Used- and new-vehicle sales are rising, and the latest survey data from the National Automobile Dealers Association and Ally Financial showed dealers continue to increase their level of giving to charitable causes. In fact, more than 70 percent of franchised dealers surveyed in September said they increased their charitable giving so far in 2014, up […] [Read More]

In addition to announcing the acquisition of a Nissan store in California late last week, Lithia Motors shared a sneak peek Monday of what its third-quarter results might entail, including some projected used-car numbers. According to preliminary results, Lithia increased its used retail same-store sales by 13 percent during Q3. However, there was some pressure […] [Read More]

Tesla’s new certified pre-owned program will definitely serve to make the Model S accessible to more shoppers, but one question remains. Will the certified move bring the automaker more buyers? The first of the Model S vehicles sold are nearing three-years old, and with Tesla’s recently launched consumer lease program as well as the option […] [Read More]

If you set your automated news alerts or RSS feed to “subprime” or “subprime auto finance,” you’re likely to find news stories that fit in one of two camps:  A) subprime auto financing is heading down a dangerous path akin to the mortgage crisis of the late 2000s, or B) those fears are perhaps unwarranted. […] [Read More]

As more major retailers are being hacked for consumer information, Dealertrack Technologies made five recommendations to help dealerships protect themselves, their customers, store data and ultimately, profitability. Among the five steps shared by Sharon Kitzman, vice president and general manager of DMS for Dealertrack, were: — Create privacy notices that address the sharing of data. […] [Read More]

Officials from eLEND Solutions highlighted the seven main components of CreditPlus, the next generation of their online, interactive credit application platform. Launched on Monday, the company explained CreditPlus can instantly pre-approve shoppers based on dealer-defined credit criteria and can provide shoppers with direct, upfront access to dealership financing sources and real near-final terms of approval […] [Read More]

In an expansion to their existing partnership in the certified pre-owned space, Carfax will be including all Ford- and Lincoln-brand CPO vehicles on its Carfax Used Car Listings website. Ford will continue to provide free Carfax Vehicle History Reports on all of its Ford and Lincoln CPO vehicles, requiring that all Ford/Lincoln certified rides have […] [Read More]

A pair of Asian automakers — Nissan North America and Mitsubishi Motors North America — told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration they are conducting separate recall campaigns covering a combined total of more than 380,000 vehicles. Nissan’s recall is for just a single model — the 2013 Altima manufactured between March 6, 2012 and […] [Read More]

In addition to providing details on its new location opening this month, CarMax Auctions unveiled a new logo and announced plans to thank its wholesale customers during its Customer Appreciation Month. CarMax Auctions will be hosting catered meals and giveaways to dealers throughout the month of October. The company has over 60 auction locations, with its newest facility […] [Read More]

In an effort to aid dealers’ service departments, Cox Automotive — the parent of Manheim, AutoTrader.com, vAuto and Kelley Blue Book, among others — recently joined other companies in purchasing a minority stake in AutoMD.com, previously a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Auto Parts Network. Joining Cox Automotive in this development were Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of […] [Read More]