The good news for Group 1 Automotive’s used-vehicle department: The dealer group turned 12.1 percent more used models in 2015 than its stores did a year earlier. The not-so-good news for Group 1's used performance: Margins on those retail sales softened by 6.3 percent year-over-year. Company officials shared their fourth-quarter and full-year financial report on […] [Read More]

DealerRater highlighted the winners of its annual Dealer of the Year Award program on Wednesday. The dealer review website recognized recipients for distinction in outstanding customer service based upon consumer reviews of dealership experiences shared on DealerRater.com and DealerRater.ca. The highest scoring dealership in the United States was Galpin Honda in Mission Hills, Calif., earning […] [Read More]

Daimler AG and Volkswagen of America have announced this week the separate recalls of several models under their respective umbrellas related to potential issues with Takata airbag inflators. Separate from the airbag issues, General Motors has announced the recall of over 420,000 pickups and SUVs in the U.S. due to a potential issue with their […] [Read More]

Although the automaker recently announced it was transitioning Scion to the Toyota brand and winding down production for its nameplate aimed at a younger demographic — in part because of underperformance — according to data analyzed by Swapalease.com, Scion vehicles have showed a better performance than some Toyota cars. At least in the lease-takeover space. […] [Read More]

Most of the off-lease volume that makes its way to Asbury Automotive Group stores this year will end up as certified pre-owned vehicle inventory. “They’ll come mainly over a six-month period, and we look at that as an opportunity for us,” Asbury chief operating officer David Hult said during the retailer’s earnings conference call last week. […] [Read More]

Mazda Motor Corp. filed a safety defect report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to signify both a recall and a stop-sale of CX-5 vehicles from the 2014 through 2016 model years in both the United States and Canada. OEM officials explained that the fuel filler pipe could rupture during a rear collision and could […] [Read More]

Q auto, the standalone used-car program that Asbury Automotive Group launched in the spring of 2014, is still a work in progress and a learning experience — a “laboratory,” if you will. And one that the group thinks has some promise. But 2016 is the year Asbury’s management hopes it turns a corner. The company aims […] [Read More]

Group 1 Automotive announced several key company changes on Thursday, including the acquisition of a dealer group in the U.K., the divestment of three of its current dealerships, and three internal promotions. The group has acquired the Spire Automotive Group, which includes 12 dealerships that operate primarily in the north and northwest London area. The […] [Read More]

Citing a defect information report provided by Takata, Honda North America announced this week that it is recalling roughly 2.23 million Takata PSDI-5 driver-side front airbag inflators in both Honda and Acura vehicles. One key takeaway from their announcement: the inflators will be replaced with parts manufactured by an alternative supplier, with repairs anticipated to […] [Read More]

In a development that prompted one Kelley Blue Book analyst to say, “people are in danger,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents released on Thursday that Continental Automotive Systems is recalling potentially up to 5 million air bag control units. NHTSA officials indicated the affected units manufactured between Jan. 1, 2006 and […] [Read More]