May 24, 2013
- Judging by the destruction the Oklahoma City area experienced earlier this week, residents are going to need a lot of help in coming months. Fortunately, a number of automakers - including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Honda and Toyota - have stepped up to donate money, supplies and vehicles to aid in the recovery and rebuilding processes. Here's a quick rundown of which automakers have pitched in and what each contributed so far: Ford Motor Company has donating $250,000 and a...
May 23, 2013
- A potential issue with the lug nuts on 19,871 units of the 2013 Cadillac SRX in the US and Canada has lead to a recall of the luxury crossover. Those lug nuts that have a Teflon topcoat, identified by their bluish tint, could loosen and cause "creaking, rattling or grinding noises or steering vibrations." In the worst case scenario, a wheel could fall off, but there have been no reports of that happening, nor any reports of accidents or injuries due to the issue. This is the second recall...
- General Motors will begin selling its new Chevrolet Spark EV at select dealers in California and Oregon next month for a base price of $27,495 including destination charges. But that will fall to less than $20,000 after federal tax credits, reports TheDetroitBureau.com.
May 22, 2013
- The National Automobile Dealers Association and General Motors began reaching out Tuesday with assistance to dealers and victims affected by Monday's tornado in Oklahoma.
May 21, 2013
- General Motors of Canada is recalling 913 Cadillac SRX crossovers from 2013 because the wheel nuts may have been insufficiently tightened during vehicle assembly. If the wheels have not yet been removed and replaced due to winter tire installation or tire rotation, the wheel nuts may loosen, resulting in possible damage to the wheel studs and/or wheel(s). This could also lead to a complete separation of the wheel(s) from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will therefore...
May 15, 2013
- North Carolina is the latest state to line up against Tesla Motors by proposing a bill that would bar direct automaker-to-customer sales within the state, the Raleigh News & Observer reports. Still, Tesla says plans to open a showroom there and has sold about 80 cars to North Carolina residents, with reservations for about 60 more. According to Slate, a bill pushed by the state's Senate Commerce Committee - and backed, of course, by the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association (NCADA...
- General Motors has turned to Nissan to put Chevrolet dealers into the small cargo van market. GM, in a statement today, said it will rebadge Nissan's new four-cylinder NV200 commercial van as the Chevrolet City Express in the fall of 2014.
May 14, 2013
- Automotive News reports Lincoln is looking to Chinese luxury shoppers for customer service ideas. Those notions may eventually make their way back to the US in the form of new dealership training. Jim Farley, the executive vice president of global marketing for Ford, tells Automotive News, "In many ways, China will be a listening post for Lincoln in the United States. Soon China will be the largest luxury market in the world." Farley also said that in China, the Lincoln brand is currently where...
May 13, 2013
- GM's market share could be better in these regions. So GM is rolling out a specific plan for dealers in these regions.
- General Motors Co., which has underperformed competitors on the West and East coasts for decades, will spend more than $200 million to help dealers in California, New York and New Jersey update showrooms, and in some cases move or shutter them.
May 7, 2013
- This is the result of The General's acquisition of the international operations of Ally Financial.
- General Motors of Canada has issued a recall on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu as well as the 2012-2013 Buick Regal and LaCrosse. A total of 438 units are affected, all with e-Assist. In some cases, the Generator Control Module (GCM) may not function correctly. This could cause a gradual loss of battery charge, which would illuminate the malfunction indicator lamp. Eventually, the engine may stall. In conjunction with traffic and road conditions, and the driver's reactions, this could increase the...
May 6, 2013
- Wards Auto reports the VL Productions Destino is still moving forward. As you may recall, that machine takes a Fisker Karma hybrid, guts the drivetrain and replaces it with a honking 556 horsepower V8 from General Motors. Bob Lutz, while speaking with Wards, confirmed that VL Productions had obtained 20 Karma "gliders" without a battery, engine or electric motor, and that VL may purchase Karma hybrids from dealers currently looking to dump their inventory. Lutz also says that hundreds of...
- There's little chance that the flashy Buick Riviera concept will ever grace a Buick showroom. But dealers should view the Riviera as a signal that GM is serious about adding pizazz to the Buick lineup.
April 29, 2013
- General Motors plans to introduce a coupe version of its Cadillac ATS compact next year, one in a spate of vehicle introductions for the luxury brand.