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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.
The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. This is your bulletin for Friday, August 21, 2026.
🔧 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has expanded an investigation into General Motors’ L87 small-block V8s off the back of continued complaints from owners despite recalls. Our Byron Hurd has covered this issue extensively, and, in total, the probe covers nearly a million trucks and SUVs that use the engine, from the Chevrolet Silverado to Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon, ranging from model years 2021 through 2026. The NHTSA’s new engineering analysis aims to assess the efficacy of GM’s attempts to remedy the problem and mitigate engine failure. [Reuters]
🪽 Stellantis is again recalling certain 2021-2023 Dodge Durangos equipped with rear spoilers due to a misalignment issue, that could cause them to fly off at speed. Just under 75,000 SUVs are impacted in total. [The Detroit News]
🚪 China just commenced its largest auto recall in history—and one of the largest anywhere in the world, up there with the Takata airbag recall—over emergency door releases in vehicles with electronic handles. The recalls will take numerous forms at 11 different automakers, with some issuing new software and others installing warning labels to highlight the handles’ locations. Tesla alone, for example, will have to make changes to 3 million cars. [Reuters]
🪫 Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview at Monterey Car Week that its customers are “very happy” with its decision to recast the Lanzador as a plug-in hybrid, rather than a fully electric vehicle. [CarBuzz]
💶 The Netherlands has fined Uber nearly $1 billion for suspending driver accounts without notice between 2020 and 2022, under GDPR rules. Unsurprisingly, the rideshare company intends to repeal. [Reuters]
☀️ Tesla has discontinued its solar roof product, but will continue to offer conventional solar panels. The company first demoed the system publicly a decade ago, before acquiring SolarCity, a company Tesla CEO Elon Musk invested in that was run by his cousins. The product never managed to be as inexpensive or sell as well as Musk touted. [Electrek]
🏁 Weekend races to watch (all times Eastern):
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at New Hampshire: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on FS1
- Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix: Sunday at 9 a.m. on Apple TV
- IMSA SportsCar Championship at Virginia: Sunday at 12 p.m. on NBC
- IndyCar in Washington, D.C.: Sunday at 1 p.m. on Fox
- NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: Sunday at 3 p.m. on USA
- NHRA Drag Racing Brainerd Nationals Finals: Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on FS1
Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com
Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
