The settlement plan involving Volkswagen and Audi 2.0L TDI vehicles in the U.S. has been granted preliminary approval by a federal judge in California, meaning eligible customers will soon have an important choice to make: sell their car back to VW (or end the lease without a penalty) or keep the car and get a free […] [Read More]

AutoAlert announced it is now a certified partner in the Audi of America Tier III Co-Op Program. The program allows Audi dealerships to be reimbursed for certain OEM-approved expenses, provided they follow certain guidelines and have funding available. This process can give their teams more spending power elsewhere, according to news release. AutoAlert equity- and data-mining […] [Read More]

Edmunds.com celebrated the grand opening of its brand new headquarters — dubbed "EdQuarters" — at the Colorado Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday. The facility consisting of 143,000 square feet was designed by M+M Creative Studio, and site officials believe it “sets a new bar” for workplace culture and amenities in Los Angeles’ emerging […] [Read More]

Cars.com chief executive officer and president Alex Vetter explained why the company’s decision to acquire DealerRater goes way beyond just another sales tool within its service portfolio it can provide to dealerships. In a way, Vetter described the pending transaction first announced on Tuesday morning basically as a move to protect dealerships from losing their […] [Read More]

Cars.com announced on Tuesday morning that the company has entered into an agreement to acquire DealerRater, one of the industry's largest automotive consumer review websites. Officials indicated the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions, and is expected to close by the end of August. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. […] [Read More]

Visitors to manufacturer websites who use shopping tools such as a payment calculator or interior/exterior view tend to be more satisfied with their car-shopping experience, according to the summer edition of the J.D. Power 2016 Manufacturer Website Evaluation Study. The study, in its 17th year, measures the usefulness of automakers' websites during the new-vehicle shopping process […] [Read More]

FordDirect chief operating officer Valerie Fuller will be stepping down Sept. 1 to pursue other opportunities, the company said Friday. Chief executive officer Mike Jurecki announced the news in a press release, thanking Fuller for her leadership of the company, which included serving as interim CEO for the first half of this year and 11 years […] [Read More]

AutoAlert, a data-mining and trade-cycle management platform, has promoted of Kimberly Cowan to vice president of business operations from director of business development. In her new role, Cowan will oversee operational improvements, content and other strategic initiatives. Before joining AutoAlert in March 2015, she was at Cox Automotive for more than a decade supporting several divisions, […] [Read More]

CDK Global’s Customer Experience Center officially became operational on Wednesday, with more than 500 employees assuming roles ranging from client services to inside sales at the new facility. "Our new Customer Experience Center will incorporate best-in-class technology and service models to help our dealers navigate issues with speed and efficiency,” Bob Karp, president, North America […] [Read More]

Integrated Auction Solutions, which bought AWG Simulcast and AuctionMaster Technologies last month, announced its executive team on Tuesday. Greg Levi is the managing member, while Peter Levy will run day-to-day operations as vice president of sales and marketing. Marc Holstein is vice president of operations for Europe. Matt Addams is vice president of development for […] [Read More]