Fisker Karma

Singer Justin Bieber was stopped and cited Friday for driving in a "reckless manner" on the busy 101 Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said. Bieber was pulled over in a Fisker Karma sports car about 10:45 a.m. by CHP officers on the 101 at Vineland Avenue and Ventura Boulevard. The 18-year-old was allegedly weaving in and out of traffic. CHP Officer Ming Hsu said the entertainer was driving in excess of 65 mph, but said his precise speed was not available. According to Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine, who called 911 to report the incident, paparazzi were pursuing Bieber on the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

A giant Honda Accord recall will be delayed into next year because the automaker doesn't have enough parts to fix the problem. American Honda Motor Co. is expanding an earlier recall of Acura TL sedans to include 572,000 model-year 2003-2007 Accord V6 vehicles in the United States. The automaker said the power steering hose may deteriorate and leak fluid. That might cause a loss of power-steering assistance or, if it leaks onto a catalytic converter, may result in smoke or in the worst case, fire.

Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell talks about where the auto market is headed, outlines the intense competition for buyers of family sedans and what's behind less-than-robust truck sales.  U.S. auto sales jumped 13% in September compared with a year ago and represent one sector of the U.S. economy that's firing on all cylinders. With the exception of Nissan, the major foreign nameplates had strong, double-digit sales gains in September, with Toyota and Honda rebounding from depleted inventory and depressed sales caused by the earthquake in Japan last year.

Honda announced its third big recall of the week Saturday, this time to correct a faulty automatic window switch in 268,000 model-year 2002-2006 CR-V sport-utility vehicles that can malfunction and start a fire.  Earlier in the week Honda recalled about 1.4 million Civics, Accords and Pilots to fix a variety of safety issues. In the CR-V recall, the automaker said rainwater or spilled liquids may enter an open driver's window and drip onto the master power window switch. Over time, exposure to liquids can cause electrical resistance in the switch, making it overheat, melt and cause a fire.

The California maker of Red Vines issued a voluntary recall of its Black Licorice Twists this week after the state's Department of Public Health warned of high levels of lead - more than double the amount deemed healthy for children. The agency said 16-ounce bags of the candy, with the label “Best Before 020413,” were affected. Testing found that the packages, produced by Union City-based American Licorice Co., contained as much as 0.33 parts per million of lead, or 13.2 micrograms per serving.

Justin Bieber's adventures on the road are getting newsworthy again. The paparazzo facing charges stemming from a high-speed July freeway chase involving the pop star caught a break Wednesday: The judge in the case tossed two counts after ruling the state's anti-paparazzi law unconstitutional, L.A. Now reports. Los Angeles city prosecutors had filed charges against 30-year-old photographer Paul Raef for allegedly chasing Bieber and then speeding off when police tried to pull over both drivers.

U.S. auto sales jumped 13% in September compared with a year ago and represent one sector of the U.S. economy that's firing on all cylinders. But even in a rising tide there are winners and losers. With the exception of Nissan, the major foreign nameplates had strong, double-digit sales gains in September, with Toyota and Honda rebounding from depleted inventory and depressed sales caused by the earthquake in Japan last year. General Motors and Ford went into a stall last month.

Electric vehicles and hybrids are quiet - a little too quiet for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The agency on Monday announced proposals for minimum sound requirements on hybrid and electric vehicles. Without an internal combustion engine running, many vehicles can operate under full or partial electric power with little to no sound to warn pedestrians or cyclists, particularly the visually impaired. “This proposal will help keep everyone using our nation's streets and roadways safe, whether they are motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.

Honda said it will expand a March headlight recall to include 820,000 model-year 2002-2003 Civic sedans and model-year 2004-2005 Pilot sport-utility vehicles in the United States. Honda dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace components of the headlight wiring system. The automaker said a problem with the wiring of the headlight switch could cause the low-beam headlights to not work. The loss of headlights could limit a driver's ability to see the road and potential hazards and increases the risk of a crash.