Volkswagen Passat Rear Dome Light Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Toyota says quake-hit plants escape major structural damage

Toyota Motor Corp. has released the first damage report for its northern Japanese factories in the region hammered by Friday's massive earthquake, saying some equipment and fixtures will need repairs but that the plants sustained no major structural harm. For days after the quake, Toyota had trouble contacting it plants in the northern Japan quake zone, making it difficult to assess their status.

Kia recalls 7,000 cars

KIA IS recalling more than 7,000 of its UK models due to a possible seatbelt problem. The recall affects 5,787 Sportage models and 1,432 Soul vehicles and concerns a possible fault with the vehicle's seatbelt pre-tensioner. Kia said that although it was not aware of any injuries resulting from this possible fault, discovered as a result of monitoring of customer vehicles, it was concerned that some pre-tensioners might not work properly due to a faulty piston within the mechanism.

Saab's finance struggle: the latest news

Time appears to be running out for Saab, which hasn't built a single car since 1 April. And the hunt for new investors intensified this week as a deal worth more than £100 million with a Chinese partner collapsed.   Trollhattan factory has been idle since 1 April, halted by cashflow issues which saw suppliers withold parts in response to unpaid bills.