There have been eight new publications added to the Forum. The first four can be found under the GM, Ford and Chrysler tab. The first article comes from the Detroit News reporting that Ford Motor Co. will launch eight new vehicles over the next five years in India to bolster its presence in one of the fastest-growing emerging markets. I hope that India’s highways and road ways can handle the traffic better than China can. I believe the traffic jam in China is going into its 11^th day. The second article comes from the Detroit News Washington Bureau. It states that Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said in a letter released Thursday to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Schapiro that she is concerned that the sale of the first chunk of the government’s 61% stake in GM won’t include any female or minority-owned underwriters. The third article comes from a Free Press Business Writer. It tells that Ford Motor Co. temporarily halted shipments of more than 6,000 Ford Fiestas last week after it discovered the quality of a part on the car did not meet its standards, creating the second shipment delay for the company’s highly anticipated subcompact car since it was launched. Listen up Toyota; this is the way it should work. Take the hit by delaying shipments when you find a quality/safety problem, not by overlooking it and shipping out defective vehicles as you do. The fourth article comes from the Free Press Auto Critic. It reports that Buick’s decision to use Opel design and engineering for key new models opens up a cookie jar full of tasty new vehicles.

Three new posts have been entered into the Open Discussion section. The first article comes from the Detroit News stating that the recovery in auto sales is sputtering, with forecasters expecting August sales to show a continuation of the uncertain trend seen since March. Compared with last August, when the government’s cash for clunkers program fueled a spike in demand, monthly sales are likely to be down sharply. The second article comes from the Detroit News Washington Bureau telling that Toyota Motor Corp. said on Thursday it will recall 1.3M 2005-08 Corolla, Matrix and Pontiac Vibe vehicles sold in the United States for engine problems. Toyota had previously said that they would not issue a recall on these vehicles because it didn’t pose a safety threat. Blah, blah, blah; same old story, different defect. The only things that Toyota is good at are building unsafe vehicles and blowing smoke up the public’s butt by saying that everything is and will be OK. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Pack up all your crap Toyota and GO HOME! The third article comes from the Autos section of the New York Times. It reports that most vehicle recalls used to happen only after long, drawn-out government inquiries had identified safety defects and required the companies to fix them. But in the wake of Toyota’s extensive recalls, automakers are initiating more recalls themselves rather than waiting for government regulators to step in. It’s obvious that Toyota didn’t get this memo.

One new post has been placed in the Opinion category. The article comes from AOL Autos and asks the question; what kind of leader is Daniel “melon head” Akerson, the executive who will replace Ed “old coot” Whitacre on Sept. 1 as GMs new CEO? Old coot Ed left at a time when the economy is in a slump and now melon head Dan faces more trouble than the IPO. He faces issues such as trouble in Europe, U.S. market share, resurrecting Buick and will the Volt succeed, just to name a few. Seeing that GM loves to shake up management, I wonder how long melon head Dan will last.