98 Yamaha Kodiak 400 4x4 Front Master Brake Lever on 2040-parts.com

A heavy key chain may deactivate the airbags in your Chevy Cobalt or Pontiac G5

GM is recalling 788,000 Cobalt and Pontiac G5 sedans for a potentially deadly problem with the ignition system. When the vehicles' keys are connected to heavy key chains (or, say, key rings laden with a dozen extra keys), a sufficiently extreme jolt or impact could shift the ignition out of the "run" position and into the "off" position. Cuts electrical power to the vehicles' systems, in turn deactivating the airbags.

Alfa Romeo will reportedly become standalone company

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne plans to turn Alfa Romeo into a standalone company, Automotive News Europe reports. Marchionne is expected to announce wide-ranging plans for the brand on May 6 which will see Alfa Romeo become a stand-alone legal entity within Fiat-Chrysler, with a publicly disclosed profit and loss statement. Alfa Romeo is currently part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A., which also contains Lancia, Fiat Professional trucks and vans and the Abarth performance brand.

Video: Autoweek tours the Tesla EV factory

Our own Mark Vaughn recently took a tour of the sprawling California plant where Tesla is gearing up to build as many as 20,000 electric cars per year. Formerly part of the General Motors/Toyota New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. joint venture, the vast space allows huge swaths of factory floor--all newly painted--between each of the machines.