Have The Feds Gone Too Far? Automakers Begin To Resist Big Government Meddling

Buoyed by rebounding sales and more sympathetic political climate, the emboldened auto industry is digging in against official Washington on some key safety and environmental issues.

Automakers say they have no blanket opposition to the rules on safety and good fuel mileage; they just want adequate time to meet them, and at a cost that's reasonable for them and their customers. Each safety or fuel economy rule can cost billions of dollars.