Brake Bar Lever - Dorman# 21147 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda recall 3.4 million cars over Airbag fault

As recalls go, 3.4 million cars around the globe is a big number, but it’s that big because a parts supplier - Takata Corp – supplied the same airbag part to Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda, so the recall involves all four Japanese car makers. The part at fault could cause the airbag inflator to rupture and deploy the airbag abnormally, although there have been no reports of injuries due to the potentially faulty part and just five reports of the fault existing – three in the US and two in Japan. In the UK the number of cars affected – and do note the recall only affects cars sold between 2000 and 2004 – appears to be about 75,000 for Toyota, 60,000 for Nissan, 15,000 for Honda and 2.000 for Mazda, and all four car makers will be getting in touch with owners during the next month to book their cars in for free replacement of the part.

Schumacher being taken out of coma

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER is being slowly brought out of his induced coma but a leading neurosurgeon has warned it remains too soon to determine his long-term prognosis. Seven-times Formula One world champion Schumacher, 45, has spent the last month in the University of Grenoble hospital fighting for his life after sustaining brain injuries following a skiing accident in the resort of Meribel. Concern was growing as to whether he would ever make a recovery, or even wake again, but manager Sabine Kehm has now provided official confirmation that steps are under way to bring him out of his coma following the accident on December 29.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.