Aston Martin Faces Embarrassing Problem

The problem with those 17 sports cars, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is with the passenger air bags, which may not have been fastened properly. So in the unfortunate event of a crash, the vital safety system might not do its job and keep occupants as safe as they could (and should) be. Fortunately all that's required to fix them is to inspect and tighten the fasteners, which we can't imagine would take service technicians very long, as far as the labor involved in some more complex recalls go.

Two-door models like the affected Vantage, DB11, and DBS still represent the core of Aston Martin's lineup, especially with the four-doorRapidenow on its way out. But the arrival ofthe new DBX crossoverpromises to boost the company's production and broaden its appeal beyond the niche it currently occupies – just as the Urus has for Lamborghini, for example, or the Cayenne did for Porsche.

Last year the company sold 6,441 vehicles around the world, up over 26 percent from the 5,098 units it moved the previous year. Expect the new DBX to boost those numbers significantly in the coming years.