According to an article in the NY Times, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda are recalling 3.3 million vehicles worldwide because the passenger side airbag could deploy with too much force, sending shards of metal into the passenger area.

Though automakers said they are not aware of any injuries that have been caused by the airbags yet, the problem is serious enough to warrant these massive recalls. Almost 1.4 million of the vehicles being recalled are in the United States.

At SafeAuto, we believe in safety first, always protecting yourself, and being prepared in case of accidents. We’re happy to hear that these vehicles with dangerous airbags are being recalled and even happier to hear that they have not caused any injuries at this point. To learn which vehicles have been recalled, visit NYTimes.com. To protect yourself in case of an accident, visit www.safeauto.com.

Car safety is an area in which technology is constantly improving. Seat belts, air bags, crumple zones, and other technological advances have combined to drive both the injury rate and the fatality rate in vehicles ever lower. It's never been a safer time to get behind the wheel of a new car.

That said, some vehicles are still safer than others... often to a unpleasantly surprising degree. And a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -- one of the most respected safety authorities out there -- demonstrated that when it comes to safety, you don't necessarily get what you pay for.

About the Study
They tested a collection of 2013 model sedans; both family sedans from companies such as Toyota and Honda, and high-end luxury sedans from marques such as Audi and Lexus. The cars were ranked as “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal,” or “poor” in a variety of crash situations, such as rollovers, side impacts, and front crashes.

At specific issue were “overlap” or “partial” collisions, namely where the front of a car doesn't fully hit a barrier or obstacle, but only part of it. This is problematic for many cars because it means one crumple zone has to absorb all the kinetic energy.

The Results
Let's start with the good news for those of us who plan to get a good, reliable mid-size family sedan. The Honda Accord 4-door sedan got a good rating across the board, while the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Accord 2-door, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, and Volkswagen Passat got a Good in all other categories and an Acceptable when it came to partial collisions.

But, as you might have guessed, the cars of the rich weren't exactly up to their snooty reputation.

The surprise, at least to the IIHS, were the results for the luxury cars. Of the cars they tested in the luxury or near-luxury category, only the Acura TL and the Volvo S60 managed to survive the tests with the best ratings across the board. The Acura TSX and its Sport version, Lincoln MKZ, BMW 3 series, and Volkswagen CC, all came away with good ratings except for the overlap crashes, which scored them a “Marginal.”

The rest of the models tested? Poor. In fact, the Infiniti G, and Lexus ES 350 and IS 250/350 models didn't even pull Good ratings across the board, unlike their compatriots in the luxury category.

Lessons Learned
What can we take away from all this?

1. Even the worst car on here has seen its safety substantially improve over the time it's been available, according to the IIHS's own data. Cars are getting safer, it's just that some have substantial room for improvement.
2. Money isn’t everything. It's true, in some cases, that luxury cars are at the cutting edge of automotive technology, but they're not the be-all and end-all of it. Also, handling “overlap” crashes safely is very much a work in progress for each automaker.
3. The real lesson here is that if you're buying a new car, do your homework and do it carefully. Don't make assumptions: Look for hard data and tests. Call your auto insurance company and find out which cars get you lower insurance rates because of safety features. Otherwise, you may be putting yourself at risk without even knowing it.

Taking your car to an auto repair shop can be expensive and inconvenient. Wouldn't it be great if you could fix your car on your own -- even if it requires replacing a part or two?

It's not as difficult as it might seem. With a little planning and some elbow grease, you can purchase replacement auto parts on your own and install them in your garage or driveway. Here are some suggestions on how to repair your car without relying on a mechanic.

• Maximize cost savings. The best way to save the most money by installing car replacements parts yourself? Look for the parts which are the most expensive to buy, but are the easiest to install. (Alternators and brake calipers are good examples.) You'll avoid repair shop markup by purchasing them directly from a supplier, and you won't spend too much time taking the rest of your car apart just to get to the spot where the part needs to go.

• Determine a timeframe. Before purchasing a part, you should figure out how long it will take to install it yourself. There are numerous websites (like AutoMD.com) that list the estimated man hours for specific repair jobs. If something will take longer than you have time for, you may be better off having a pro take care of it.

• Consider buying aftermarket parts. There's no rule that says you have to purchase an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) part. Not only will you likely find a wide variety of aftermarket parts available for your specific vehicle, they will be just as good than new OEM parts. Companies that produce parts for a specific model year often continue to manufacture these components for people like you -- and they use the same quality standards and production specs as they did when they were making them for "new" cars. Plus, these parts frequently come with warranties as well.

• Steer clear of uncertified aftermarket parts. However, they may be a few aftermarket parts that are not produced to OEM standards. These are the ones which should be avoided, because there's no guarantee that their quality will be the same as OEM parts or OEM-certified aftermarket parts.

• Think about opting for remanufactured parts. In the past, this wasn't a viable option for do-it-yourselfers; but the remanufacturing processes have come a long way since then. Today, most remanufactured parts have been carefully disassembled, thoroughly cleaned, and properly adjusted so they perform just like new. New components are often used, warranties are common, and they are almost always less expensive than either OEM or aftermarket parts.

• Don't get "universal" parts. These are auto parts that can ostensibly fit many types of cars. But in reality, they tend to require some adjustment and/or modification in order to get them properly installed -- which can take additional time (and patience). Even then, the quality may not be as high as with parts that are made for your specific vehicle.

• Research DIY car sites. You may be surprised at how many websites there are on the Internet that tell you how to install car parts and/or perform certain maintenance tasks. Many of them provide detailed parts lists and instructions, project difficulty ratings, and even demonstration videos to help novices and experts alike fix their cars themselves.

• Test your work in real conditions. While it's tempting to skip or gloss over this step after you've spent time repairing your car, doing so could cost you more time and heartache later. If you've put in new struts, it won't help to drive your car on a flat surface if you want to see if they are working properly. You'll need to find some rough ground and put them through their paces a little bit. After all, you may not save much time and/or money if you have to repeat a repair job because you failed to test it. 
  
  You can save money on auto insurance, too! Get started with a quote from Safe Auto today.