Current Events in November 2023

Sorry for interrupting your holiday planning, but ConsumerAffairs travel geeks have learned that international airfares are dropping like crazy. The window for these deals might not be open for long, so if you can act fast and apply some “travel math,” you could save big.

Travel math? Yep, but it’s simple math, we promise.

“Travel Math is paying for your 2024 trips now so it feels like a free trip later while also pocketing extra cash for future vacations,” Kayla Inserra Deloache, the consumer travel trends expert for KAYAK, told ConsumerAffairs.

Deloache said that most people typically book their international trips four months or less in advance when the truly sweet spot for a great price is really about eight months before for many international regions. Her research team crunched the numbers and found that by booking your trip sooner – and shooting for mid-July 2024 or later – you could save between 5%-18% on average. 

“As of now, international flight prices are scoped to be 10% more expensive for 2024, so playing the waiting game could cost you. This is especially true for flights to Asia, which are forecasted to go up 5% each month starting four months out, the closer you get to the departure date,” she theorized.

The best travel math hacks for 2024

Staying at home is so … so yesterday. Searches for international travel are trending upwards of 28% year-over-year (YoY). A lot of that interest is focused on Asia where internet searches are up a whopping 26% YoY.

One reason is that the U.S. dollar is very strong overseas. Take Japan for example.

“Japan may seem unattainable for most Americans due to the high airfare prices. But many don’t realize that lodging, the cost of food, and the yen all highly favor anyone with the U.S. dollar,” writes Kiplinger’s Quincy Williamson. 

And once you’re in Japan, you’re only a hop, skip, and jump to other Asian countries like South Korea and Vietnam, other dollar-strong destinations.

Where else can you go overseas and feel good about your purchase? ConsumerAffairs asked KAYAK to use its travel math formula and tell us what they found to be the best international fares for 2024. Here’s their month-by-month breakdown:

Hola a todos!

Another travel destination that’s becoming so yesterday may be the Caribbean. The Caribbean has earned a nasty reputation for being one of the most dangerous locales in the Americas. Comparatively, Americans are finding that Mexico is pretty safe, but in a bang-for-buck sense, Mexico – especially the interior of the country – is loaded with culture and "muy" cheap travel costs. 

According to a fare search that ConsumerAffairs did on KAYAK, it would cost $600 or more to fly from Cincinnati to Aruba in mid-July, but Deloache said that if you’re willing to be flexible, you can snag a flight to Mexico City, for example, for under $300 this January.

One of the reasons airfare to Mexico is a good deal is that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted some restrictions on routes to Mexico and that opened the floodgates. 

Scott Keyes at Going.com told ConsumerAffairs that Aeromexico just announced 17 new US-Mexico routes, including departures from New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and elsewhere.

Budget carrier Viva Aerobus also announced five new U.S. destinations, including Austin, Denver, Miami, Oakland, and Orlando. And Delta just announced a new route from Atlanta to Tulum starting in March 2024. 

“Why is this all great news for travelers? Because the single most important driver of cheap fares is how much competition there is between airlines. More flights equals cheaper flights,” Keyes said.

BMW of North America is recalling 155,627 of the following vehicles:

• Model year 2010-2012 1 Series Coupes, 1 Series Convertibles, 3 Series Sedans & 3 Series Convertibles,
• Model year 2010-2011 3 Series Sportswagons, 3 Series Coupes, 5 Series Sedans, X3 xDrive 28is, X3 xDrive 30is, X5 xDrive30is and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles.

The aluminum bolts that secure the housing for the variable camshaft timing adjustment (VANOS) unit can loosen over time and possibly break.

Loose or broken VANOS housing bolts can result in an engine stall, posing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will replace the four VANOS bolts free of charge.

The automaker will send interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk around December 12, 2023. Second letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact BMW customer service at (800) 525-7417.

Walmart has announced that it will be bringing sensory-friendly shopping hours to all of its stores, every day of the week. 

The retailer piloted these special hours during back-to-school shopping, but they were limited just to Saturdays. 

Now, as holiday shopping is ramping up, Walmart will have sensory-friendly hours every single day, at all stores, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. local time. 

