B 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 3500 Front Fender Flares on 2040-parts.com

Toyota ordered by Japan to address Prius brake complaints

Toyota Motor Corp., already grappling with recalls totaling 8.1 million vehicles on five continents, has been ordered by Japan's Ministry of Transportation to investigate a rash of consumer complaints about braking problems in its popular third-generation Prius hybrid vehicle. The Japanese carmaker has received several complaints about braking in the Prius in both Japan and North America since the end of last year, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said. She did not say when the directive was issued or how Toyota would respond.

125th Anniversary of the Automobile: Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler put the world on wheels

The world will mark the 125th anniversary of the invention of the automobile on Jan. 29. Karl Benz filed a patent for a three-wheeled vehicle driven by a gasoline engine in Mannheim, Germany, on that day in 1886, the same year Gottlieb Daimler completed his motorized carriage in Cannstatt, Germany.

RIP Sergio Pininfarina 1926–2012

Sergio Pininfarina died last night at his home in Turin. He was 85 years old. Born in Turin on 8 September 1926 to Pininfarina's founder Battista Farina, Sergio was instrumental in growing the company during his almost 50 years at the helm of the most famous Italian design house.