The National Insurance Crime Bureau revealed that while 2010 saw the number of national vehicle thefts decline for the seventh consecutive year, the top five “hot spots," all on the West Coast, showed an increase when compared to 2009. For example, the area with the highest vehicle theft rate — Fresno, Calif. — saw a rise of 1,684 thefts when compared […] [Read More]

With Tuesday marking the first official day of summer, AAA highlighted a total of 18 different models in six vehicle segments the organization believes are the best units for road trips. AAA picked four vehicles made by Toyota, along with a pair of units from Chevrolet, Ford, Chrysler and Dodge. The organization noted that nine […] [Read More]

In a market where wholesale auction volume is even tighter than overall used supply, independent dealers face an especially “tough situation” when it comes to acquiring the vehicles they need on their lots, suggested Jonathan Banks, a senior analyst with NADA Used Car Guide. [Read More]

Ford vehicle performance earned more praise as RDA Group gave the automaker its Quality Award — a discretionary honor to recognize substantial improvements in quality and customer satisfaction over time. RDA Group declared during a brief ceremony recently that Ford has “achieved unparalleled success in quality and customer satisfaction improvement.” In assessing Global Quality Research […] [Read More]

In light of the supply dearth, several Japanese models are seeing significant gains in the number of consumers looking to buyout existing leases on the vehicles, according to LeaseTrader.com. The shoppers see this as an alternative method of car buying, the site indicated. What’s more, with high used values on these units, some customers will […] [Read More]

You can’t blame it all on the economy. That’s one of the three messages that Grant Cardone hopes car dealers will take away from watching him help turnaround the business of one of their brethren in the premiere episode of the new show Turnaround King, which is set to begin at 9 p.m. EST Sunday […] [Read More]

A new Web-based presentation from NCM Associates featuring vAuto’s Dale Pollak aims to offer the secrets behind “unlocking” a dealership’s true potential. Through the complementary presentation available to NCM’s dealer clients, Pollak will demonstrate how using online advertising can potentially lower a dealer’s costs and increase used-car sales opportunities. [Read More]

Harris Interactive acknowledges consumer consideration for vehicles with alternative powertrains is on the rise. However, its latest study shows concerns regarding infrastructure, price, driving range and maintenance continue to dampen enthusiasm about these technologies. Those assertions are according to the 2011 AutoTECHCAST Study, released by Harris this week. Study orchestrators believe basic barriers continue to […] [Read More]

The tentacles of the Japanese disaster’s impact on vehicle production continues to have a far-reaching effect on the auto industry, and a prime example of this is the downswing in May leasing. Lease penetration in May dropped 1.6 percentage points month-over-month to 18.6 percent, according to the latest Industry Health Review from J.D. Power and Associates. Thomas […] [Read More]

TrueCar handed out report cards on Wednesday to OEMs and brands, with one particular automaker being honored with a “perfect score.” TrueCar uses eight measurements — for example, pricing, sales, incentives, customer loyalty, market share and days in inventory — to rate companies in its Performance Scorecards. With an “A+” score, Hyundai topped the list […] [Read More]