Liz Opsitnik

Estimate the savings you’ll need as you prepare for an early retirement.

General Motors is recalling 47,401 Cadillac SRX crossover SUVs from the 2011 model year for an airbag programming problem. The luxury compact SUV’s right roof-rail airbag, which protects passengers’ heads, turns off if no one is sitting in the front passenger seat. Sensors in the front passenger seat determine by weight if someone is sitting there. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that if the right roof-rail airbag is off, someone sitting in the right rear seat will not…

Choosing a safe family vehicle is easier than ever. Traffic deaths are at their lowest level in decades. Also, many new vehicles are available with safety features like forward collision and lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and collision prevention systems that can automatically bring the vehicle to a stop if they sense an impending accident. Still, if you have a pre-teen who will be old enough to drive in a few years or a teen who drives now, how do you choose a vehicle that is saf…

If you drive a big SUV, you know that it can be difficult to see behind you. SUVs generally have thick rear pillars and small rear windows, which means backing them up is often more difficult than it is in smaller cars. Backup cameras help alleviate this problem by showing the driver what’s behind him or her when the vehicle is in reverse.Backup cameras are expected to become mandatory on new passenger vehicles, starting with the 2014 model year. “Federal regulators plan to announce this week th…

Hyundai is covering the lithium-polymer battery pack in its 2012 Sonata Hybrid with a lifetime warranty. The automaker hasn’t said whether or not the lifetime warranty will also cover hybrid-related components, like the hybrid starter generator or power control unit.Hyundai Motor America President and CEO John Krafcik told Car and Driver that Hyundai can offer this lifetime warranty because the Sonata Hybrid’s powertrain has been tested for more than 300,000 miles and the battery pack’s “failure…