minivan

15 Stories

What Happened to the Minivan?
What Happened to the Minivan?
longform
Oct 13, 2024 8:29 AM CDT

What Happened to the Minivan?

Ian Bogost traces how it got 'replaced' by the SUV

(Newser) - Once upon a time, the minivan was a new and exciting "savior." Then it became ubiquitous, though never particularly cool. And then it became ... obsolete? In a piece at the Atlantic , Ian Bogost traces the history of what he calls "the perfect vehicle," and argues that...

Popular Minivans' Back-Seat Crash Tests Don't Go Well

None of the 4 popular brands tested managed to secure a 'good' or 'acceptable' safety rating

(Newser) - CBS News calls it "a red flag for anyone considering driving or purchasing one of the vehicles." The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says the 2023 models of the popular Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica and Kia Carnival all failed to notch an "acceptable"...

Woman Found Living in Van With 300 Rats

San Diego resident says she started with only 2 rats

(Newser) - A woman living in a van in San Diego with her pet rats has agreed to give them up—all 300 of them, the AP reports. The San Diego Union-Tribune says the San Diego Humane Society went to the woman's van near Del Mar on Oct. 8. Authorities found...

Dad Leaves Toddler Twins in Hot Minivan for 3.5 Hours

The tragedy unfolded at a Honda dealership in Alabama

(Newser) - In another hot-car tragedy, an Alabama father left his 11-month old twins in a minivan for nearly 3 1/2 hours—and the result was not good, AL.com reports. Police officers and firefighters responded to his 911 call Friday at the Honda dealership in Oxford where he works. "He...

Chrysler Pacifica Owners Not Thrilled When Power Just Dies

Fiat Chrysler, dealers can't find what's causing stalling issue customers are complaining about

(Newser) - Minivans aren't exactly known for inspiring fear, but that's what's happening among Chrysler Pacifica owners, with more than 50 federal complaints filed about the vehicles suddenly stalling out while in use, leading to dangerous situations in which, luckily, no one has yet been injured. Dealers are scratching...

Honda Recalls 900K Minivans
 Honda Recalls 900K Minivans 
Mar 15, 2014 2:40 PM CDT

Honda Recalls 900K Minivans

Odysseys from 2005-10 may have faulty fuel pump covers

(Newser) - Honda is recalling 886,815 Odyssey minivans in the US because a fuel pump cover can deteriorate and cause a fuel leak. Odysseys from the model years 2005 through 2010 are involved. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the cover on the fuel pump strainer can wear down from...

7 Killed as Truck, Minivan Collide in Upstate NY

Children among the dead: officials

(Newser) - Seven people, including children, were killed when a tractor-trailer collided with a minivan on a rural two-lane highway in upstate New York, officials said yesterday. The rig was headed south around 6pm on Route 13 about 25 miles south of Syracuse when the trailer became disconnected and crossed the center...

NZ on Boston U Crash: We Tell Students Not to Drive

Officials will step up warnings for international students

(Newser) - Three Boston University students studying in New Zealand were killed on Saturday when the minivan they were driving in careened off a road and crashed. Officials of the New Zealand university hosting the Boston visitors said they strongly discourage such students from driving because of their unfamiliarity with driving along...

Ford to Build Its First Hybrid-Only Vehicle

...but it's a minivan

(Newser) - Ford is making a minivan that will become its first US vehicle sold only as a hybrid. While the automaker sells hybrid versions of some cars, it's got nothing like the hybrid-only Toyota Prius. Ford's new minivan is based on a five-passenger van, the C-Max, which is a...

Cops Hunt for Missing 'Erratic' Mom, Son

She's spotted falling in parking lot, asking for directions

(Newser) - Washington cops continue to hunt for a young "erratic" mom and her 8-year-old son after her minivan was found half-submerged off a Puget Sound road. Backsliding alcoholic Shantina Smiley, 29, was spotted falling in an Olympia parking lot and asking strangers for directions before heading off the opposite way...

GM's $5K Minivan Is a Smash in China

...but with the power of a 'pumpkin on wheels,' it's likely staying there

(Newser) - General Motors has a major overseas hit in its Wuling Sunshine, a $5,000 minivan that gets more than 40 miles to the gallon. It sold 590,000 of them in China last year, but don't be too quick to complain that its foreign-only status is totally unfair: The Sunshine's...

Ford Unveils Minivan Lite
 Ford Unveils Minivan Lite 
Sep 15, 2009 5:45 PM CDT

Ford Unveils Minivan Lite

7-passenger 'people mover' on its way

(Newser) - Ford has announced its reentry into the please-don't-call-it-a-minivan category, USA Today reports. The carmaker has been out of the minivan business since 2007, and it plans to stay that way—at least in name—with the Grand C-Max, scheduled to be on US roads in two years. Built on a...

NYC Cops Keep Ticketing Van With Corpse Inside

(Newser) - A New York man’s decomposed body was found yesterday in a minivan peppered with parking tickets issued by officers who apparently didn’t notice the corpse, the Daily News reports. “The window was cracked open,” said the daughter of George Morales. “I don't understand how no...

Chrysler Goes Electric
 Chrysler Goes Electric 
Sep 23, 2008 12:20 PM CDT

Chrysler Goes Electric

Firm to offer hybrid and pure-electric models in 2010

(Newser) - Chrysler is hopping on Detroit's belated eco-friendly bandwagon, a source tells the Wall Street Journal, with a full stable of electric cars and trucks that it plans to market starting in late 2010. While most of the planned models are hybrids, at least one will be a fully electric car...

Buy Our Minivan, Give Your College Fund a Boost: VW

$1,500 incentive offered with purchase of Routan model

(Newser) - Volkswagen is offering an innovative incentive to parents to buy their Chrysler-built Routan minivan: $1,500 in a college savings plan, Left Lane News reports. The partnership with Upromise might pale to those with more pressing concerns (or who hate planning ahead), though: Chrysler itself is offering a credit card...

15 Stories
Most Read on Newser