General Motors recalls another 8.4m cars

Associated Press General Motors has recalled a further 8.4 million cars as part of an ongoing investigation into a fault that causes the ignition key to turn unintentionally. Almost 30m cars across the US, Canada and Mexico have now been recalled by General Motors in 2014. Approximately 3,500 people are making claims for death or injury The recalls affect cars made as far back as 1997, but the American car maker insists that there is no conclusive evidence that faults with the cars caused crashes involving the vehicles.

GM to shut down Saab

General Motors will shut down Saab after the automaker wasn't able to conclude a deal to sell the brand to Spyker Cars, GM said on Friday. “Despite the best efforts of all involved, it has become very clear that the due diligence required to complete this complex transaction could not be executed in a reasonable time," GM Europe president Nick Reilly said in a statement. "In order to maintain operations, Saab needed a quick resolution.

Automakers rack up solid gains to finish 2010

Fueled by holiday and year-end discounts, as well as the introduction of new models, automakers finished 2010 on a high note by posting the year's best monthly sales in December. U.S. light vehicle demand climbed 11 percent last month to 1.1 million units--the best month of the year on a unit basis.