Toyota has announced a voluntary recall for 2003-2004 model-year Avalon sedans sold in the US.

The company suggests certain circuits within the airbag control module are prone to damage due to electrical noise from other components. In some cases, the front airbags and seat belt tensioners can inadvertently deploy.

The problem is said to be addressed by adding an electrical noise filter to the airbag control module.

It is unclear if the issue has been tied to any accidents, injuries or deaths.

Toyota recently promised to quickly respond to safety issues and enhance internal quality control. The company was hit with a $1.2 billion settlement to avoid criminal charges from the Department of Justice over its unintended-acceleration recalls four years ago.

The Avalon recall reportedly affects 119,000 vehicles.

Mexican startup Mastretta has reportedly revamped its MXT sports car ahead of a European debut.

The company has continued to focus on achieving an attractive power-to-weight ratio, bringing the weight down to under 1000 kg (2205 lbs) and borrowing Ford’s 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine from the Focus ST.

“Our philosophy is that weight and chassis architecture defines performance,” Mastretta representative Steve Hindle told Autocar. “The power-to-weight ratio and the raw response from the chassis are what will make this car stand out.”

A special-edition MXT-R was previewed early last year with modest tweaks to the original model’s styling, adding a front splitter, new side skirts and a large spoiler on the decklid. The track variant was also set to be powered by a 2.0-liter Ecoboost mill, sending 285 horsepower to the rear wheels.

As Mexico’s only locally designed and built sports-car, the MXT takes inspiration from established supercar and luxury brands. Its body takes advantage of carbon fiber to keep weight down, while the interior is outfitted with modern electronics and leather-clad carbon-fiber seats.

“The company needs to grow one step at a time, and the current focus is on the home and neighbouring markets,” Hindle noted.

The company has yet to announce additional details such as pricing, though the existing MXT fetches approximately $58,000 USD.

In a research note distributed to investors, Barclays analyst Brian Johnson predicted that General Motors may allocate at least $2 billion for a voluntary settlement fund and for a potential federal fine.

Despite calls for a bankruptcy fraud investigation to void the pre-bankruptcy liability protection, Johnson believes attorneys are unlikely to successfully pursue such strategies in court. Nonetheless, he expects the company to channel $1 billion to $1.5 billion through its bankruptcy estate as a potential compromise to avoid a protracted legal battle.

“Notwithstanding the lack of legal liability, we believe GM will craft a settlement to put the issue behind it,” Johnson wrote, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press.

Aside from the consumer compensation funds, the automaker is also expected to take a hint from the Justice Department’s recent Toyota settlement and set aside another $1 billion to resolve a federal criminal investigation.

The company has been regularly served with new lawsuits since announcing the recall. Some plaintiffs are pursuing wrongful-death claims, while others seek damages for vehicle devaluation or the drop in stock price.

Johnson suggests GM may announce the “settlement mechanism” ahead of CEO Mary Barra testimony before Congress next week.

Though we’ve already driven the 2015 Chrysler 200, one aspect of the redesigned midsizer that has been a mystery is its fuel economy – but no longer, as the EPA has finally released official mileage ratings for all configurations of the sedan.

When equipped with the standard, 184-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder, the 2015 200 is good for an estimated 23 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. The 295-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 returns 19/32 mpg in front-wheel-drive form and 18/29 mpg with optional all-wheel-drive.

All 2015 200s shift through a nine-speed automatic transmission that, along with a low 0.27 coefficient of drag, helps to eke out maximum mpgs. AWD models also benefit from a rear axle that can disconnect to save fuel when extra traction isn’t needed.

While not as thrifty as rivals like Nissan Altima (27/38 mpg) or Mazda Mazda6 (28/40 mpg with i-eloop), those figures do put the volume-selling four-cylinder 200 solidly in the middle of the economy battle. They also represent sizable gains over the previous generation model’s 20/31 mpg rating.

The 2015 Chrysler 200 will start $22,695 (including destination) when it lands in dealerships later this spring.

Toyota has unveiled its latest race car, the TS040 Hybrid, which will compete in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championships.

The revised design integrates a hybrid all-wheel-drive system that is rated at 513 horsepower, along with a 3.7-liter V8 gasoline engine that brings the total maximum power up to 986 ponies.

To remain competitive in the series, the TS040 has been optimized for new WEC technical regulations that require teams to cut fuel consumption by 25 percent. Engineers are also said to be given more design flexibility in other areas, enabling Toyota to bring a significant increase in hybrid power with motors on both the front and rear axles.

“By adopting more road-relevant technology, the WEC will increase the possibilities for the transfer of Toyota’s race-bred technical know-how to its production cars, strengthening is status as the world’s leading manufacturer of hybrid vehicles,” Toyota says.

The TS040 aims to take on rival factory teams Audi and Porsche, with several races ahead of the pinnacle event, 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for June 14.

“It’s hard to know where our competition will be performance-wise,” said team driver Anthony Davidson. “We are waiting to face them on track but you have to expect Audi will have done a good job and will probably be the one to beat despite Porsche’s heritage in this category.”