“Earlier this year, we took a step in making shopping in our stores more inclusive for those with sensory disabilities by taking measures to create a less stimulating environment for a couple of hours each Saturday,” the company wrote in a statement.

“We changed the TV walls to a static image, turned off the radio, and lowered the lights where possible. These changes may have seemed small to some, but for others, they transformed the shopping experience.”  

Listening to consumers’ needs

After testing out sensory-friendly hours for one day a week during the back-to-school season, Walmart has decided to listen to its customers. The company explained that the large majority of feedback it received has been geared towards bringing back sensory-friendly shopping hours. 

The change went into effect on November 10, and currently, there is no end in sight for this more inclusive shopping experience. All Walmart stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico will follow the new sensory-friendly schedule. 

The goal is to make the shopping experience more comfortable for consumers with sensory disabilities. Less noise, lowered lighting and fewer flashing images around the store will make it easier for all shoppers to make the most of their shopping trips. 

“In our stores during sensory-friendly hours, customers will have a calmer shopping experience,” Walmart’s COO Cedric Clark said in a statement to Good Morning America. “Where we’re able, our stores will turn off the radio, change our TV screens to still images and dim the lights. 

“We’re always open to more feedback from our customers and associates, and listen to what else can help create a less stimulating environment during those times.” 

The weather has gotten chilly in much of the U.S. and winter is coming. Many consumers are pulling space heaters out of the closet and plugging them in to provide a little extra warmth.

But these devices can be dangerous. On Nov. 11, firemen in Kirksville, Mo., were called to the scene of a blazing home to put out a fire, apparently caused by a space heater.

On Nov. 12, one person was injured in a house fire in Spokane, Wash. The Spokane Fire Department reported the blaze was caused by "combustible materials placed too close to a space heater."

Also on Nov. 12, fire destroyed a home in Rocky Ford, Colo. Once again, it was a case of a faulty space heater, with fire officials concluding that the device was improperly wired and had shorted out, producing a spark. The house was deemed a total loss.

Lots of recalls

But electric space heaters aren’t the only ones that can pose a danger. In 2021 Enerco Group recalled about 4.500 DeWALT cordless kerosene forced-air heaters. The company discovered that the heaters can re-start unexpectedly while in standby mode if the room temperature falls below the thermostat set point, posing fire and carbon monoxide poisoning hazards.

The firm said it received one report of a heater starting unexpectedly when it was moved while in standby without being turned off.

In 2019, Amazon recalled about 399,000 AmazonBasics 1500 watt ceramic space heaters sold in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. The company received 25 reports of the heater overheating, burning, or sparking.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which tests and certifies electronic devices, says any auxiliary heating source can be dangerous unless used properly. More than a decade ago it cited data from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) showing that heating equipment is involved in an estimated 64,100 home fires each year. 

All of this may make you consider putting on a sweater. However, if you do use a space heater, you need to do it safely. According to Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, there are many ways electric space heaters can pose a threat.

• Like any electrical device, they pose a shock hazard.

• Space heaters use a lot of electricity. They can easily overload circuits, causing a power failure or fire.

• Some parts of the heater can become really hot. Children and pets are especially vulnerable to getting burned, but adults can also accidentally brush up against the hot surface. It’s also possible for clothes to catch on fire.

• Some space heaters, especially taller ones, can tip over, posing a fire hazard.

What to do

If you are going to use a space heater, use one that has a guard around the heating element. This will help protect children and pets.

Choose one that’s tested and certified by UL. Not only do they meet certain safety standards, but manufacturers also have to provide use and care information to consumers.

Never leave a space heater turned on when you leave the house or go to sleep. That’s because these devices can generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide from a fuel-fired heater. Electric heaters can start a fire.

If you are using any auxiliary heating device, you should install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home. Make sure that your CO alarm batteries are fresh and working.

Since there are so many connected products on the market today, consumers have a difficult time distinguishing those that take care of their personal data from those that don't.

And, if you’re a parent and not as careful as you should be, tech gifts could be roasting on an open fire of your child’s privacy this year. 

The new Mozilla *Privacy Not Included holiday buyers’ guide shows that there’s a sleighful of children’s connected toys and apps that collect and repurpose hoards of data, and compared to adult-connected tech, many of the kids’ tech products are actually worse in the data leakage department. 

Mozilla researchers pointed to Embodied Inc’s Black Mirror-esque AI Moxie Robot as a prime example. They found that the toy records and shares its “conversations” with kids with Google and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. But, in their opinion, Embodied Inc’s – and others’ – privacy policies are also getting more opaque and dishonest. 

“Embodied Inc’s privacy policy tells parents to teach their kids not to share personal information with their Moxie learning robot — yet the product’s marketing simultaneously encourages kids to hone skills like emotional regulation and self-confidence,” Mozilla said. 

“Other companies also often market smartwatches to parents of children too young for first phones. Researchers found many privacy concerns here, including one, the Angel Watch for Kids, that doesn't even seem to have a privacy policy that covers the smartwatch or app at all.”

But, what chapped the researchers even more was that many companies they previously rated positively — including Bose, Eufy, and Sonos — seemed to fall shot in the privacy department and earned new privacy warning labels this year.

Plus, companies like Amazon, Samsung, Wyze and Microsoft Xbox which had already earned warning labels, got even worse on data collection, use, sharing and security. 

“Wyze had serious security vulnerabilities that it was slow to respond to over the past couple of years, and Bose now says it can possibly sell data on users’ head movements while using headphones,” the researchers noted, adding that federal charges and fines against Amazon and Microsoft have confirmed their suspicions about those products’ privacy infringements, particularly when it comes to children’s uses. 

Who made the list – both naughty and nice?

The 2023 holiday edition of *Privacy Not Included reviews over 150 popular tech products across six categories, including Smart Home, Toys & Games and Wearables.

The list of reviews is quite a lineup, too: Microsoft Xbox, Sonos, Garmin Fitness Trackers, Apple Watches, Fitbit, Peloton Bikes, Amazon Ring, iRobot vacuums, Tile Trackers, Bose headphones, and the Tamagotchi Uni.

Mozilla researchers said they invested an average of eight hours researching every product in their guide, going as far as scouring companies’ track records, pouring over privacy policies and regulatory filings, and contacting each company looking for answers as to why some of what they found was going on.

The researchers said that there are some trustworthy products – some. And also acknowledged that some good products got even better.

An example the researchers shared was Garmin, the maker of GPS navigators and smartwatches. After *Privacy Not Included alerted the company last year that it had not made certain that all users had the equal right to delete their personal/private data, Garmin amended its privacy policy to explicitly state that all users have the same data deletion rights.

Researchers were also pleased with the virtual pet Tamagotchi Uni, which earned a big thumbs-up for not collecting much personal information at all — as good as good can get when it comes to ensuring privacy. 

Says Jen Caltrider, lead researcher for *Privacy Not Included: “The privacy and security of our favorite apps and gadgets has gotten worse across the board, but especially among children’s products. The companies that are good at privacy do it by not collecting any data in the first place. Alexa, did you catch that?

“All in all, if you're looking to give gifts that protect and respect the privacy of your loved ones this holiday season, maybe stick to good old-fashioned books.” 

Remember that recall of WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches a couple of weeks ago? Some parents either didn’t get the word or they got it too late.

The product was recalled because it contained excessive lead. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that at least 22 children are being treated for lead poisoning after eating the product.

The children, who are between the ages of one and three, have been diagnosed with high blood lead levels after eating WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Purée pouches. The recalled products include Schnucks Cinnamon-Flavored Applesauce pouches and variety pack and certain Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. 

Federal and state investigation

The products were recalled after the FDA opened a joint investigation with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to find a connection between four young patients being treated for excessive lead levels in their blood. The investigation led to a safety advisory about the fruit pouches, which in turn led to the recall.

When the investigators tested samples of WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree, they said they detected extremely high concentrations of lead.

On Oct. 31, Wanabana of Coral Gables, Florida, announced a recall of all WanaBana Apple Cinnamon Fruit Puree Pouches. The recall was expanded on Nov. 9 to include additional data on recalled Schnucks and Weis cinnamon applesauce pouches. 

The two government health agencies said lead exposure is much more toxic to young children than adults because their central nervous systems are still developing. The agencies urge parents and caregivers to make sure children don’t eat the product.

