Category Archives: customer satisfaction

AAA – National Gasoline Prices Hit Four Year High!

Posted on 2 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Today’s average of $4.08 is ten cents higher than last week and $1.08 higher than a month ago. Crude oil prices have been surging, surpassing $100/barrel, as the conflict in the Middle East continues and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. In 2022, gas prices remained elevated from March through August, peaking in June when the national average reached a record of $5/gallon for one week,” AAA said. Continue reading →

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Ground Effects Workers – Yet Another UAW Supply Chain Win

Posted on 2 April 2026 by Ken Zino

Auto supply chain workers have voted to unionize at Ground Effects, the UAW said late yesterday in a  second UAW union organizing victory in two days. Workers at Ground Effects have been organizing since last year. “They began their campaign to form a union due to low pay, overwork, forced overtime, management abuse, and favoritism.,” the UAW said in a release. Workers at Ground Effects won a majority in a National Labor Relations Board election to form a union with the UAW. Ground Effects produces spray-on truck bedliners, in addition to other aftermarket parts. Continue reading →

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AAA Promoting April as National Car Care Month

Posted on 1 April 2026 by Ken Zino

AAA said today that it is collaborating with industry organizations, including NAPA, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and the Auto Care Association to celebrate National Car Care Month this April. It wants to highlight the importance of preventive vehicle maintenance as drivers gear up for spring travel. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Manual Trans Return to Nissan Z

Posted on 31 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“We try to do something every year for the sports cars to keep them relevant and top-of-mind. We love working on these cars for our customers, and it’s a joy for us to continuously improve these things. We’ve been listening to our customers and talking to them. I think we’ve made a substantial improvement. The big thing everyone kept talking about is the desire for a manual transmission option for Z NISMO. It’s now here. Initially we didn’t launch with it because it’s a track-focused car,” said Paul Hawson, director of Advanced Product Planning & Strategy at Nissan North America. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls for Diesel Pumps, Seat Belts, Rearview Cameras

Posted on 30 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is conducting recalls for more than 252,000 vehicles for a variety of safety defects including electrical system programming management and manufacturing assembly errors. The largest involves the loss of the rearview camera image and advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems, including pre-collision assist, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot monitoring on model year 2022-2025 Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2025 Lincoln Nautilus, 2025 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. Continue reading →

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AAA – Regular Gasoline Prices Up $1 in a Month

Posted on 26 March 2026 by Ken Zino

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is up 10 cents from last week and one dollar since last month, according to the latest data released today by AAA.

“Crude oil prices remain high as the Iran conflict nears the 4-week mark. The national average could reach $4/gallon in the coming days for the first time since August 2022. Gasoline demand is also on the rise as spring break season continues, another factor in rising pump prices,” AA said. Continue reading →

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Electric Vehicle Experience Home Charging Study Released

Posted on 26 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“While users of more advanced features on Level 2 systems do encounter more problems due to things like Wi-Fi and mobile app connectivity issues, their overall satisfaction levels are so much higher because they are scheduling charge times, monitoring results and engaging more actively in getting the most out of the home charging experience,” said Gruber. Continue reading →

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Consumers, Not Regulators Now Rule EV Market

Posted on 25 March 2026 by Ken Zino

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) today released its analysis of the U.S. electric vehicle market for Q4 and full-year 2025. EV sales in Q4 lowest since first quarter of 2022; down year-over-year. The market reflected a major shift to actual consumer demand free of the influence of now eliminated EV incentives under the Trump mis-administration in AutoInformed’s view. Consumer satisfaction with and demand for electrified vehicles remain considerable and too large for automakers to ignore, now matter the follies of Trump appointed idolaters/regulators. Hybrids in particular remain a strong and growing segment. Continue reading →

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California Ballot Scheme Limiting Robocar Liability Criticized

Posted on 19 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Uber announced today a partnership to put 50,000 Rivian Robotaxis on the road, including in San Francisco, the site of the Cruise AV crash with a pedestrian and Fire Truck. This comes as powerful corporate and legal interests are embattled in a fight over an upcoming California ballot initiative in November limiting victims’ medical recovery in all accident cases. Opponents claim it will prevent the seriously injured from finding contingency fee attorneys, making it difficult to sue robocar operators, manufacturers, or any reckless driver or automaker.

“This is a naked power grab by Uber to remove liability for its robotaxis and accelerate their rollout without accountability when their robotaxis harm or kill pedestrians and other drivers,” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit that issued a report, “License To Kill: How Uber’s Rush To Close Courthouse Doors And Roll Out Robocars Threatens Public Safety.” Continue reading →

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U.S. Fuel Prices Climbing. Up 28 Cents in a Week!

Posted on 19 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Fuel prices at the pump continued to climb by 28 cents since last week, according to a report released by AAA today.* With the Spring equinox ushering in warmer weather and more time on the road, gas prices are trending upward alongside seasonal demand. The Trump Administration Iranian war is clearly in play.

“Last week’s announcement by the White House to release 172 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic reserves over four months has no immediate relief on the oil market as the price of a barrel of crude continues to climb,” AAA said. “According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased last week from 9.24 million barrels a day to 8.72 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 249.5 million barrels to 244.0 million. Gasoline production also decreased last week, averaging 9.4 million barrels per day. Continue reading →

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Sudden Power Loss – Ford Motor Recall Parade Persists

Posted on 16 March 2026 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~48,000 model year 2025 Ranger, Mustang, Maverick,  and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power. Affected vehicles are equipped with suspect Korean-made EGR valves installed in the 2.0-liter Gas, and 2.0-liter Hybrid Engines.

“Customers may initially experience weak acceleration, engine vibration, a no start condition, or a check engine light,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Ford is operating under a consent order from NHTSA because of its previous handing of recalls Continue reading →

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J.D. Power – Dealer Service Satisfaction High, But…

Posted on 13 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“While it’s no surprise that customers gravitate to operations that serve them well, the study clearly shows that good service leads to loyal customers,” said John Tenerovich, director of automotive retail at J.D. Power. “This phenomenon proves true across all service types – oil changes, repair, tires and brakes. While complimentary maintenance programs drive strong retention, the level of intent to return for actual customer-paid service depends on the service experience delivered by the dealer.” Continue reading →

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Honda Heritage Parts Program Debuts

Posted on 10 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“In this 40th anniversary year of the Acura brand, the launch of Honda Heritage Parts is especially meaningful, giving Acura enthusiasts the support they need to continue enjoying their first-generation Acura NSX,” said Steven Bailey, vice president of Honda and Acura Parts, Service and Technical Division. “At its core, the new Honda Heritage Parts program honors our shared passion for these iconic vehicles and helps ensure they can be enjoyed by future generations.” Continue reading →

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Instrument Panel Display Failures – Honda, Acura Recalls

Posted on 9 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“Due to software defects, the instrument cluster and center infotainment display can go blank while the vehicle is in operation. When the condition occurs, the instrument cluster will not display vehicle information, including but not limited to the speedometer, tachometer, warning telltales, and indicator lamps,” Honda said in the required safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls 850,000 Bronco, Edge SUV Rear View Cameras

Posted on 9 March 2026 by Ken Zino

“On affected vehicles, the APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module) may experience a temporary thermal shutdown condition for up to five minutes. When the APIM shutdown occurs, customers lose the ability to display the Rear View Camera (RVC) image while in reverse gear,” Ford said in the required safety defect filing documents made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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