Monthly Archives: August 2012

Toyota Recalls 780,000 RAV4 and Lexus HS 250h Models

Posted on 2 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Sales is recalling 2006 to early 2011 model year RAV4 and 2010 model year Lexus HS 250h vehicles sold in the U.S. because the rear suspension can fail, leading to loss of control. In a statement notable for its lack of detail about accidents, injuries and fatalities, TMS said that about 760,000 Toyota RAV4 and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h models are involved in this latest quality problem Continue reading →

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Ford Motor U.S. July Sales Decline 4% in a Market that Grew 9%

Posted on 1 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company’s July sales in the U.S. declined 4% as the Number Two automaker failed to keep pace with a recovering U.S. auto market. Sales executives attributed the weak performance to lower fleet sales, which were off -16% but still made up 27% of Ford’s 173,482 vehicle sales for the month. This could be viewed as progress of sorts since the fleet share declined from 31% a year earlier. Continue reading →

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GM July Sales in U.S. Down 6% as Market Grows 9%

Posted on 1 August 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) today reported July sales in the U.S. of 201,237 vehicles, down 6% compared with a year ago in what is a recovering U.S. automarket that grew by 9%. GM sales to retail customers declined 3%.

GM’s poor performance was attributable to a large drop in sales to daily rental fleet customers, which were off – 41%. GM previously stated that it needs to wean itself from these sales as it struggles to increase its margins. As a result, so-called average transaction price at GM increased $700 compared to June and $260 year-over-year. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group Sales Up 13% in July, Best in Five Years

Posted on 1 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Chrysler Group today reported U.S. sales of 126,089 units, a 13% increase compared with sales in July 2011 (112,026 units), and the group’s best July sales since 2007. All of the brands contributed to the positive results, the 28th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains in the slowly recovering U.S. auto business. Until final results from all makers are available late today, it is unclear whether Chrysler is still outperforming the market. Continue reading →

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