Symptoms

Short term exposure to lead could result in the following symptoms:

• Headache

• Abdominal pain/Colic

• Vomiting

• Anemia

Longer term exposure could result in:

• Irritability

• Lethargy

• Fatigue

• Muscle aches or muscle prickling/burning

• Occasional abdominal discomfort

• Constipation

• Difficulty concentrating/Muscular exhaustibility

• Headache

• Tremor

• Weight loss

The FDA says parents and caregivers of toddlers and young children who may have consumed the product should contact their child’s healthcare provider about getting a blood test.

Consumers with questions may contact the firm by email at sales@wanabanafruits.com.

As if carry-ons and airlines weren’t enough of a hot mess, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it anticipates that security checkpoints across the U.S. will be busier than ever this Thanksgiving travel season.

And the rush will happen earlier than you might think, too. The agency says that the travel season actually kicks off this Friday, Nov. 17 and runs for nearly two weeks, through Tuesday, Nov. 28. During that period, TSA expects to screen 30 million passengers.

The spike in TSA screenings is forecast to happen on the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward which is expected to be the busiest day overall.

The need for speed

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said his agency is equipped for the rush and is shooting for wait time standards of under 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck® lanes and under 30 minutes for standard screening lanes. 

That goal is well and good, but anyone who has TSA PreCheck and who’s flown lately has no doubt noticed that the PreCheck lines are getting longer and longer. Pekoske said there are now more than 17.6 million passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck, which is 3.9 million more members than there were this time last year.

Travel efficiency requires more than just the TSA, though. When it comes to the airports with the most delays, a new travel study suggests that there are 10 airports where travelers should plan on getting to early.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) tops the list of the “most delays” followed by McCarran International (Las Vegas) (LAS), Orlando International (MCO), Baltimore/Washington (BAL), Chicago Midway (MDW).

In the “busiest” category, it’s Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Ft. Worth (DFW), and Denver (DEN), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), and Los Angeles International (LAX).

Ensuring success at the airport

Travelers also have to take into consideration that how they approach their trip is also a factor. Anyone traveling over the holidays should keep in mind several things before arriving at the airport.

What goes in carry-ons and what doesn’t. If you plan on taking Aunt Edna’s cranberry sauce, gravy, wine, jam or jelly, those foods must be packed in a checked bag because they’re considered liquids or gels. If you try to get them through TSA, it’s a safe bet that they’ll wind up in the trash bin, so remember this: If you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, then it is a liquid and must be packed in your checked bag. Conversely, if it’s a solid food, like a pecan pie, then you can take it through the TSA checkpoint. Check for prohibited items by using the “What Can I Bring?” page on TSA.gov. or just ask @AskTSA.

More technology is being used, but that doesn’t always ensure perfection. TSA is employing more tech than ever, beginning with its Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units, where a boarding pass is not needed. However, as ConsumerAffairs witnessed recently, technology at airports can malfunction and further delay the process. That’s one more reason to get to the airport at least two hours early.

Get the airline’s app. The airlines’ mobile apps are getting more and more efficient and are the best way to monitor boarding times, seat assignments, changes, and even have a barcode of your ticket that can make getting through the airport screening easier. And if you're flight is delayed or canceled, the app usually gets that information to you faster.

If you’re flying Southwest, you now get an in-app benefit about your bags, too. Now on Southwest.com and the Southwest mobile app, travelers can view the status of their checked bag across three different milestones of each checked piece of luggage: when bag tags are printed, when bags are loaded, and when unloaded from the aircraft.

Southwest also recently launched a new capability for travelers to add checked bags digitally at the time of their check-in, up to 24 hours before arriving at the airport. It's another timesaver that eliminates the steps to print bag tags at kiosks.

One important thing to remember about an airline’s app and TSA PreCheck is this: Just because you’re enrolled in PreCheck doesn’t guarantee your membership has been automatically connected with your ticket.

If you have PreCheck and get in the PreCheck line thinking all is good, it may not be. Three days (72 hours) before you leave, double-check that your ticket actually lists you as a PreCheck member beforehand. If it doesn’t, then, you need to take these steps:

• First, check that your membership has not expired by looking up your account here.  

