Mazda North American Operations informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it plans to recall 161,400 units of the Mazda6 from the 2009 through 2013 model years. Mazda is recalling these units manufactured between Feb. 4, 2008 and Aug. 24, 2012 because the door latch mounting screws may become loose. “If all three door […] [Read More]

Certified pre-owned penetration of used-vehicle unit volumes within some of the largest publicly traded dealer groups was found to be as high as 35 percent, according to data from KeyBanc Capital Markets, which indicated most of the six retailers in its set had CPO shares between 25 percent and 30 percent. KeyBanc’s August survey of […] [Read More]

A new app from AutoTrader.com offers dealers an opportunity to position their inventories in front of the growing number of people who use their tablets to shop for vehicles.  The AutoTrader.com iPad app also offers car shoppers a way to find their perfect vehicle quickly, even if they’re undecided on brand. Company officials say the […] [Read More]

Last week, two Asian automakers announced vehicle recalls totaling more than 700,000 units. The larger of the campaigns came from Toyota Motor Sales USA, which said it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 615,000 Sienna minivans from model years 2004 through 2005, and 2007 through 2009. The reason: To address problems with the […] [Read More]

Ever wonder how to keep your employees motivated? Customers are bound to respond positively to motivated employees who obviously enjoy their work in the dealership, but the question is how to get there. Dennis Galbraith, the new chief marketing officer at Potratz Partners Advertising covers this and more in his latest “Hard Facts with Dennis […] [Read More]

As September draws to a close, the used-car sales projections are rolling in. Showing some signs of seasonality, sales projections are coming in a bit lower than seen in August. Edmunds.com is estimating 3.01 million used cars will be sold this month — a number that constitutes a SAAR of 36.2 million, compared to 3.04 […] [Read More]

With Oct. 1 marking the traditional start of the new model year, manufacturers are offering some hot deals on leases as this date approaches, perhaps in an effort to help dealers move 2013 model-year vehicles off their lots. Kelley Blue Book picked out some of the best lease deals for this month — many of […] [Read More]

It was announced this month that Ford has selected the Automotive Services Division of SGS North America  as the new consultation provider for the company’s certified pre-owned program. Under the partnership, SGS Automotive Services will validate the company’s dealership CPO processes, officials noted. SGS offers Ford dealership visits and customer service assessment, giving the automaker’s […] [Read More]

San Francisco residents interested in a Fiat for their next vehicle need not travel far. The first Fiat showroom in The City by the Bay has opened its doors in the Van Ness Avenue corridor. Located at 1595 Van Ness Ave., the first FiatT studio within the San Francisco city limits is right on the […] [Read More]

Kia Canada Inc. announced a new online tool for dealers, fleet and rental partners that should make acquiring pre-owned and CPO vehicles a bit easier in this tight supply environment. Kia has partnered with web-based auction AutoGavel Exchange — powered by North Toronto Auction — to offer another online inventory option for dealers. [Read More]