News
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A Robotaxi Can Trap a Fire Truck at a Burning House. The Firefighter’s Only Weapon Is a Complaint Form
Picture a fire captain waving his arms at a driverless Waymo that just rolled past his cones and stopped six feet from the hydrant his crew needs. If a human driver pulled that stunt, the captain has real options: get it towed, have an officer write a citation, even have the driver arrested for obstruction.…
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DeKalb County Paid $18.9 Million for “Ethical” Car Surveillance. A Deputy Voided the Warranty in Nine Months
Nine months ago, DeKalb County Flock cameras were unveiled with a promise: “safeguards to ensure transparency, accountability, and ethical data use.” Last Friday, a sergeant with seventeen years on the job became the test case for what that promise was actually worth. Sgt. Kabiru Salawu was fired and arrested on July 17, accused of illegally…
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Advance Auto Parts Let a Clerk Play Detective. Now a Wrongly Accused Mom Wants $15 Million
Nobody at Advance Auto Parts hired anyone to run a police lineup. But that is essentially what happened in Gastonia, North Carolina, and the company is now being asked to answer for it in federal court, to the tune of $15 million. Garage-worthy EDC gear, on sale this week. This isn’t really a story about…
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GMC Acadia Owners Got a Warranty Extension and a Check for Their Leaky Coolant Hose. Chevy Colorado Owners Got a Lawsuit.
On June 26, Jonathan Dixon filed a proposed class action against General Motors LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Case No. 2:26-cv-00217. Dixon says he bought a new 2024 Chevrolet Colorado in March 2024, and less than two years later, in February 2026, his truck threw a check-engine light…
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Mercedes-AMG’s Legendary Four-Cylinder Is Dead. What’s Left Is a Speaker Playing Its Ghost
For twelve years, the “45” on the back of a Mercedes meant something specific: a hand-built turbocharged four-cylinder engine that AMG’s engineers kept squeezing for more power until it became, officially, the most potent production four-cylinder ever built. That engine, the M139, is dead. Its replacement isn’t a bigger engine, or even a smaller one.…
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Dodge Is Throwing the Charger a 60th Birthday Party. The V8 Wasn’t Invited
Dodge wants you to spend this summer thinking about 1966. Starting this week, the brand is rolling a nationwide birthday party for the Charger nameplate across the country: a walk-around at the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, a Route 66 centennial parade with the Petersen Automotive Museum, the return of Roadkill Nights on Woodward Avenue, and a…
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This 435-Mile 2006 Ford GT Could Be Yours—And Our Link Gets You More Entries
A one-owner 2006 Ford GT with just 435 miles—or $400,000 cash—is up for grabs. Enter through our link for more entries and help us put an Auto Wire reader in the winner’s circle.
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Tesla and Hyundai Are Building Robot Armies. Building Cars Might Just Be Their Old Job
Tesla just broke ground on a new factory in Austin. When the machines inside it are running at full capacity, not one of them will touch a car. Garage-worthy EDC gear, on sale this week. The facility is a dedicated production line for Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, sitting on the same Giga Texas campus where…
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Case-by-Case: Every Reported Flock License Plate Camera Error to Date
Automated license plate readers like those made by Flock Safety are marketed to police departments as a low-cost way to solve crimes and recover stolen cars, scanning tens of billions of plates a month and instantly flagging matches against hotlists. That scale comes with a cost: even a small error rate produces a steady stream…
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Traffic Deaths Just Hit an 11-Year Low. Give the Credit to Anything but American Drivers
The Department of Transportation wants a victory lap. Traffic deaths fell 4.3% in the first three months of 2026, dropping to 7,770 — the lowest first-quarter total since 2015, according to NHTSA. The fatality rate, 0.99 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, is the lowest for any quarter since 2014. String enough quarters like…
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These Salesmen Beat 176 Stolen-Car Charges in Court. A Paperwork Loophole Still Destroyed Their Careers
Two car salesmen just got cleared of 176 criminal charges apiece for selling stolen vehicles, and they’re suing Toronto Police for nearly $11 million. That’s the version of this story everyone will read. It’s the wrong one to focus on. Garage-worthy EDC gear, on sale this week. The more interesting story is this: in Ontario,…
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Win This 850-HP 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R With Bonus Entries
Some cars are built to commute. This one was built to make every on-ramp feel like the opening lap. A brand-new 2026 Shelby Super Snake-R—serial #3 of just 100 planned—is up for grabs, and The Auto Wire’s entry link automatically applies promo code MCC5 for the posted bonus-ticket tiers. We would love nothing more than…
