Weekly Wheelhouse - Auto News. Simplified Jan 14, 2026

Honda Civic Recall, Toyota’s $13.9B Battery Bet & the U.S. Auto Market Shift

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Car

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is a well-known car that many people drive. There is a recall because some of the wheels made between 2016 and 2021 might not be safe, which could cause problems while driving.

Part

lug nut

Lug nuts are the small bolts that hold the wheels on your car. If they get loose, the wheels can come off, which is very dangerous.

Term

VIN

A VIN is like a car's fingerprint. It's a unique number that helps identify your specific vehicle and can be used to check its history.

Term

EV market share

EV market share is the portion of all cars sold that are electric vehicles. It helps show how popular electric cars are compared to regular gas-powered cars.

Term

hybrids

Hybrids are cars that use both a gas engine and an electric motor. This combination helps them use less fuel and produce fewer emissions than regular cars.

Car

Toyota Sienna

The Toyota Sienna is a family minivan that offers a lot of space for passengers and cargo. It's known for being a hybrid, which means it uses both gas and electric power to save on fuel.

Car

Honda Crv

The Honda CR-V Hybrid is an SUV that uses both gas and electric power to save on fuel. It has a roomy interior and is popular among families for its comfort and reliability.

Car

Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is a type of SUV that uses both gas and electric power to improve fuel efficiency. It's a great choice for those who want a practical vehicle with good mileage.

Term

recall

A recall happens when a car company asks owners to bring their cars back to fix a problem that could be dangerous. It's a way to keep drivers safe and make sure their cars work properly.

Brand

Lexus

Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota, making higher-end cars that focus on comfort and features. Think of it as Toyota's fancier line of vehicles.

Car

Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma is a popular truck that can handle rough terrain. The 2026 version has new features that make it better for off-road adventures.

Term

crawl control tuning

Crawl control tuning is a feature that helps a vehicle move slowly over tough ground by controlling the speed and brakes automatically.

Term

overlanding upgrades

Overlanding upgrades are special features added to vehicles to help them travel long distances off-road, often for camping and adventure.

Term

Goodyear all-terrain tires

Goodyear all-terrain tires are special tires that work well on different types of ground, like mud and gravel, as well as regular roads.

Company

Allison Transmission

Allison Transmission makes gear systems that help vehicles change speeds automatically. They have worked with GM to provide these systems for trucks.

Car

Chevrolet Silverado

The Silverado HD is a tough truck made by Chevrolet that can carry heavy loads and tow trailers. It's built for people who need a strong vehicle for work or recreation.

Term

10-speed transmission

A 10-speed transmission is a system in cars that helps them change gears automatically. More gears can help the car use fuel better and perform well at different speeds.

Car

Sierra HD

The Sierra HD is a strong truck made by GMC, designed to handle heavy loads and tow trailers, making it suitable for work or outdoor activities.

Car

Genesis GV70

The Genesis GV70 is a fancy SUV that offers a lot of comfort and technology. The '3.5T' means it has a powerful engine that helps it drive faster and smoother.

Term

GM Crest grill

The GM Crest grill is the front part of the car that has the General Motors logo on it. Changing this grill can make the car look different and more stylish.

Term

LED headlights

LED headlights are a type of car light that uses special bulbs to shine brighter and last longer than regular lights. They save energy too.

Term

0-60 time

0-60 time is how fast a car can go from a complete stop to 60 miles per hour. It's a way to see how quickly a car can speed up.

Term

twin turbo V6 engine

A twin turbo V6 engine is a type of car engine that has two turbochargers. These help the engine produce more power without being bigger, making the car faster and more efficient.

Term

hybrid engine

A hybrid engine uses both gas and electricity to power the car. This helps the car use less fuel and be better for the environment.

Car

The Mazda CX-90 is a type of family-friendly vehicle called an SUV, which means it has a lot of space for passengers and cargo. It's known for looking good and being fun to drive, making it a popular choice for people who want both style and practicality.

Term

inline 6

An inline 6 is a type of car engine that has six cylinders lined up in a row. This setup helps the engine run smoothly and provides good power.

LIVE

Welcome to the Weekly Wheelhouse where auto news is simplified.

I'm Jim with Off the Shelf Rides.

Here are the top U.S. automotive stories that you need to know this week, plus a look into

the OSR garage.

So let's get started.

First up, we've got a Honda Civic Recall where your wheels can just fall off.

Honda is recalling just over 400,000 Civics from 2016 to 2021 because certain 18-inch

accessory alloy wheels may have been improperly manufactured.

