General Motors has announced yet another voluntary recall, acknowledging potential power-steering problems with approximately 1.3 million vehicles.

The latest recall applies to a patchwork of nameplates and model years, including the 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 non-turbo Chevrolet HHR, 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aurio, 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2005-2006 and 2008-2009 Pontiac G6.

Depending on the vehicle, GM plans to replace the power steering motor, the steering column, the power steering control unit, or a combination of the column and the control unit.

The announcement appears to confirm a much wider problem with power-steering equipment in many GM vehicles, despite several earlier recalls that already attempted to address such issues in millions of vehicles. Many owners may be bringing their vehicle in a second time to replace power steering parts that were originally defective and then replaced with revised components that are also faulty.

In addition to the aforementioned models, nearly 400,000 additional vehicles, including 2006-2008 Chevrolet HHRs and 2003 or newer Saturn Ions, will receive lifetime warranties for replacement of the power steering motor.

“With these safety recalls and lifetime warranties, we are going after every car that might have this problem, and we are going to make it right,” said GM’s new safety chief, Jeff Boyer. “We have recalled some of these vehicles before for the same issue and offered extended warranties on others, but we did not do enough.”

GM is approaching five million recalled vehicles since announcing the ignition switch problem in February, though some vehicles are listed on multiple recalls. The company has increased its estimated costs of dealing with the problems from $300 million to $750 million.

General Motors has issued written testimony from CEO Mary Barra ahead of a formal hearing before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Legislators want to know why the ignition-switch recall took so long, however the executive suggests the company still does not have an answer.

“Sitting here today, I cannot tell you why it took years for a safety defect to be announced in that program, but I can tell you that we will find out,” she wrote. “When we have answers, we will be fully transparent with you, with our regulators, and with our customers.”

The executive reiterated an apology to everyone who has been affected by the recall, “especially to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured.”

The company has yet to name victims of accidents that have been officially blamed on faulty ignition switches, though it brought its fatality count up to 13 due to an accident in Quebec.

More documents are required to be submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by April 3, including details of fatal accidents. It is unclear if the company has notified families, however personal information about the victims is expected to be redacted from the public documents that will be published by the agency.

The company faces several lawsuits filed by the estates of drivers who were killed in accidents that were allegedly caused by the switch defect. The documents may reveal if GM has counted these cases or previously-settled lawsuits among its official list. Some safety advocates point to hundreds of fatalities from accidents in which the airbags did not deploy, suggesting the actual victim count may be higher.

The company recently expanded the ignition-switch recall to include newer models that may have been repaired with older ignition switches. It has also issued several separate recalls for other vehicles, including more than a half million new Chevrolet Cruze sedans and various Chevrolet and GMC pickups and SUVs.

“This latest round of recalls demonstrates just how serious we are about the way we will do things at the new GM,” Barra added. “We identified these issues. We brought them forward and we are fixing them. I have asked our team to keep stressing the system at GM and work with one thing in mind — our customers and their safety are at the center of everything we do.”

Volkswagen’s iconic Golf hatchback is turning 40. First launched in 1974, the Golf’s four decades-long history includes seven-generations and more than 30 million worldwide sales.

Charged with the tall order of following up the Beetle, the original Mk I Golf was an instant success, recording 1 million sales in just over 2 years on the market. The Mk I Golf GTI, introduced in 1976, remains a performance legend to this day.

The second-generation Golf followed in 1983, adding new features like a catalytic converter, ABS and all-wheel drive. The Mk III Golf, launched in 1991, packed on even more technology, like air bags, cruise control and a six-cylinder engine.

The fourth-generation Golf added a dual-clutch transmission while the Mk V Golf upped the ante with laser welding, side airbags and the world’s first twincharger engine, which combined both supercharging and turbocharging technologies.

VW improved the breed for the sixth Golf, introduced in 2008, and launched the seven-generation of the hatchback in 2012. Though not yet sold on these shores, the latest Golf includes heritage models like the GTI and GTD, but also looks forward with offshoots like the Golf GTE plug-in hybrid and e-Golf pure electric.

The seventh-generation Golf is scheduled to hit the United States market within the next few months.

Lobbyist groups have agreed to allow Tesla Motors to keep its current stores in New York, rather than continuing to push for an outright ban.

Dealers had filed lawsuits challenging Tesla’s presence in the state, arguing that the automaker’s direct sales model violates existing franchise laws. One of the legal challenges failed to convince a state judge, who opined that dealers couldn’t use the franchise laws — designed to protect them from automakers — as a means to eliminate potential competition.

Texas Governor Rick Perry and Florida Senator Marco Rubio recently voiced support for Tesla’s strategy, finding conflict between the lobbyists’ position and the Republican party’s free-market ideology.

Without high-level support from politicians, aside from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the lobbyists have changed tack. The New York agreement follows a similar compromise in Ohio, where dealers have agreed to allow the company to continue operating three locations.

“Today’s agreement reaffirms New York’s long-standing commitment to the dealer franchise system, while making sure New York remains a leader in spurring innovative businesses and encouraging zero emissions vehicle sales,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In New Jersey the lobbyists successfully pushed for a backroom deal that would have effectively pushed Tesla out of the state, but the move was immediately met with backlash as legislators promised to draft new legislation that would loosen the franchise laws. Tesla wanted to avoid a state-by-state fight, and the gentlemen’s agreements allow it to continue operating without being forced to lobby for restrictions to franchise laws.

Cuomo suggests the New York compromise will be formally implemented in legislation in the near future.

A new report finds that Subaru’s next three-row crossover will draw stylistic inspiration from the wild VIZIV 2 concept (pictured above) – and pack a powertrain as unique as its striking sheetmetal.

While it was originally believed that the somewhat staid Crossover 7 show car would preview Subaru’s Tribeca replacement, the VIZIZ 2′s design language will instead serve as the basis for the new seven-passenger CUV, according to Motor Trend.

Buyers will reportedly be able to opt for a plug-in diesel hybrid powertrain – the first to be offered in the U.S. market – that combines a 2.0-liter turbodiesel boxer engine with a hybrid system sourced from Toyota. The latter will incorporate a lithium ion battery that sends power to one electric motor at the front, along with two motors at the rear axle that provide AWD capability.

In addition to class-leading mileage, the setup is expected to provide snappy acceleration due to the combined low-end torque of the turbodiesel mill and electric motors.

Subaru has yet to confirm a launch date for the Tribeca successor, but rumors point to a debut in the 2016-2017 timeframe.