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NHTSA investigating Toyota Prius hybrid for steering-shaft concerns

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday it will look into whether steering shafts in Toyota Prius models spanning from 2004 through 2009 model years are defective. According to the Detroit News, NHTSA has already recalled the Toyota Prius twice for steering-shaft problems. In 2012, 669,000 Prius vehicles from 2004-2009 model years were recalled to replace the steering-shaft extension assembly.

Volkswagen debuts Jetta TDI Value Edition

There was already a lot to like about the diesel Volkswagen Jetta TDI CleanDiesel, most of it having to do with fewer fillups, and so for 2014 Volkswagen is debuting a new Jetta TDI Value Edition that slices more than $2,000 off the price of entry. And speaking of the price of entry, it is now $22,115 for Volkswagen's smallest diesel sedan in the U.S. Yes, it seems Volkswagen has finally created a car for automotive journalists as well as members of the biodiesel-brewing crowd who are tired of fixing old Mercedes-Benz W123 station wagons from the 1970s, though we probably have the diesel Chevrolet Cruze to thank for the appearance of this particular model.

National Motorists Association says get out of the way

This is a no-brainer to AutoWeek readers, but the National Motorists Association has launched a publicity campaign urging drivers to not block the left lane and cause traffic problems. The group has named June "Lane Courtesy Month," which coincides with higher traffic volumes for the summer. The group says a driver is lane-courteous when he or she is keeping clear of the left lane unless passing slower-moving vehicles, then moving back into the right lane as soon as possible.