Fiat, Lexus face up to recall blow

Fiat, Lexus face up to recall blow

italian giant Fiat has been forced to recall 793 Idea supermini-MPVs over a possible welding fault on the front suspension arm mountings. Meanwhile, luxury brand Lexus has called back 4,000 IS250 and GS300 models, due to faulty fuel pipes which could cause fuel leaks. Visit www.vosa.gov.uk for details.

Price is right for flagship Impreza

Subaru has announced prices for its hardcore new Impreza WRX STI. The flagship will cost чЈ24,995, bucking the trend for generation on generation rises and undercutting the previous car by чЈ1,600. The 2.5-litre turbo flagship starred at the Bologna Motor Show this week. First UK deliveries will be made in March.

Expansion call to beat congestion

At least 1,000 miles of roads will be gridlocked by 2041 unless they are widened, claims a report by the RAC Foundation. It says an extra 372 miles are needed before then to ease congestion, or the M25 and Manchester and Birmingham orbital routes will be rendered useless.

New powers over abandoned cars

Highways Agency staff could soon get new powers to remove abandoned or broken down vehicles from the motorway. This is traditionally the job of the police, but that could change under the proposals. Traffic officers would then be able to lift vehicles from hard shoulders or A-roads. Visit www.highways.gov.uk for info.

Brits in dark over using their lights

Drivers don’t know how to use their headlamps correctly. So claims new research commissioned by insurer esure. More than half of the 1,000 motorists it quizzed said they’d driven accidentally without lights in the past year. And 12 per cent revealed they didn’t even know their car had sidelights! Most of the drivers surveyed had been dazzled by oncoming traffic using full beam.