Tag Archives: auto informed

UAW Defends Korean FTA as Other Unions Protest Deal

In a late Friday afternoon e-mail to its members and supporters, the United Auto Workers Union defended its endorsement of the revised and still controversial Korean FTA or so called Free Trade Agreement. The defense came after the heads of … Continue reading

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Nissan Adds Power Windows to All Versa Sub-Compacts

Nissan North America says that all Versa sub-compacts now come standard with power windows and door locks. This change affects all Versa 1.6 Sedans, as well as Versa 1.8 S Sedan and 1.8 S Hatchback models (power windows and door … Continue reading

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Honda Passport SUVs Recalled for Wheels Falling Off

Honda will recall 35,984 Passport SUVs sold in the United States from model years 1998-2002 to inspect the rear suspension lower trailing links. The forward mounting bracket for the left or right rear suspension lower link may suffer excessive corrosion leading to a failure of the suspension, increasing the risk of a crash.

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GM Names Joel Ewanick Global Chief Marketing Officer

General Motors today announced that Joel Ewanick is now Global Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective immediately, and will have responsibility for GM’s brands globally. Ewanick, 50, will report to CEO Dan Akerson as Global CMO and continue to report to … Continue reading

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American Honda Recalls Fit for Headlight Failures

American Honda Motor Company will recall approximately 143,083 model year 2007 and 2008 Honda Fit vehicles because of a bad headlight switch, which can case the low-beams to fail and possibly start a fire. The problem derives from the routing … Continue reading

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Merry Christmas as U.S. December Auto Sales Trend Upward!

It could be a wild sleigh ride later this month, but preliminary data show that the U.S. December new-vehicle retail sales trend is significantly higher than two-handed economists predicted, setting the stage for a 2011 comeback for the U.S. auto industry.

December new-vehicle retail sales are expected to come in at 936,300 units, which means seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 10.8 million units, the highest of the year. December retail sales are expected to be up 19 % from one year ago. Continue reading

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Fuel Economy Regulations Risk Huge Job Losses, While Increasing Environmental Damage, CAR Study Predicts

This comes as the U.S. national unemployment rate hovers at an official 9.8%, which is an understated number since it doesn’t include under-employed, forced retirees or beaten down job seekers who are the victims of Republican ‘socialism and tax cuts for the rich’ policies.  Continue reading

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Redesigned Models Offer Automakers the Best Chance to Increase Buyer Consideration

A redesigned new model is an automaker’s best opportunity to change the perceptions of the past, according to a new study released today that analyzes the reasons auto buyers fail to consider – or avoid – particular models when shopping for a new vehicle. Continue reading

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Hyundai Recalling 2011 Santa Fe SUVs for Bad Brakes

Hyundai is recalling all 2011 Santa Fe models built at a Kia plant in Alabama because of bad brakes. Defective rear brake calipers can leak and diminish braking performance. Drivers of the affected Sante Fe models should see a brake … Continue reading

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Charles “Chuck” Jordan, GM Vice President of Design Staff

Charles M. “Chuck” Jordan, 83, died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., late last week. Jordan was the fourth man elected to the position of vice president of the General Motors Design Staff, leading a key industrial design … Continue reading

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Toyota Recalls Sienna Minivans for Defective Brakes

Toyota is recalling 94,000 2011 Model Year Sienna vehicles because the brakes might hang up and ultimately fail.

The latest safety defect from Japan’s once preeminent automaker arises from the clearly faulty design of a brake light switch bracket, which, according to Toyota, is too close to the parking brake pedal and can become “deformed” if driver applies the parking brake, something that Japanese development engineers apparently missed during testing, or procurement or manufacturing engineers missed after manufacturing began. Continue reading

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Cadillac Returns To SCCA GT Racing With CTS-V Coupe

Cadillac today announced that it will return to racing in 2011 with a version of its CTS-V Coupe competing in the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge.

The return to SCCA sanctioned tracks sees Cadillac rejoin a series where it successfully competed from 2004 to 2007, capturing the Manufacturer’s Championship in 2005 and 2007, the Driver’s Championship in 2005. Continue reading

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World Car – 2011 Buick Regal

Buick Regal sales since a late summer U.S. introduction – 9,000 to date- and 2,000 sales in November are a start, but honestly more time is needed to see if the sedan is an enduring success at the GM division that U.S. Treasury Department officials wanted to kill during GM’s forced and well earned bankruptcy. Continue reading

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AFL-CIO Rejects Korean FTA. New Trade Policy Called For

The proposed Korean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. should be rejected by the Congress because its investment and government procurement provisions will encourage “offshoring,” according to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. His statement came after the Detroit Three auto companies … Continue reading

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Detroit Three Continue to Trail Import Brands on Customer Retention Rates. Conquest Rates Are Up Slightly

While customer retention rates among Detroit Three brands as a whole have improved slightly from 2009, domestic makers still trail import brands when an existing vehicle owner considers purchasing the same brand again. Continue reading

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