• If still active, confirm with your airline that your Known Traveler Number, name, and date of birth are accurate and that your airline participates in TSA PreCheck.  If you still do not have a TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass, please call the TSA Contact Center at (866) 289-9673, submit an online form, or contact us at @AskTSA on Twitter and Facebook Messenger.  

Call ahead to request passenger support. If you’re part of a group that will require assistance, such as a wheelchair, you need to contact the TSA Cares helpline toll-free at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours before travel to find out what to expect at the security checkpoint. 

Don’t think anything will happen, but if it does…

Need another reason to get your departure act together days in advance? Remember Murphy’s Law – "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong and at the worst possible time." 

Interestingly enough, Murphy’s Law actually has its roots in aviation and even though airlines have gotten better about things and there are fewer meltdowns than there were a year ago, don’t think that it’s a perfect system yet.

In an email to ConsumerAffairs, Going.com’s Scott Keyes said that past performance is no guarantee of future results. “I certainly wouldn’t bet my savings on airlines avoiding widespread disruptions, especially considering meltdowns are unpredictable black swan events. But I would bet something that we won’t see disruptions anywhere near last year’s scale,” Keyes said.

If your flight does get delayed or canceled, remember that you do have rights and the TSA is on your side. YourRichBFF explains what on your side means in this video:

With time running out to use funds in flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or health savings accounts (HSAs), DoorDash is opening up the possibilities for consumers. 

The delivery company announced it will allow consumers to pay for their orders with their FSA or HSA. Whether you’re stocking up on cold and flu medication, vitamins, lozenges, or more, you can now pay with your FSA or HSA through DoorDash. 

“With the launch of HSA and FSA payments on DoorDash, consumers can now get the essential health and wellness items they need, when they need them, and in a way that makes financial sense for them,” said Fuad Hannon, vice president of New Verticals at DoorDash. 

“As part of our mission to empower local economies, we’re always working to broaden access for consumers in ways that break down barriers. From over-the-counter medication and home healthcare equipment, to COVID-19 test kits and family planning items, HSA and FSA payments allow consumers to conveniently and affordably shop for the products they need from the merchants they trust.” 

How it works

FSA and HSA payments are available now in the DoorDash app, and it all starts with consumers adding the card to their account’s list of payment options. 

The first step is to go to your account and view your current payment options. Then, you’ll have the ability to add an FSA/HSA card. Once that information is inputted, you can start spending your FSA/HSA funds. 

The DoorDash app will also allow users to filter their searches to items that are FSA/HSA eligible. Additionally, while searching through the app, items that can be purchased with FSA or HSA funds will be flagged as “HSA/FSA Eligible.” 

DoorDash has also shared a list of retailers that are accepting FSA and HSA as a form of payment: 

• 7-Eleven

• CVS

• Albertsons

• Bartell Drugs

• DashMart

• DGX

• Dollar General

• Duane Reade

• Hy-Vee

• Meijer

• Rite Aid

• Safeway

• Walgreens

• Winn-Dixie

• Vons

Don’t forget to tip your driver

DoorDash is also warning consumers that if they forgo a tip for their delivery drivers, they can expect their orders to take a bit longer. 

After a decrease in orders without a tip, DoorDash is piloting a new feature that will flash warnings in the app when consumers are getting ready to check out without tipping. The first warning recommends adding a tip to increase the odds of a driver accepting the order and speeding up the delivery process. 

Should consumers ignore that warning and keep the tip set to $0, a follow-up message appears that reads: “Orders with no tip might take longer to get delivered – are you sure you want to continue?” 

From there, it’s up to consumers how they want to move forward: with or without a tip. However, their choice is likely to affect their delivery speed. 

Most major retailers have already begun providing some early Black Friday sales and are teasing future deals. The ConsumerAffairs-Trend Micro Threat Alert warns that scammers, who earlier launched a number of fake shopping sites, have doubled down on their efforts to swindle shoppers.

Between Oct 1 and Nov 9, the Trend Micro Research Team found 66,491 Black Friday shopping-related scam URLs in the U.S. John Clay, vice president of Threat Intelligence at Trend Micro, says that’s a nearly 100% increase in just one week.

