The redesigned 2011 BMW 5 Series has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick status.

To earn the award, a vehicle must receive the top rating of Good in a front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. A vehicle also must have electronic stability control; this feature is standard on the 5 Series. 

This is the first 5 Series to earn a Top Safety Pick award; the prior-generation model earned only a Marginal rating in the side-impact crash test. IIHS’ side-impact test simulates a strike from an SUV or pickup truck.

Earning the award became tougher this year when IIHS added the rollover crash test, which measures roof strength and is twice as stringent as the federal requirement. To pass this roof-strength test, a vehicle must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle’s weight. Current federal standards only require a roof to hold 1.5 times its strength. As a result, many of the vehicles that had previously qualified as Top Safety Picks fell off the list in 2010.

For more information about other IIHS Top Safety Picks, click here.

Toyota is voluntarily recalling 373,000 2000-2004 Toyota Avalons because of potential problems with the steering system.

The recall will address an issue with the steering lock bar, a device that typically locks the steering wheel when the vehicle is turned off. Because of an improper casting of the steering lock bar, the component could break under certain conditions. This would cause the steering wheel to lock completely while the car is in motion, increasing the chance of an accident. 

Toyota will replace the steering column bracket on affected vehicles at no charge to the customer. This procedure the automaker says should take about two hours to complete. Toyota will notify owners starting in late August to bring their vehicles to their local Toyota dealers. 

Although the Avalon shares its underpinnings with the Toyota Camry, no other Toyota or Lexus models are affected by this recall.

For more information, owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331.

Suzuki surprised MotherProof.com’s Chief Mama Kristin Varela with its 2010 Kizashi. Admittedly, she wasn’t expecting much from this small midsize sedan, but after spending two weeks in it, she found it be sporty and comfy for her family. Because of its small size, the Kizashi’s backseat could be a tight fit for most adults. Kristin also ran into some child-safety seat problems in the second row. Find out if they fit back there by reading her full review.

2010 Suzuki Kizashi Review

As a youngster, I used to spend every summer weekend at my dad’s lake house, which is really just a nasty hunting lodge on a reservoir that’s loaded with dirty catfish, but don’t tell him I said that. Some of my fondest memories are of getting into my dad’s Suburban at the end of the weekend—exhausted from so much fun in the sun—and snuggling down into the piles of pillows and sleeping bags packed around me.

Regal Lager is recalling 881 Cybex Solution X-Fix booster seats manufactured in February, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recalled booster seats have an incorrect warning label about securing an unoccupied booster.

The incorrect warning appears both on the booster seat’s headrest and in the owner’s manual.

While this is a minor reason for a recall, if a caregiver were to follow the directions on the incorrect label, there’s an increased chance that the unoccupied booster could strike someone in the car and cause an injury in a crash. Always secure an unoccupied booster seat with a seat belt.

Regal Lager will notify owners on or before Aug. 10 and send them a new owner’s manual and label for the booster seat. For more information, can call Regal Lager at 800-593-5522 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

Unless you live under a rock, you had to have noticed the loud media blitz yesterday from Ford about the new 2011 Explorer. They launched it unconventionally with live online video feeds, social media outlets and in-person reveals across the country, essentially turning yesterday into “Ford Explorer Day.” Traditionally, new cars are revealed at auto shows, where they’re competing with competitors for media coverage, but Ford didn’t feel like sharing. Can you blame them?

Jaguar is recalling 5,048 of its 2010-11 XK and 2010 XF models with the 5.0-liter V-8 over potential problems with the fuel system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On those vehicles, when the car is turned on, the fuel pump may not fully function because of a software error. This can cause an inadequate supply of fuel to reach the engine, causing it to cut out with little to no warning and potentially lead to an accident.

Jaguar dealers will install new software into the affected vehicles free of charge. The recall begins on or before Aug. 30. To find out more, call Jaguar’s hot line at 800-452-4827 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

It’s been drilled into parents to keep their infants rear-facing in the car until they’re 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends keeping young children in rear-facing car seats until they’re 2 years old or have reached the upper weight limit for their rear-facing convertible seats.

Children kept in a rear-facing car seat are five times safer than toddlers in forward-facing car seats, according to AAP. A rear-facing car seat increases crash protection for a child by absorbing crash forces through the seat’s hard plastic shell and supporting the child’s head, neck and back.