Some wheels were shipped without the required steel lug nut inserts, which can cause the

lug nuts to loosen over time.

In extreme cases, the wheel could detach while driving.

A supplier in Italy accidentally allowed unfinished wheels to pass inspection when an separation

barrier was removed during equipment installation.

The defect rate is believed to be very low, less than 1%, and no injuries have been reported.

But because of the severity of the failure mode, Honda is recalling all potentially affected

vehicles.

Owners should check their VIN with Honda or NHTSA.

Dealers will inspect and replace wheels and hubs for free.

Notification letters begin December 8th.

First up, we've got Toyota opening a $13.9 billion battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina,

the first Toyota battery manufacturing facility outside of Japan.

The site spans nearly 2,000 acres and will support up to 14 production lines operating

around the clock.

Full capacity is expected to reach roughly 30 gigawatts annually.

The plant will supply U.S.-built hybrid EVs and plug-in hybrids, including models assembled

in Kentucky and Alabama.

It will create over 5,100 jobs across engineering, logistics, and battery R&D.

Toyota also confirmed up to $10 billion in additional U.S. investment planned over

the next five years.

Next we have EV charging tax credits and home incentives.

The federal 30C tax credit offers up to 30% back on EV charging equipment and installation.

Homeowners can apply it towards level 2 home chargers.

Businesses and tax-exempt groups can claim up to $100,000 per charger depending on location.

The credit also applies to panel upgrades, wiring, and labor.

Several states offer additional stackable incentives and certain census tracks qualify

for expanded coverage.

This credit significantly reduces the cost of adding home or commercial EV charging.

The U.S. auto market is cooling, but hybrids are still hot.

The U.S. auto market is slowing after a strong summer.

October's SAAR registered around 15.3 million units, which was lower than previous months

and lower than last year.

Energy has risen across many brands.

EV market share has dipped into the 5% range.

Hybrids remain the standout, climbing above 14% of new vehicle sales.

The top fast-selling models include the Toyota Sienna, RAV4 hybrid, and the Honda CR-V hybrid.

And automakers have begun to delay certain EV launches into the 2026 and 2027 and increasing

incentives on slower-selling EVs and SUVs.

Next Toyota recalls over a million vehicles for a rear-view camera issue.

Toyota is recalling more than one million Toyota and Lexus vehicles built between 2022

and 2026.

A software malfunction may cause the rear-view camera feed to freeze, distort, or go black,

failing federal visibility requirements.

The fix is a free software update at the dealership.

Notification letters begin in December, but owners can check their VIN now via Toyota

or NHTSA.

The recall spans multiple high-volume Toyota and Lexus models and the Super Roots Altera.

Now for our OEM press room roundup.

Next we've got Toyota with the 2026 Tacoma adding new off-road and trail upgrades.

So Toyota released its 2026 Tacoma update expanding factory off-road gear and new adventure

packages.

Updates include new modular bed storage systems, roof mounted accessories, improved

skid protection, updated trail camera calibrations, and a revised crawl control tuning.

The TRD Pro and Trailhunter trims receive expanded factory ready, overlanding upgrades, and

two new exterior colors in heritage blue and wave maker.

Also included in the 2026 update is a black front logo on the TRD off-road, TRD Sport,

and the TRD Pre-Runner trims, along with 18-inch TRD wheels paired with 32-inch Goodyear all-terrain

tires featured in the TRD off-road I-Force Premium package.

Toyota confirmed up to $10 billion in additional U.S. manufacturing investment over the next

five years.

Funds will expand battery module production, upgrade assembly lines, and increase hiring

across multiple states.

The investment also funds flexibility upgrades that allow factories to switch between hybrid,

plug-in hybrid, and future EV platforms as needed.

Next we've got the GM and Allison Transmission End Branding Partnership.

GM and Allison Transmissions have ended their long-running badge partnership.

Go GM has used its in-house 10-speed transmission for years, Silverado HD and Sierra HD trucks

continue to wear the Allison Transmission badge.

By mid-2026 GM will remove the badge entirely, including from unsold 2025 models.

Allison continues supplying commercial and military platforms, but GM's HD trucks will

now be fully GM branded.

Allison Transmissions will continue to supply GM with Allison Transmissions.

They just won't have the Allison Transmission badge on the truck.

If you'd like to know more information, a little more detailed information, you

can watch this video from my friend Tim over at Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk, and the video

will also be linked down in the description.

Next we're going to talk about a couple recent videos from Off the Shelf Rides.

One is the 2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige Review.

