Tag Archives: autoinformed

Used Car Sales Soften in October

Used-car sales in October were 3,162,085, up only 0.29% compared to a year ago. Versus September used vehicle sales were down 16.9%. However, Transaction Prices rose more than 16% at franchised dealerships to $15,678 because of what is now a growing inventory of late-model off-lease vehicles. Continue reading

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More Chrysler Group Recalls on Dodge and Jeep SUVs

A week after Chrysler Group’s dismal finish on the initial quality survey from Consumer Reports and the firing of its head of quality control, the company is recalling its best-selling Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee models for defective airbags and malfunctioning electronic stability controls. More 250,000 are involved in the latest, supplier- caused quality problems. Continue reading

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Hyundai, Kia Fined Record Amount for Fuel Economy Cheating

The Korean scofflaws Hyundai and Kia will pay a record $100 million penalty for selling vehicles that emit more greenhouse gases because of false fuel economy ratings. Continue reading

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FCA – First Earnings since Chrysler Merger Mixed to Weak

Worrisome was a huge charge that FCA took for the cost of safety recalls and warranty repairs in the U.S. – a whopping €200 million for Q3 alone. Continue reading

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Leaf EV Sales Up

Nonetheless, Leaf remains a hobby at Nissan since the Number Two Japanese automaker more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of ¥9.6 trillion yen ($116.16 billion) in the Japanese’s fiscal year of 2012. Continue reading

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Musk of Tesla versus Wards on Sales

Interesting little dust-up – as in lies, damn lies and statistics – caused by one of the auto industry’s most respected sources of data and the self-promoting Elon Musk of Tesla. The battle of the numbers began when Wards Auto pointed out that Tesla’s 2014 U.S. sales were down 26% through September compared to the year earlier period. Continue reading

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Infotainment Systems Continue to be Troublesome. Duh

While so-called infotainment systems and their associated in-car electronics are a growing reliability “plague” for many brands, there are still plenty of bad cars out there with problematic traditional systems. Mechanical parts remain troublesome at many makers, according to the … Continue reading

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October US Light Vehicle Sales on Pace for 10 Year Record

Consumer spending on new vehicles will exceed $32.5 billion in October, the highest level for the month of October since 2013 when consumer spending reached $30.7 billion. Continue reading

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Ford Q3 Earnings off as Sales Drop, Recalls and Launches Hurt

Guidance was unchanged from the Ford’s late September adjustment down to a 2014 pre-tax profit of about $6 billion, excluding special items, which pummeled the stock. Ford common took another beating by ending the day at $13.78 per share, a 4.3% drop. Continue reading

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GM Posts Mediocre Q3 Earnings of $1.4 billion. Revenue Flat

All of GM’s profit came from North America, with – Europe, International Operations, South America and GM Financial down or flat year-over-year. Continue reading

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Shanghai Yancui Import ships Hazardous Materials into US

At least it was not Ebola. Nonetheless, workers at a DHL sorting facility in Erlanger, Kentucky discovered the bottle emitting smoke. Why it took the FAA this long to act is also an indictment of the continuing failure of federal agencies to do their job. To be fair and un-Fox-like it appears that the FAA has a scarce amount of attorneys working on a high volume of cases caused by corporate scofflaws, so it takes time to act. Continue reading

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Millikin Out as GM General Counsel in Ignition Switch Snafu

In a terse statement, General Motors says that General Counsel Michael Millikin “informed the company of his decision to retire in early 2015.” Millikin was taken to task for his role in covering up – he claims he didn’t know – the deadly ignition switch debacle at the second Senate hearing on the sordid safety defect matter. Continue reading

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GM Sued for $10 billion over Defective Ignition Switches

The complaints seek money for violations of state consumer protection laws, breach of implied warranties, fraud by concealment, unjust enrichment and violation of the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. A similar attempt to sue Ford over the loss of value on Explorer models because of defective Firestone ATX tires failed. Continue reading

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AAA Blasts Automakers for Enabling Distracted Driving

The largest motoring organization in North America, AAA, is saying that hands-free technology now in widespread vehicle use is not safe and contributes to the Distracted Driving epidemic because of the cognitive distraction it causes. While 47 states have banned texting, it turns out that cellphone use is the equivalent of drunken driving. Continue reading

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BMW Motorrad Sets All Time Sales Record in Q3 and YTD

BMW Motorrad recorded retail growth in almost all sales regions during the first nine months of the year. Continue reading

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