Toyota: Fixes are working on recalled vehicles
LOS ANGELES (March 9, 2010) — Toyota maintains that the fixes being made to correct unintended acceleration in millions of recalled vehicles are sufficient.

Wheel importer settles in Montana product liability case
BUTTE, Montana (March 9, 2010) — Custom wheel and tire importer MKW Alloy Inc. has settled a product liability lawsuit with a Montana couple involving the death of their son in a 2006 traffic accident allegedly linked to a defective wheel MKW had imported from South Korea.

Bridgestone brand marks second year as hockey awards sponsor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 8, 2010) — Bridgestone Americas’ Bridgestone brand will continue for the second year sponsoring the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

Becker Tire receives Bridgestone Bandag service award
GREAT BEND, Kan. (March 8, 2010) — Becker Tire & Treading Inc., a Bridgestone Bandag retreading franchisee, received the Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions’ 35-year Service Award as a franchisee during the company’s executive symposium in Marco Island, Fla., Feb. 6.

TBC, Pep Boys announce tire recalls
WASHINGTON (March 8, 2010) — TBC Corp. and Pep Boys—Manny, Moe & Jack have announced recalls of sport-utility vehicle tires, all size 245/70R17, which apparently came from the same batch that Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. and Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. previously recalled.

Drayson Racing picks Michelin as tech partner
GREENVILLE, S.C. (March 8, 2010) — Drayson Racing, the United Kingdom-based team owned by Elspeth, Lady Drayson and Paul, Lord Drayson, has selected Michelin North America Inc. as technical partner for their #8 Lola-Judd prototype in the 2010 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

University of Aftermarket offering 19 online courses
MIDLAND, Mich. (March 8, 2010) — The University of the Aftermarket at Midland-based Northwood University is offering a record 19 online “distance learning” courses during its spring term, which begins April 12.

OPINION: It is a global, not just U.S., recession
DETROIT (March 8, 2010) — Last week, along with many folks from Detroit, I had a quick trip to Europe with stops in England and Switzerland.

GM seeks to reinstate 661 rejected dealerships
DETROIT (March 8, 2010 — General Motors Co. said March 5 it plans to reinstate 661 of the 1,160 rejected car dealerships that applied for arbitration to get their franchises back, scrapping a nine-month plan to reduce its showroom network by 40 percent.

Conti nabs OE fitment on Ram medium-duty trucks
FORT MILL, S.C. (March 5, 2010) — Chrysler Group L.L.C. has selected Continental HSR and HDR truck tires for OE fitment on its Ram medium-duty Chassis Cab trucks, starting with the 2011 model-year, according to Continental Tire the Americas L.L.C. (CTA).

Feb. unemployment rate essentially unchanged; NFIB says job outlook still bleak
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2010) — The U.S. unemployment rate in February remained essentially unchanged at 9.7 percent, according to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Hercules recalls 1,119 tires for possible tread chunking
WASHINGTON (March 5, 2010) — Hercules Tire & Rubber Co. is recalling 1,119 Hercules Terra Trac SUV tires, size 245/70R17, manufactured between Nov. 15 and Dec. 12, 2009.

No. of small biz using social media doubled since 2008
HERNDON, Va. (March 5, 2010) — The number of small businesses using social media has doubled since 2008 as more companies look for ways to identify and attract new customers, according to a recent survey.

Alaska legislator seeks support for bill mandating winter tire use
JUNEAU, Alaska (March 5, 2010) — The sponsor of a bill in the Alaska legislature to mandate the use of winter tires in the state during the worst winter months is waiting to garner support for the legislation before he proceeds with it, according to one of his staff members.

Goodyear completes note exchange
AKRON (March 5, 2010) — Goodyear announced the results of its offer to exchange any and all of its $650 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.857 percent notes due in 2011 for a series of 8.75 percent notes due in 2020.