Now this car was amazing, it is a beautiful car, Genesis did a great job with it.

They refreshed it slightly giving it a new GM Crest grill in black.

You got better bumpers, they upgraded the lighting signatures, they have these micro

lens array LED headlights that had these multiple square pixels going across.

It was really cool, really nice look.

They have this double line headlight and tail light set up to kind of signify Genesis.

And the top level Sport Prestige model that we had gets all the dark accents instead of

all the shiny chrome.

So it was more of a kind of a black chrome or you had gloss black in certain areas.

The interior was upgraded.

You had a napple leather Sport seats that were redesigned.

You had a suede headliner.

And under the hood you have a twin turbo V6 engine with 375 horsepower and 0-60 in just

5 seconds.

If you want to see the full review we will have that linked down in the description.

The next video that we want to talk about is actually last week's Weekly Wheelhouse.

This was the first episode for Weekly Wheelhouse.

We are going to be learning as we go and probably changing a few things along the way.

But last week we covered the Jeep 4xE fire risk recall, Toyota's massive engine recall

and Toyota at SEMA.

We also highlighted reviews of the 2025 Jeep Wrangler Sahara and the 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser.

So go back and watch that if you missed it and we will have that linked down in

the description.

Now we are going to talk about what we are reviewing for off the shelf rides.

We are going to have a series of 3-row SUVs to review.

So if you are looking for a new SUV for 2026 make sure you hit that subscribe button.

This week I am driving the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Nightshade Hybrid.

The Nightshade trim gives you that black out look with all the black grille, the

black wheels, the black mirror caps and all the black trim.

Even the logos and emblems are all in black.

It looks really nice and so far it has been smooth and pretty comfortable.

It has the regular hybrid engine but it does not have the high horsepower hybrid

max which I was a little disappointed with.

So make sure you guys subscribe if you want to see that review.

It will be up in the next week or so.

And then next week I am going to be driving the 2026 Mazda CX90 Turbo S Premium Sport.

Now this is Mazda's flagship 3-row SUV with a luxurious interior and a pretty smooth

inline 6.

I drove them when they first released them and I am really looking forward to seeing

what changes or what modifications or upgrades that they actually made to this.

Thanks for watching this episode of Weekly Wheelhouse where auto news is simplified.

Hit the like and the subscribe button for new vehicle reviews and U.S. automotive news

every week.

I'll see you next week and have a blessed day.

About this episode

Honda is recalling over 400,000 Civics due to a serious wheel manufacturing defect that could cause wheels to detach while driving. Meanwhile, Toyota is making a significant $13.9 billion investment in a new battery plant in North Carolina, aimed at supporting its hybrid and plug-in hybrid production. The episode also covers the cooling U.S. auto market, with hybrids gaining traction despite a dip in overall EV market share. Additional discussions include Toyota's recalls for rear-view camera issues and updates on the 2026 Tacoma's off-road enhancements.

0-60 time 10-speed transmission Allison transmission crawl control tuning EV market share GM Crest grill Goodyear all-terrain tires hybrid hybrid engine inline-6

Chevrolet Silverado Genesis GV70 GMC Sierra Honda Civic Honda CR-V Mazda CX-90 Toyota RAV4 Toyota Sienna Toyota Tacoma

Original notes

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This week on Weekly Wheelhouse, we break down major U.S. auto recalls, EV charger tax credits, Toyota’s $13.9B battery plant, and why hybrids continue to outsell EVs.
This week we cover:
– Honda recalls 406,000+ Civics for a wheel-detachment issue
– Toyota opens a massive $13.9B battery plant in North Carolina
– EV charging incentives offering up to 30% back
– The U.S. auto market cooling as hybrids surge
– Toyota recalls 1M+ vehicles for a camera failure
– OEM updates from Toyota and GM
– This week’s press vehicle: 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Nightshade
– Next week’s press vehicle: 2026 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Sport
New Vehicle Reviews This Week:
2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige Review
About Off the Shelf Rides:
Real-world reviews and simplified auto news for everyday buyers.
Subscribe for weekly reviews, buyer advice, and industry updates.
#AutoNews #CivicRecall #ToyotaBatteryPlant #HybridCars #EVCharging #CarNews #OffTheShelfRides #WeeklyWheelhouse

GM & Allison Transmission Split - https://youtu.be/qC9xRSIfpwo?si=gDCAgO8S0kC-aI-A

2026 Genesis GV70 Review - https://youtu.be/zHZWMHR80mc?si=WVmq1Bsst0UFqQe6

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