BMW needed to recall 1 Series cars M.Y. 2008 through 2011 due to defective retractor of the front safety belts which may ignite. This is according to the notice at the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of the affected vehicles is not indicated on the notice.

Volkswagen recalls 15902 units of Routan minivans due to short circuit risks with the latches of the rear-door.

The announcement of the recalls were made after the committee in charge of regulations for the automotive industry sent its report to the Senate body to toughen the laws and penalties for violations.

The recall of VW for the 2009 model year of their mini vans following a recall of the Chrysler Group of 284,831 units of the Town & Country by Chrysler and Grand Caravan under the Dodge brand.

According to the safety engineers of BMW, the problem with the BMW will occur during road accidents of significant severity. The mechanism of the seat belt is designed to add tension, tighten, and hold the person back to his seat during a crash. The problem was traced to the insulation wrapped around the pre-tensioner.

The Japanese car maker showcased the different features during the Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas.

The Toyota vehicles will have the Safety Connect which uses GPS and cellular phone signals for help. An operator will call the driver if the airbags of the car deploy or if a severe tail end collision happens. The operator will call 911 in case the driver does not answer and the location of the car will be given.

During cases where the system is not automatically triggered, the occupants of the vehicle can press the SOS button to contact the emergency services. This can also be used if the occupants encounter engine problem on the road and needs help.

The system will also have a Stolen Vehicle Location feature which will help the owner and authorities trace the location of the carnapped vehicle.

The Enform service which will be installed in the luxury brand Lexus will have all the standard features of the Safety Connect. The concept is like having a personal car concierge which can help the occupants with directions or maybe recommendations of the coolest places to go to. These features are the essentials of the Destination Assist and eDestination features.

After making the choices, the navigation system will then guide the driver to get to the chosen destinations. Plans can also be made using a pc via the eDestination service which can send the data to the navigation system of the car. These high end features will be included with the Lexus Flexible Voice Interface which is said to debut on the 2010 RX model.

A one year free trial will be given after which owners must subscribe to the services.