Automotive industry management consultant Max Zanan says that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many would-be car buyers worry that furloughs or illness will prevent them from keeping up with their payments. Tough times call for bold action, the consultant said. To help buyers and dealerships, Zanan is offering the Walkaway Vehicle Return Program. The program […] [Read More]

Perhaps another federal government program could eventually help to boost the service drive at dealerships. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday announced that states can apply for funding to help drivers learn about and repair open safety recalls on their vehicles. “Recalls are serious. Recall repairs are completely free […] [Read More]

NOTE: UPDATED with additional OEM CPO incentive info. The certified pre-owned vehicle segment has an array of consumer- and business-facing benefits, and the latter would certainly include automakers and their captive finance arms. CPO can be a lever for captives to boost dealer demand for off-lease volume, through such perks as APR programs and extended […] [Read More]

With its founder and chief executive officer Ernie Garcia saying consumers are spending more time at home “and balancing that with the need to keep moving,” Carvana is offering as-soon-as-next-day touchless home delivery to 100 additional cities across 24 states. The company said it is doing that to provide those needing to purchase a vehicle […] [Read More]

Used-car sales hit another bump mid-week, but started to rebound as the weekend approached, according to a Cox Automotive analysis of used-vehicle sales last week, among other metrics. “We estimate that used was down 50% year-over-year last week, as used sales lost some ground at month-end, presumably in competition with new, but then saw an […] [Read More]

DealerSocket’s DealerFire website and PrecisePrice digital retail platforms earned acceptance into the Genesis Dealer Website Certification Program, marking the 19th OEM certification for DealerFire. Eight months earlier, the two platforms earned acceptance into Hyundai’s Dealer Website Certification Program. With the new certifications, the DealerFire website and PrecisePrice digital retail platforms are now available to Hyundai’s […] [Read More]

AutoNation says that under the best of circumstances, a cancer diagnosis can be frightening and devastating. In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the American Cancer Society and its partners such as AutoNation want to ensure that programs supporting cancer patients will continue through the pandemic and beyond. On Tuesday, AutoNation said it will partner […] [Read More]

On-demand car care, technology and services company Get Spiffy has acquired Carmacy, which provides preventive fleet services such as oil changes, tire rotations and repair. In 2015, Tyler Burns, JD McDonnell and Nancy McDonnell founded Carmacy, which says it is one of the first U.S. national mobile fleet maintenance providers. Carmacy services thousands of trucks and cars […] [Read More]

The Costco Auto Program and American Honda Motor Co. are teaming up on a program that offers a $500 Costco Shop Card for eligible Costco members buying or leasing specific Honda vehicles, in addition to compatible Honda incentives for which they qualify. Costco Auto Program and American Honda Motor Co. are working to “provide added […] [Read More]

Auto insurance marketplace DealerPolicy has integrated data analytics company J.D. Power’s new insurance data and analytics platform to create personalized insurance quotes tailored to a customer’s specific preferences. DealerPolicy on Monday announced the collaboration, which it said would deliver instant, personalized insurance quotes to car buyers. The new personalized insurance service is now available to […] [Read More]