To better capture the “voice of the customer," J.D. Power and Associates plans to establish what it’s calling the J.D. PowerPanel. Executives said the J.D. PowerPanel is scheduled to launch during the fourth quarter. They contend this group will enhance the company’s existing survey-based customer satisfaction and product quality research by expanding the demographic and geographic range […] [Read More]

Jim Ellis Chevrolet announced Monday that it is in some elite company. The dealership said it is among the Southeast’s four Chevrolet stores to be honored with General Motors’ Mark of Excellence for 2009. Officials said that just the top 7 percent of the 3,000 Chevrolet dealers in the U.S. earn this distinction, which lauds […] [Read More]

General Motors announced late last week that it’s conducting a voluntary safety recall of 3,996 Cadillac SRX crossovers from the 2010 model year. The reason is possible damage to the power steering line. Based on GM analysis, executives explained the issue is believed to exist in only two or three of the recalled vehicles. If […] [Read More]

The Canadian used-vehicle market is expected to continue to show upward movement and eclipse the 3 million sales mark in 2011, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, who attributed most of this to vehicles being “so well built” these days. Given the vehicle quality, many shoppers are entering the market on the used side. More specifically, following a […] [Read More]

Kia Canada revealed its new president and chief executive officer this week. Taking over for Jay Chung at the company’s helm is William Lee, who has worked in the auto industry for more than two decades, 18 years of which were spent working overseas. The move became effective immediately. Chung has taken a position with the parent […] [Read More]

Monthly certified pre-owned sales improved on a year-over-year basis for the seventh straight time in September. Automakers closed a third quarter of sales that showed a climb of double digits from the same 2009 period. According to Autodata Corp., the industry moved 135,379 CPO units during September. This was a 21.5-percent gain from the year-ago period. Putting the […] [Read More]

Toyota provided a strong selling point for its dealers this week, making standard maintenance plans for all new Scion and Toyota brand vehicles a free, permanent selling point.  As well the complimentary normal factory-scheduled maintenance, included in the Toyota Care and Scion Service Boost plans is free 24-hour roadside assistance. These services are provided for whatever […] [Read More]

While most of the time, automakers pile on incentives to get a lift in new-vehicle sales, it appears the reverse scenario has occurred this year, according to TrueCar.com. Domestic brands, whose incentives have declined, have been the ones to see significant increases in sales. Meanwhile, some of the leading Japanese brands’ sales have largely been […] [Read More]

In an interesting hands-on approach to educating its dealer body, General Motors is bringing in close to 900 Buick and GMC dealers to tour a production facility and to test-drive new models from the two brands. The dealers, who are paying their own way, are coming to Michigan in three waves of about 300 dealers […] [Read More]

Two more brands now are included within the Certified Pre-Owned Center of Dealix’s flagship site for dealers. Now integrated are CPO units from Nissan and Infiniti. Dealix executives noted Nissan and Infiniti are the eighth and ninth manufacturers in the past year to bring their CPO inventory to UsedCars.com. During that period, they mentioned the […] [Read More]