“The top five states being targeted the most in 2023 are California, New York, Kansas, Oregon and Texas,” Clay told ConsumerAffairs. “Consumers should be leery of sites that look too good to be true and should initiate going to their trusted shopping sites as much as possible.”

Phishing scams

Two phishing scams are on our radar screen this week. Bad actors impersonating Navy Federal Credit Union are sending out emails, asking recipients to check some notifications via a fake log-in portal so that victims’ account information might be leaked. The Trend Micro research team detected 209 logs on Nov 4.

Scammers pretending to be American Express are asking customers to verify their accounts to avoid having them suspended. However, if the victims input their account and credit card info, both types of data would be transferred to the backstage of bad actors. The Trend Micro research team detected 154 logs on Nov 6. 

Shipping scams

Since we are in the holiday shopping season consumers are stepping up their online orders. That means we should expect to see more shipping-related scams.

Trend Micro reports scammers are impersonating the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and asking customers to provide delivery addresses and credit card information to process their supposedly postponed parcel at the warehouse.

The top five states being targeted the most in order are Florida, California, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania.

The Australia Post shipping scam is proving to be particularly sticky. Bad actors continue to impersonate Australia Post to ask victims to update their parcel delivery information and credit card information. 

The top five states being targeted the most in order are California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Dating scam

As we head into the holidays and get closer to Valentine’s Day, you can expect dating scams to increase. In fact, one has already made this week’s Threat Alert.

In this scam, scammers pretend to be attractive women and invite victims via email to join a scam dating website to steal the users' data. The Trend Micro Research team detected 231 logs on Nov 6. 

The overall inflation rate took a breather in October as falling gasoline prices offset other areas of the economy where prices continued to rise. The Labor Department’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) was unchanged last month after rising 0.4% in September.

That puts the inflation rate over the last 12 months at 3.2%, down from 3.7%  in September.

The price of gasoline plunged 5% in October after rising 2.1% in September. The price at the pump is 5.3% lower than October 2022. According to AAA, today’s national average price of regular gasoline is $3.35 a gallon. One year ago, it was $3.77.

The decrease in gas prices cushioned the blow from another increase in the cost of shelter, notably rent. The Shelter Index increased 0.3% last month, on top of a 0.6% rise in September. For the last 12 months, the cost of putting a roof over your head is up 6.7%, the second largest increase behind transportation services.

Food prices still rising

As we reported last week, the ConsumerAffairs Datasembly Shopping Cart Index, which tracks 25 common-purchased items, rose 1.4%. The CPI found the cost of all food categories rose 0.3% in October for a 3.3% annual inflation rate. However, the split between food purchased at grocery stores and food served in restaurants continued to widen.

The price of food consumed at home is up 2.1% over the last 12 months while the price of food consumed away from home is 5.4% higher.

Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the month. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.7% in October as the index for beef increased 1.2% and the index for pork rose 1.3%. 

The other food-at-home index increased 0.3 percent over the month, as did the dairy and related products index. The index for cereals and bakery products rose 0.2% in October, after falling 0.4% in September.

The fruits and vegetables index was unchanged over the month, as it was in September.

Menu prices are rising even faster

The food away from home index rose 0.4% in October, as it did in September. The index for limited-service meals – think fast food – increased 0.5% and the index for full-service meals rose 0.3% over the month. 

Heading into the cold weather months there was good news for consumers heating their homes with oil. The price of heating oil decline by nearly a full percentage point in October and is 21% lower than a year ago.

The cost of a new car or truck dipped 0.1% last month, in spite of an auto workers strike that limited production. On a year-over-year basis, however, the price of a new car is almost 2% higher. Used car prices continued to fall last month and are now 7.1% cheaper than a year ago.

Ford Motor Company is recalling 187,922 model year 2020-2023 Mustangs.

The brake fluid level sensor may not activate the visual warning indicator when the brake fluid is low.

Without a low brake fluid warning light, the vehicle may be driven with low brake fluid, reducing braking performance and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Dealers will update the body control module software free of charge.

Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed December 4, 2023. Second letters will be mailed once the remedy is available.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C35.