Latest news with #Acuras
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Major car theft ring busted in Queens stole more than 100 vehicles: D.A.
A massive and sophisticated car theft ring based in Queens that sprawled across the U.S. has been uncovered, with 20 people indicted after a years-long investigation, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Thursday. The 'massive criminal ecosystem,' which involved individuals who teamed up to steal, broker and sell the stolen vehicles using high-tech as well as traditional methods, is 'one of the biggest auto theft rings that we have seen in the last decade,' Katz said at a press conference announcing the takedown. Of the 20 people indicted, 14 are facing the top charge of criminal enterprise, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. The other individuals are variously charged with possession of stolen property, grand larceny and conspiracy, and two people are charged with weapons possession after investigators uncovered four illegal firearms in connection with the case. The three-year investigation involving the Queens D.A.'s Office, the NYPD, state police and other agencies that led to the takedown was dubbed Operation Hellcat by police, 'because it began with a pattern of thefts of Dodge Hellcats, traditionally identified by their high horsepower and noise to attract attention,' Katz said. 'This was a multistate, multimillion-dollar auto theft operation,' Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the press conference. 'It's important to note these were not high-end luxury cars. This crew targeted regular vehicles driven by everyday New Yorkers who relied on them to get to work, to take their kids to school and just to live their lives.' Ultimately, the crooks stole 38 Acuras, 24 Hondas, 23 BMWs, 20 Dodges, three Land Rovers and several others. Wednesday, dozens of police officers in full protective gear, along with snipers, drones and a robot dog could be seen surrounding a home in Howard Beach in connection with the case, PIX11 reported. Cops later arrested a man wearing only his underwear and seized two vehicles, a Dodge Charger and a BMW sedan, according to PIX11. 'What started as a case against a motorcycle thief soon uncovered a full-fledged criminal enterprise responsible for stealing and trafficking thousands of vehicles annually, worth tens of millions of dollars,' Tisch said. 'At the heart of this operation was a career thief who recruited, trained and led a steal crew that operated with precision, transitioning from motorcycles to cars. The crew began with simple driveway steals, opportunistically breaking into open vehicles. But, as the operation evolved, so did their methods.' The crew of car thieves used a range of old-school and high-tech methods to break into and swipe the cars, ranging from screwdrivers to tracking-device disablers and electronic car fobs that allowed them to reprogram the keys and drive away in under 90 seconds, Katz said. 'After this group stole the cars, a second set of specialized defendants took over,' Katz continued. 'Two of the defendants acted as brokers for the auto theft ring. They coordinated with the thieves to sell the cars on the black market, typically soon after the thefts, in exchange for a fee. These defendants used social media, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, to advertise the stolen vehicles.' 'This was a sophisticated criminal enterprise with defined roles and a clear hierarchy,' Tisch added. 'At the center was a nine person 'steal crew,' the ones physically breaking into the cars, reprogramming key fobs and driving them away. They were connected to two brokers — middlemen who took orders, some from out of state, including Tennessee, down to the make, the model and even the color of the vehicle. Then there were the sellers, who altered VINs, forged paperwork and resold the vehicles. Finally, the buyers who would pay for the stolen vehicle and arrange for its transport,' Tisch explained. Of 126 cars allegedly stolen by this group, 44 were purchased by undercover law officers. So far, police have arrested 16 of the individuals involved. Two others are planning to surrender in the coming days and two remain at large. 'I have a message to the buyers of these vehicles,' Katz said. 'If it's too good to be true, it probably is.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Triad auto shops feel impact of tariffs on China
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — While some of President Donald Trump's tariffs have been put on a 90-day hold, the owner of an auto shop in Greensboro says mechanics are being affected by it. Greensboro mechanic Jamie Morris says some car parts that are typically imported from China are now hard to get. 'They're telling me up to six months to wait for this drive shaft,' Morris said. It's a frustrating timeline for the owner of the Anything on Wheels auto shop in Greensboro. The tariffs that China and Trump have imposed on each other right after midnight on Wednesday are only making things more complicated for car mechanics. 'It's not the auto mechanic world. It's the parts. They can't get the stuff in, so they can't supply us with the parts. We've tried junk yards with the customers,' Morris said. Morris says car parts for Toyotas, Hondas, Acuras and anything electrical are currently back logged, and the price for some car parts has already gone up, 'Overnight a [car] part went from $130 to $134,' Morris said. As the tariff rates fluctuate every day, the prices are expected to continue to climb. While she waits for parts to come in, all Morris is asking from customers on behalf of all auto shops is patience. 'Some people have had to put down their cars for months before they're allowed to drive them. If you have to put your car down, how are you going to get to work?' Morris said. Morris says as the trade war between the U.S and China continues, a network of auto shops in the Piedmont Triad are sharing car parts with each other if they're having a hard time receiving imports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Honda, Acura Accused of ‘Start-Stop Engine Failure' Affecting up to 2.2 Million Vehicles
