This episode’s featured guest is Mr. Matt Haugh who is the Light Vehicle Test Development Director at ASE. Matt is the lead on ASE’s upcoming credential covering Advanced Driver Assistance Systems otherwise known as ADAS. Matt joins us on the podcast to provide us with insight and background on this new offering from ASE. Matt provides us with some background information on ASE’s upcoming ADAS certification credential that ASE plans to launch in 2022. Recall: 21V-331, https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2021/RCLRPT-21V331-5686.PDF Certain 2013-2015 model year Kia Optima (QF) vehicles manufacture ..read more

  This episode’s featured guest is Ben Cruz who is the Director of the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) at Macomb Community College (MCC) in Warren Michigan. Ben discusses with Scott his lengthy career as an engineer with GM which started out through an internship at the Mesa Proving grounds in Arizona. The discussion is primarily focused on the new Vehicle Engineering Technician Degree program he designed and is now being offered at Macomb. This new program will provide the graduate with additional skills which includes coding, cyber-security, artificial intelligence, and ..read more

Mr. David Aylor from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) joins Scott Brown to discuss vehicle active safety systems and how they are assessed at IIHS. The two discuss current safety systems, their effectiveness, and expand on future technologies coming to the market. The two also discuss how these systems are affecting service, and when we will likely see Level 5 autonomous vehicles on the road. Recalls: 20V-766 & 20V-768 - Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2020 Legacy and Outback vehicles equipped with "high" grade and "mid" grade multimedia navigati ..read more

Mr. Donny Seyfer joins Scott Brown to provide an update on the National Automotive Service Task Force's (NASTF) new website, the new Service Information Request (SIR) system, vehicle security professional resources, and upcoming features for NASTF members. Recalls: 20V-746 & 20V-759 - Hyundai is recalling approximately 130,000 vehicles due to a potential failure of a connecting rod bearing that could result in a catastrophic event. If a connecting rod were to break, it could breach the engine block leading to a loss of propulsion and a potential vehicle fire. Nissan is recalling approximat ..read more

This episode’s featured guest is Bob Pattengale, the technical systems manager at OPUS IVS. Bob has been involved with training for most of his professional career and has purposely charged himself with staying on top of the latest technology. He recently joined the OPUS IVS team after a lengthy run with Bosch serving in their technical training department. In his current role, he’s tasked with managing ADAS support for their customers. Bob and I have been colleagues for well over a decade and He recently dropped by my shop in Southern California where we sat down for a discussion on Advanced ..read more

This episode’s featured guest is Joe Register who is the Vice President of Emerging Technologies at the Auto Care Association. Joe is here to shed some light on the recent ballot initiative in Massachusetts which passed with extreme margins in the November 3rd, general elections extending the Right to Repair framework to address new technologies around wireless communications and more. Recalls: 20V-701 - 2017 - 2018 General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling all 2017-2018 and certain 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vehicles. The high voltage battery could catch fire when charged to full or nearly full capaci ..read more

This episode’s featured guest is Dr. Mark Quarto with Quarto Technical Services. Mark is a subject matter expert on advanced vehicle propulsion systems and technologies. Scott Brown and Mark Quarto discuss Tesla and review the recent Battery Day event, Tesla’s electric machines, and how they differ from the rest of the market, and also discuss Tesla as a vehicle manufacturer and some of the advantages they have over legacy automakers. The two also discuss the knowledge and skills tomorrow's technician will need to address these advanced powertrains. Recalls: 20V-512 - 2018- 2020 Dodge Charger ..read more

This episode’s featured guest is a great friend and long-time colleague: Mark Warren. Mark is a training manager at the Worldpac Technical Institute. Scott Brown takes part in a wide-ranging discussion of topics with Mark spanning technology, education, training during COVID-19, and the power of networking. The pair also travel through the past and pay tribute to an incredible inventor, instructor, and an awesome human being: Mr. Mac VandenBrink. Mac recently passed away, but had a significant impact on the automotive trade. His accomplishments in the industry are discussed during the show. R ..read more

This episode’s featured guest is Professor Ken Mays from Central Oregon Community College. He is one of the principals behind a nearly $900k grant that was awarded by the National Science Foundation in 2017. This grant is tasked with studying the needs for service standards around vehicle electrification and other advanced propulsion systems. Scott Brown engages in a conversation around what the future holds for vehicle technology and what impact it will have on service. He will also discuss future grants and how colleges and businesses can work together under these programs. Recalls: 20V-332 ..read more

In this episode of Torque Factor, Michael Ingvardsen from Nissens Automotive joins Scott Brown for a conversation about modern A/C systems and the different service challenges newer vehicles present over their predecessors. Scott also catches up with Donny Seyfer, manager of NASTF, for an update on service issues NASTF is involved with and what new features the group has in their pipeline for security related vehicle issues. Recalls: 20V-197 – Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehic ..read more