Experian Automotive said Thursday that BMW of North America has named it as a provider of vehicle history reports for its BMW certified pre-owned and MINI NEXT programs. BMW and MINI dealers certifying vehicles with an AutoCheck report may extend to customers Experian Automotive’s buyback protection, which safeguards against major hidden title brands on AutoCheck […] [Read More]

The Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario announced earlier this week that longtime executive director Bob Beattie has died. Beattie helped found the organization nearly three decades ago and was credited for being a major catalyst toward is growth over the past 28 years. “Bob was a respected and influential figure in Ontario’s motor vehicle […] [Read More]

Dealer associations and other industry entities reinforced their positions on the issue Wednesday as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed a consumer safety advisory to alert vehicle owners and repair professionals to the dangers of counterfeit air bags. NHTSA said it has become aware of a problem involving the sale of counterfeit air bags […] [Read More]

In what industry analysts believe is the largest single campaign in 16 years, announcements from Toyota Motor Sales USA and Toyota Canada on Wednesday covered more than 2.6 million of the more than 7.4 million vehicles to be recalled worldwide by the Japanese automaker. OEM officials explained the recall is to inspect and apply special […] [Read More]

It was an impressive season for the certified pre-owned industry. The summer included the best August the segment has ever seen, according to Autodata Corp., and that was followed by a CPO sales increase in September to cap the strongest quarter on record for the certified market. In the midst of this record-breaking hot season, […] [Read More]

The latest hybrid vehicles by automaker Toyota were introduced to American audiences this past weekend not at the dealership, but via television. Toyota introduced its all-new Avalon Hybrid and the company’s hybrid vehicle lineup in a Discover Toyota showcase, which aired on Oct. 7 on multichannel retailer HSN. Toyota is reportedly the first auto manufacturer […] [Read More]

The Toyota Certified Used Vehicles program has grown with enhancements and additions over the years, but the members of the used-car department at Longo Toyota still “know the program, basically, inside and out” because they can be fully devoted to it, says pre-owned sales director Will Amiri. The veteran used-car staff members at Longo have […] [Read More]

Penske Automotive Group revealed today that it has acquired Savage BMW/MINI of Ontario, stores located in Ontario, Calif. Officials highlighted that Savage BMW/MINI of Ontario is ranked in the top 25 percent of BMW dealerships in the United States based on new-unit volume. Penske believes the acquired dealerships are expected to contribute approximately $125 million […] [Read More]

American Honda has issued a voluntary recall of some 268,000 CR-V vehicles in the U.S., due to a potentially faulty power-window master switch that has caused at least four vehicle fires. The recall affects CR-V vehicles of model years 2002-2006, for inspection and repair or replacement of the switch. In a corporate statement, Honda said, […] [Read More]

Improved marketing resources — in not one but two languages — is the goal of Strategic Marketing Alliance in announcing a new satellite office to open this quarter. SMA Alliance Inc. announced on Monday that it will open a satellite office in Tampa, Fla., in the fourth quarter of 2012, to focus on the company’s […] [Read More]