Tag Archives: autoinformed

GM Adding 2,500 Jobs in Michigan to Build Malibu, Impala

Posted on 25 May 2011 by Ken Zino

General Motors said today that it is adding two shifts and about 2,500 hourly and salaried jobs at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant to build the new Chevrolet Malibu mid-size sedan and the next-generation Impala large sedan. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Pays Back Taxpayers. Fiat Now Firmly in Control

Posted on 24 May 2011 by Ken Zino

The historic bailout differs this time around in what’s left and more importantly who owns it – along with the familiar, nagging question, can Chrysler make it? The new Chrysler Group is now firmly, irrevocably in the hands of Fiat, an Italian multinational firm, which has a global fight in front if it as it too competes to survive in an automobile business dominated by much stronger competitors. Continue reading →

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Nissan to Give Carfax VINS with Outstanding Recalls

Posted on 24 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Generally speaking, recall repairs are made on fewer than 70% of eligible vehicles unless they involve well publicized problems such as Toyota’s infamous stuck gas pedals, a situation that federal safety regulators are not comfortable with – particularly since many recalls involve life threatening defects. Continue reading →

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BMW Dealership Wrongfully Fired Person for Facebook Posts?

Posted on 24 May 2011 by Ken Zino

If the complaint stands, should the BMW slogan be changed to the ultimate dining machine? Continue reading →

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Toyota Recall Study Finds Adversarial Relationship with NHTSA

Posted on 24 May 2011 by Ken Zino

The Quality Report, since it was paid for by Toyota, has already come under attack for bias from organizations linked to product liability lawyers. Nonetheless, the Report describes Toyota’s attitude toward federal safety regulators as “adversarial.” Unintended acceleration or stuck gas pedal problems are implicated in thousands of incidents and more than 90 alleged deaths. Continue reading →

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Honda Recalls New Civic for Fuel Leaks in Latest Quality Gaffe

Posted on 23 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Toyota of course was ultimately assessed record civil fines by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year for its failure to promptly recall all of the vehicles affected by deadly unintended acceleration or stuck gas pedal problems. The “Toyota effect” now looms large over the auto industry since no automaker wants to be charged with a safety defect coverup. Continue reading →

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Volvo Recalls XC90 Crossover for ZF Power Steering Defect

Posted on 23 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Volvo is recalling 2010-2011 model XC90 vehicles manufactured from 29 January 2010, through 16 August 2010. The power steering fluid may leak from the oil pipe connection at the steering gear valve housing from the ZF produced part. Continue reading →

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Chrysler to Pay off $7.5 Billion in U.S., Canadian Bailout Loans

Posted on 20 May 2011 by Ken Zino

It is primarily the interest on government loans – $1.23 billion – that prevented Chrysler from earning a profit during 2010 and resulted in an overall loss for the year of $652 million. So decreasing interest rates should improve earnings, a necessary precursor for the public offering of Chrysler stock later this year or early next. Continue reading →

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Chevrolet Volt Plant to Shut for Upgrade. Shortages Coming?

Posted on 19 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Potential Volt shortages are occurring at a time when a debate is underway – inside GM and out – about just how large the demand is for the Volt, which starts at $42,000 and has the fuel economy (but less interior space) than numerous compact cars, including Chevrolet’s own Cruze… Continue reading →

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U.S. May Vehicle Sales Dropping. SAAR Under 10 Million?

Posted on 19 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Returning to historical annual selling rates of 15 to 17 million units experienced during much of the last decade appears to be a long way into the future. Continue reading →

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BMW Left Turn Assistant Looks at Oncoming Traffic for You

Posted on 18 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Left turn assistant is a complicated piece of engineering, which demonstrates the power of electronic sensors and software to do virtually anything. It also begs the question of how much safety via sophisticated devices is enough or too much, depending on your point of view. Continue reading →

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AAA Asks Congress Yet Again to Pass “Right to Repair Act”

Posted on 18 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Dealerships used to thrive on automaker-paid warranty repairs, paid for by the factory at reduced labor rates. In order to compensate technicians for this factory dictated lower rate, dealers charged higher rates for non-warranty parts and repairs. In effect, car owners were subsidizing the cost of poor quality at automakers if they went to a factory store. Continue reading →

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Big Oil has Big Day in U.S. Senate as Tax Breaks are Intact

Posted on 18 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Energy industry tax breaks will not however go away as a contentious political issue anytime soon with a soaring U.S. budget deficit that now requires borrowing 41 cents of every dollar spent, and gasoline prices at $4-$5 a gallon making voters angry. Continue reading →

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Electric Utility Coal Ash Safety Plans Released by EPA

Posted on 17 May 2011 by Ken Zino

Electric vehicles, the current technology in favor by special interest groups who want their use mandated as well as subsidized by taxpayers, raise many legitimate environmental concerns since half the electricity in the United States is generated by burning coal. Continue reading →

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Movie “Midnight in Paris” has Peugeot Landaulet in Bit Part

Posted on 17 May 2011 by Ken Zino

The leading man travels through time in a Peugeot Landaulet 184 dating from 1920, which met the production’s requirement for a car having “a driver’s compartment with a convertible roof and a covered passenger compartment.” Continue reading →

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