Category Archives: news analysis

Ford to Pay Record $17.35 Million NHTSA Fine on Recall

Posted on 1 August 2013 by Ken Zino

This was apparently the second plea bargain by an automaker this year to avoid protracted litigation with NHTSA over a safety defect. Chrysler recently negotiated a deal on Jeep gas tank fires. Neither automaker admitted guilt in the NHTSA deals, an important defense in product liability litigation that always surrounds major recalls. If the document was leaked from the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, then the agency is in clear violation of SEC regulation FD, for full disclosure, which says in essence that material information should be released to all, not selectively. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, litigation, news analysis, recalls | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fiat SpA Q2 Profit at $188 Million – all from Chrysler

Posted on 31 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Fiat SpA [F.MI] posted a Q2 profit of €142 million or ~$188 Million largely because of the contribution of Chrysler Group where it owns a 58.5% stake courtesy of a U.S. taxpayer financed bailout of the Detroit Three automaker. The northern Italian company would have lost €247 million without Chrysler Group because its European sales dropped 5% during the period. Q2 revenues increased 4% to €22 billion. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

$507 Million Chrysler Q2 Profit. New Cherokee Sales on Hold!

Posted on 30 July 2013 by Ken Zino

However, the positive trend is threatened in the second half of the year by the admission by Sergio Marchionne – he had to since it’s material to results under SEC regulations – that the new Jeep Cherokee was not shipping as planned starting in June even though it is in production in Ohio due to an unspecified calibration problem on its 9-speed ZF supplied transmission. Continue reading →

Posted in financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cuts to 2014 EPA Budget Threatens Auto Emissions Rules

Posted on 26 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Not surprisingly since the chairman is Hal Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky, the legislation reflects significant efforts to cripple the EPA – “an agency that has been rife with governmental overreach, overspending on ineffective and unnecessary programs, and costly and questionable regulations.” The bill funds the EPA at $5.5 billion, a reduction of $2.8 billion – or -34% – below the fiscal year 2013 enacted level. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota and Ford Trash Truck Hybrid JV

Posted on 24 July 2013 by Ken Zino

In a separate release earlier in the day, which likely caused the Toyota statement and also likely caught the reticent Japanese by surprise, Ford said “We know what it takes to build world-class hybrids, and we now will build and leverage that expertise in-house. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July U.S. Sales Projected as Hot – up 12%

Posted on 20 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Not all this is good news for automakers in general, and specifically the Detroit Three. Drastic capacity cuts during the Great Recession have caught them out with the market recovery volumes approaching 16 million now running at least a year ahead of earlier forecasts. Mandatory overtime and cancelled vacations are the rule of the day, which ultimately will wear down UAW and workers at Japanese companies and inevitably lead to quality declines. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, news analysis, sales | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

2015 Mustang Goes Global with RHD models. Confirmation Coming in August at Jim Farley Australian Press Bash

Posted on 18 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor, reeling from the negative backlash on plans to shut down all its manufacturing operations in Australia, will counter with what it hopes will be good news by confirming the next generation Mustang due in 2015 will go global and offer right-hand-drive models. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, new vehicle, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Consumer Electronics Association Denies Distracted Driving

Posted on 17 July 2013 by Ken Zino

In a cynical, profit-motivated move, the head of the Consumer Electronics Association today said he would support a campaign to end texting and driving. “I have made a personal commitment not to text and drive, and to use my devices ‘responsibly’ while operating my car,” claimed Gary Shapiro the head of the pressure group for the $209 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, distracted driving, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Class Action Suit Filed Against MyFord Touch System

Posted on 16 July 2013 by Ken Zino

A well-know, or infamous, national law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that Ford Motor Company’s MyFord Touch, MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch touchscreen systems are defective. The firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro claims that the system often freezes, fails to respond to voice and touch commands and will not connect to mobile phones. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, litigation, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Auto Thefts Rise in the Summer Months

Posted on 10 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Every 44 seconds a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA data also show that only 52% of stolen vehicles are recovered. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, insurance, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renault-Nissan Cut 2012 Costs by €2.69 billion

Posted on 5 July 2013 by Ken Zino

Only new savings – not cumulative ones – are taken into account every year. As a result, the Alliance that was established in 1999 when Nissan was facing bankruptcy, arguably now has the longest-lasting cross-cultural partnership in the auto industry. Paris-based Renault and Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan, which together sell one in 10 cars worldwide sold 8.1 million cars in nearly 200 countries in 2012. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Light Duty Diesel Ram Ups Fuel Economy Ante in 2014

Posted on 1 July 2013 by Ken Zino

The comeback automaker, Chrysler Group, ups the ante in the ongoing pickup truck fuel economy wars by offering the first light duty diesel engine pared with an 8-speed automatic transmission, both exclusives in the segment. Just bring money – this is going to be a +$45,000 (or more) set of wheels, AutoInformed predicts. Continue reading →

Posted in fuel economy or emissions, new vehicle, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guangqi Honda Selling Unique Crider in China. Exports Certain

Posted on 26 June 2013 by Ken Zino

Proving that automotive marketing babble is universal regardless of language, Honda said (in translation) that the Crider’s “dynamic exterior design inspired by an image of a dragon.” Such nonsense aside, Crider is certainly headed for export markets, making it a milestone car in the Chinese automobile industry, not unlike Honda’s decision as the first Japanese automaker to build cars in the U.S., although the Accord was a Japanese design. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, marketing, milestones, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford, UAW and UAW Trust Launch ‘Cost Cutting’ Health Care

Posted on 24 June 2013 by Ken Zino

The two-year gambit is voluntary for hourly employees and non-Medicare retirees and comes from the 2011 Ford-UAW contract negotiations. The UAW, whose health care plans will ultimately be severely taxed for their lavishness under the misnamed “Affordable Health Care Act” has its own needs to institute a reform. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Supreme Court Dismisses Ethanol Waiver Case

Posted on 24 June 2013 by Ken Zino

The United States Supreme Court today dismissed a petition by the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers or AFPM challenging an EPA regulation that allows for 15% ethanol in gasoline. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, economy, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, litigation, milestones, news, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment