The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ford is recalling the 2013 C-Max Hybrid not equipped with panoramic roofs, which includes a little more than 33,000 vehicles. During vehicle testing, NHTSA indicated the unit exceeded a head injury criteria requirement set by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201 titled, “Occupant Protection in Interior Impact.” […] [Read More]

CAR-Research XRM named a new vice president of sales, the company announced this week. Responsible for all sales and marketing functions of the company and reporting directly to CAR-Research president and chief operating officer Patrick Kelly is Jeff Loos. Loos, who will be based out of Kansas City, Mo., brings extensive experience at several top […] [Read More]

When looking at its consolidated international results, Group 1 Automotive drove its retail used-vehicle sales volume up by more than 16 percent, helping to push used retail revenue to nearly $535 million for the second quarter. More specifically, consolidated used retail revenue was at $534.8 million, a 17.2-percent uptick from the same period of 2012.  […] [Read More]

CNW Research is calling for a slim upswing in used-vehicle sales this month, but that’s not what the firm found most interesting about the used market. Stealing the show in July, it said, are the independents. After a few lean months this year, independent dealers are leading the pack in July, with franchised dealers projected […] [Read More]

Dealertrack Technologies has added another automaker to its list of those certifying the company’s DMS Customer Relationship Management, indicating testing and approval of the Dealertrack solution. Becoming the 19th OEM to certify Dealertrack’s CRM as an approved option for maximizing lead generation using Dealtertrack’s DMS is Hyundai. The Dealertrack CRM solution, which is an option […] [Read More]

To hit a target of selling an average of 75 used vehicles per store monthly, Lithia Motors is looking to get its dealerships selling what it calls core units — models 3 to 7 years old — at the same level they’re turning certified pre-owned vehicles and what it dubs value autos, units with more than […] [Read More]

More than a million new-car intenders this year will likely opt for a used vehicle instead, according to CNW Research, which said that taking the certified pre-owned route could be a very popular choice among these consumers. Of course, the pipeline of off-lease vehicles is a vital piece to maximizing CPO potential, and that requires […] [Read More]

Sonic Automotive executive vice president of operations Jeff Dyke continues to gush about what the company’s inventory management is doing for the group, going so far as to say this week that July is shaping up to be Sonic’s best month ever for used-vehicle sales performance. Dyke declared that the Sonic Inventory Management System (SIMS) […] [Read More]

It very well might be the site that makes some dealership general managers cringe most — a customer leaving the showroom without making a purchase. As Sonic Automotive continues to implement its True Price sales strategy, executive vice president of operations Jeff Dyke is OK with letting that customer leave without keys and a contract […] [Read More]

Asbury Automotive Group announced its second-quarter results Tuesday, revealing that both used retail revenue and pre-owned sales soared by double digits during the period. Other highlights of the quarter included a series of new acquisitions, as well as considerable growth in service department revenue from its dealerships during the second quarter. [Read More]