the amount of Tesla models affected by the recall is in the millions, the good news is that none of them have to be taken in for physical service. Instead, Tesla says the faulty hood-latch-detection software can be fixed with a free over-the-air update that the automaker has released.Owners will be notified with a letter in the mail by September 22, 2024. They can also check the Tesla customer service website or the NHTSA recalls website to see if their vehicle is affected.More Tesla NewsEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More