A slew of Honda and Acura models are under federal investigation due to reports of drivers' automatic stop-start functions failing to restart after turning off. Affected owners have noted their engines as being unable to restart after coming to a complete stop at a traffic light or intersection while the feature is engaged. Some drivers added that their vehicle required a jumpstart to correct the claimed defect. The NHTSA's (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's) investigation applies to certain 3.5-liter V-6 engine Hondas and Acuras paired with a nine-speed transmission. These models include the brands' 2016-2019 Honda Pilot, 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline. Honda and Acura have been receiving auto start-stop failure reports since June 2022, which began with 2016- 2019 MY Honda Pilots. In January 2023, Honda addressed the issue with service bulletins containing a repair outline consisting of a two-stage countermeasure. These stages included a Programmed Fuel Injection software update and the replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment if the first stage didn't resolve the problem. However, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has continued to receive complaints of the start-stop issue from Honda and Acura drivers, with 'many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed,' according to the NHTSA's filing. The ODI has opened an engineering analysis to further evaluate the potential safety issue after receiving over 1,300 driver complaints. ODI officials acknowledged no fewer than four accidents caused by the auto start-stop problem—two of which resulted in injuries. The ODI has also received reports that the issue is causing fires. If the ODI's investigation turns into an official recall, up to 2,209,466 Honda and Acura models could be affected. In the meantime, drivers of potentially impacted models can manually deactivate the auto start-stop system. Honda US has an extended 10-year/unlimited mileage warranty for affected vehicles that haven't been repaired and didn't benefit from the software update. Auto start-stop systems are designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by shutting off a car when it's stationary. According to Edmunds, engineers estimate potential fuel savings for a vehicle engaged in auto start-stop at 3-10% on average, with a peak rate of 12%. These figures would be equivalent to a car that usually gets 20 mpg in the city earning 22 or 23 mpg. Edmunds' real-world tests reflected the engineers' claims as accurate, but fuel savings took a significant hit with the air conditioning active on a hot day. Drivers are most likely to experience improved fuel economy via automatic start-stop in mild weather conditions. Optimizing automatic start-stop fuel savings also requires driving discipline, like resisting the impulse to creep up at a red traffic light if the car in front moves. A Honda spokesperson told The New York Post: 'Honda has already been in communication with the agency on this [auto start-stop] topic and will continue to cooperate with NHTSA as the investigation continues.' While auto start-stop technology has good intentions, reactions from drivers are mixed, with some citing difficulty adjusting to the feature's feel. Outside of Honda and Acura owner complaints, an auto start-stop feature often won't activate under certain conditions, like frigid temperatures, when the engine or transmission hasn't warmed up, and if the battery is weak or working hard to power other systems like climate control during cold weather. Auto-stop start technology generally has a required operating range of between 32°F and 86°F—so if you'd like to experience its benefits, it's essential to understand the feature's limitations.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Reckless driving or 'tragic accident' weighed in fatal crash case
Mar. 12—Ailadi Abreu became enraged over allegations of cheating and drove down an Interstate 293 exit ramp at nearly 70 mph before hitting a BMW in a head-on crash that killed her fiance, Michael Shattuck, in March 2023, a prosecutor said during Abreu's trial Wednesday morning. The crash between the 2012 Acura TL and the 2019 BMW X7 took place at the intersection of Granite Street during afternoon rush hour traffic in Manchester and was caught on dashboard and security cameras, Assistant Hillsborough County Attorney Frank Coffey said. Abreu, 37, faces charges of negligent homicide, reckless manslaughter and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon. Public defender Alayna Trilling, however, said the crash was a tragic accident and a rush to judgment by police. Abreu wiped tears as she listened to opening statements by both the prosecution and her own defense team. The jury is made up of seven women and five men, one of whom will be an alternate during deliberations. "They got into an argument over allegations of her infidelity and then she sped up and recklessly drove her car onto the exit ramp at a high rate of speed," Coffey argued. She passed another car on the right and a 25 mph speed limit sign, he said. Coffey showed the jury dash-camera footage from a car parked at Dunkin' near the off-ramp, which ended with a woman saying, "Siri, call 911." Abreu wasn't interviewed by police for eight days after the crash because she needed to be hospitalized. Details on the couple fighting came from Shattuck's sister, Trilling said. Trilling said evidence will show that Abreu was driving normal on the highway and "something went wrong" when the car entered the intersection at a high rate of speed and could not navigate the turn. "What happened was an accident, not a crime," Trilling said. Abreu, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered broken bones to her feet, hips, knee and shoulder. She could not remember much about the events leading up to the crash. Police never investigated the brakes, throttle, tires and steering system. The Acura was purchased used from J.D. Byrider in Manchester with 140,000 miles on it. The used car dealership has since permanently closed. "Police are tasked with investigating, and in this case, they rushed to judgment," Trilling said. "That tunnel vison led them to fail to investigate a car experiencing a mechanical failure." Earlier this month, prosecutors sought to block evidence through cross-examination into the investigation of the maintenance history, condition, inspection history and known defects to Abreu's vehicle and all 2012 Acuras. Judge Amy Messer ruled the defense "may inquire of their action of inaction in checking Byrider maintenance records and their knowledge of Byrider having gone out of business." The defense can also inquire about an investigation by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into all 2012 Acuras. Evidence from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office investigation into the business practices of J.D. Byrider is excluded. "The speed in not in dispute, but what caused it is something the state cannot answer for," Trilling told the jury.
