We’ve all been inundated with Michael Jackson news since his death last week, but there was one story about his cars that I found interesting. Jackson was an unusual man, and his car collection was a bit odd, too. This post at Auto Trader UK has a slideshow of the vehicles, most dating back to the 1990s. The vehicles were to be auctioned off with the singer’s Neverland estate. That auction never happened, but the images can still be seen online. 

His 1999 Rolls Royce Seraph limousine is opulent, with lots of polished wood and 24-carat gold. However, the blue ruffled curtains make it feel a little creepy and hearse-like. The ceiling has gold details, and when paired with the mirrors behind the bar, it looks very Palace at Versailles.

GM is recalling 44,451 Saturn Vues from the 2008 model year because of a problem with body-colored door handles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The door handles could stick or bind and cause the door not to latch when closed. This could lead to an unbelted occupant falling out of the SUV, increasing the chance of injury.

Saturn dealers will replace the body-colored door handles with chrome door handles free of charge. For more information, owners can call Saturn at 800-972-8876 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

Ford is recalling 1,357 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from the 2009 model year because of a problem with the brake lights, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The brake stop lamp switch could be improperly adjusted on these family-haulers, which could cause a delay in brake-light illumination when the brake pedal is depressed. During mild braking, the brake lights might not illuminate. This could increase the risk of a crash.

Ford and Lincoln dealers will adjust the brake stop lamp switch free of charge. For more information, owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

Moms are multitaskers. I can help my oldest son find his glasses, feed the dog and play “Star Wars” with my youngest, all at the same time. However, there’s one place where moms, dads and everybody else needs to stop multitasking: behind the wheel of a car. In a road test, Car & Driver found that texting while driving is more dangerous than driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit.

The test, which took place on an abandoned air strip, measured the difference in reaction times when driving with no distractions, driving while reading a text, actively texting and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Now This is What I Call a Vacation; Merlot Mom
The holiday weekend is approaching, and I’m starting to mentally prepare for our family vacation. I’m looking forward to taking my oldest son fishing with my dad, who is a fly fisherman. I’d love to instill a love of nature in my city boy, and a fishing trip in Minnesota is always a good start. Merlot Mom is vacationing with her family in Utah’s Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Her photos alone will inspire you to pack your bags and start driving.

Toyota is recalling 1,348 Scions and Toyotas, including some mom-mobiles, from the 2009 and 2010 model years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The following models are part of the recall: the 2009 Scion tC and xB, the 2009 Toyota Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, Tacoma and Yaris, and the 2009 and 2010 Tundra.

These models are missing load-carrying capacity modification labels, and that fails to conform with federal requirements. Without the label, owners could overload their vehicles, which would increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota will provide owners with a new label free of charge. For more information, Toyota and Scion owners can call Toyota at 888-270-9371 or NHTSA at 888-327-4236.

I took my new Volvo C30 to the dealership to get serviced last week. Since I bought my car through a broker I never once stepped into the dealership during the buying process. I decided to go incognito for my first trip and find out how kid-friendly — and MotherProof.com worthy — my local Volvo dealership and service department are. 

I was thrilled to be greeted by a kids’ play space that was tucked into a cozy alcove of the dealership. My daughters would have been thrilled by the hidey-hole-like space, complete with a swinging castle gate. Unfortunately, my girls were at rock-climbing camp that day and didn’t get to try out the play area.

It’s nearly Father’s Day — are you scrambling to find a great gift for your husband or dad? For once I’ve actually got my Father’s Day plan figured out. Of course there will be gifts for my husband from me and our sons, but more importantly, I’ll let him sleep in (something he rarely gets to do). That seems like the best gift of all. That and cupcakes. You can never go wrong with cupcakes.

Here are some of my favorite Father’s Day-related posts: