With topics ranging from how the service department can maximize gross potential to how to harness mobile tools best, August is a busy month for Webinars orchestrated through NADA University. The training arm of the National Automobiles Dealers Association has a total of five Webinars this month, with three upcoming and two others that can […] [Read More]

Last month, the certified pre-owned market dropped modestly compared to what ended up being the best CPO month of 2010, according to Autodata Corp., but sales moved ahead from June. What’s more, year-to-date certified sales stayed in front of last year’s pace and many automakers have enjoyed especially strong CPO sales through the first seven […] [Read More]

As National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials excused Ford and General Motors from having to recall more than 500,000 units, American Honda revealed late last week it’s bringing back approximately 1.5 million vehicles. The Honda recall stems from the need to update the software that controls the automatic transmission in about 1.5 million U.S. vehicles. […] [Read More]

With the automaker apparently aiming to bolster its presence this key market, a customer experience organization was revealed late last week by Volkswagen of America as well as who will fill the newly created position of heading up customer experience.  VW announced that head of sales Mark Barnes has been named vice president of customer […] [Read More]

Nissan announced late last week that consumers will now be able to utilize Quick Response (QR) codes found on window stickers across its entire lineup to learn more about each model — starting with 2012 models. The OEM’s campaign — “On Vehicle Graphics” — was first launched in June, coinciding with the release of the […] [Read More]

The Canadian new-vehicle market softened almost 5 percent amid “a very mixed bag” in a month that saw Japanese brands continue to struggle with inventory issues while other automakers enjoyed skyrocketing sales, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. Overall, there were 141,472 new-car sales in Canada during July, a 4.9-percent drop from a year ago. Year-to-date sales […] [Read More]

Chrysler Group is bringing back the same cluster of minivans it already summoned once this year. The automaker informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it is recalling nearly 300,000 minivans, this time to replace the occupant restraint control modules. The recall covers Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country from the 2008 model […] [Read More]

In his five years as Ford’s chief executive, Alan Mulally has testified before Congress, talked with reporters, delivered keynote speeches and addressed the shareholders of America’s second-largest automaker. But earlier this week, he faced a speaking engagement of a different sort: an interview with dry-witted funnyman David Letterman. [Read More]

Sergio Marchionne appears to plan on remaining the top boss as Chrysler/Fiat until at least 2015. Appearing Wednesday at the 2011 CAR Management Briefing Seminars, Marchionne pulled out all sorts of references — from quoting a French philosopher to depicting how geese fly — to describe how the automaker has rebounded from the brink of […] [Read More]

It appears the supply dynamic will soon get back to normal for Japanese automakers, which have recovered on the production front quicker than expected. However, supply issues still plagued these automakers in July as their new-vehicle sales suffered, according to the American International Automobile Dealers Association. Overall, there were 555,383 import sales in the U.S. […] [Read More]