Category Archives: Auto Industry News

Ford expands F-150 recall to 1.2 million vehicles

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Ford will be expanding its previous recall of approximately 150,000 Ford F-150 pickup trucks to more than 1 million, after considerable pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The issue relates to a possible short in the electrical wiring that could cause the airbag to deploy unexpectedly, even while the vehicle is in motion. In February, Ford said that the problem could be attributed to an error during a specific shift at a specific factory, meaning just a fraction of the 2004 to 2006 versions of the pickup truck were affected. However, the NHTSA was not satisfied, and urged the automaker to recall all trucks made during the time period, approximately 1.2 million vehicles.

The original recall went through as planned in February, but after discussions with the NHTSA, Ford has decided to expand it to include the extra million vehicles. Drivers will be notified in May, and repairs are expected to take about half a day's work at the dealership.

Drivers interested in purchasing a used Ford F-150 should be sure that the truck is either not included in the recall or has had the necessary maintenance work performed. Those interested in this model may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, where they can get a great deal on these and other vehicles.
 

GM pushes up start date for Malibu

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet

In an unusual move, General Motors has announced that it will be pushing up the scheduled production of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, meaning buyers may see the car four months ahead of schedule.

The car was originally slated to begin production in May 2012, but a perceived "hole" in GM's release lineup prompted the company to push the production up sooner to January, according to the Detroit News. Reportedly, new CEO Dan Akerson felt that the company did not have enough guaranteed top sellers being released between now and then, so he asked that changes to the schedule be made to accommodate the Malibu.

"Since Mr. Akerson came aboard, he's challenging us to move faster and this is the latest example," GM spokesman Dave Darovitz told the news provider.

As Chevrolet's midsize sedan contender, the Malibu is one of the top sellers for the company, moving nearly 200,000 units last year alone. A redesign generally tends to boost those numbers even higher.

Chevrolet will unveil the new car next week at the Shanghai Auto Show, with the event simulcast on the company's Facebook page. The car will also be at the upcoming New York Auto Show.

Drivers interested in the new model will still have to wait a bit for the release, so they may want to spring for a used Chevy Malibu from New Jersey State Auto Auction in the meantime. 

Camaro’s power boost to push it past Mustang

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet

Throughout the history of the automobile industry, one of the top rivalries has always been the Chevrolet Camaro vs. the Ford Mustang. These two pony cars have gone toe-to-toe since the late sixties, and it doesn't appear the war will be over anytime soon.

Chevrolet revealed today that the new 2012 Camaro will be getting an 11-horsepower upgrade on the V6 model in order to increase its power past that of its rival, the Ford Mustang. However, the Camaro won't sacrifice any fuel economy to do so – still achieving 30 mpgs on the highway. The current version of the Camaro is already outselling the Mustang, so this announcement will likely have the engineers at Ford scrambling to increase the power on their model.

In addition to the performance boost, Chevrolet will also offer a "45th anniversary" edition of the car this summer. This trim level will be mostly cosmetic, with unique badges, a red and silver racing stripe, a black interior with white dashboard and more. Besides this, Chevrolet has redesigned the steering wheel and added an option rear camera.

Drivers interested in a Camaro or Mustang should realize that these cars can be a bit expensive. It might be better to search for a used model from New Jersey State Auto Auction than buy new.
 

Toyota warns dealers of possible shortages

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

Automakers and dealers continue to deal with the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Japan, and the latest word is that car dealers may be facing some seriously short supplies come summertime.

Up to this point, most of the news revealed by automakers has been with regards to temporary plant closings and stoppages in production. While not a good sign, these announcements did not directly confirm that dealers could expect a shortage of vehicles for the coming months. However, Toyota has released a memo that speaks to exactly that fact.

"Toyota will be producing new vehicles at significantly reduced levels," Bob Carter, group vice president of U.S. sales, wrote in a memo to dealers. "What we don’t know are vehicle production levels for May through July. The potential exists that supply of new vehicles could be significantly impacted this summer."

The memo does it make clear whether the issues are only affecting Toyota or all automakers. Toyota will lose production of at least 35,000 cars and trucks at its North American factories due to stoppages in March and April. It's unclear how many cars will be lost because of production stoppages in Japan.

Drivers interested in a used Toyota or any other vehicle may want to head to New Jersey State Auto Auction soon, before the model that they have their eye on ends up becoming tough to find.

Chevy to recall Cruze for steering wheel issue

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet

It seems like something out of a cartoon – a steering wheel coming off in the driver's hands while the car is still moving. Yet that's exactly what happened to one unfortunate Chevrolet Cruze driver – leading General Motors to issue a recall.

The affected driver was reportedly able to get over to the side of the road safely without getting into an accident, but the incident prompted Chevrolet to look into the matter. The automaker found that on a select number of models made at a certain factory, the wrong steering wheel had been initially attached. This issue was later corrected, but the correct steering wheel was not properly fastened in some cases.

GM claims that the recall affects approximately 2,100 vehicles, a relatively small number compared to the size of many recent recalls. However, the problem is serious enough that drivers should take notice. The recall has already begun and drivers have been notified. Dealership service staff will check the wheel and ensure that it is correctly attached to the steering column.

Keeping appraised of the latest recall and safety news can help buyers make a decision between several different models. Once they're ready to test out some vehicles, they should consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which has a wide variety of cars for sale.

AutoNation posts strong March, urges caution

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Posted in Auto Industry News

Massive car dealership chain AutoNation has posted its sales totals for the month of March, and while cars have been moving quickly throughout the first few months of the year, the company believes that supply shortages due to the Japanese earthquake could slow momentum in the coming months.

AutoNation reported a 19 percent increase in new sales year-on-year, along with a 23 percent uptick in sales overall. While the month was obviously successful and in-line with the strong sales many automakers reported, CEO Mike Jackson urged caution for the next few months as the full impact of the earthquake on production is being ascertained.

"We expect production disruptions will significantly impact product availability from Japanese auto manufacturers in the second and third quarters of 2011," said Jackson.

Still, Jackson said that the aftermath of the quake was "still developing," and it's impossible to predict any hard numbers when it comes to vehicle availability

AutoNation may be one of the bigger dealership chains in the country, but drivers who want really great deals should head to New Jersey State Auto Auction. Those considering a purchase may want to make their move sooner rather than later, as it appears the issues resulting from the earthquake could soon come to fruition and kick off a supply shortage.

Mercedes-Benz to recall M-Class SUVs

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has announced a massive recall on its M-Class SUVs, due to a potentially scary issue with cruise control that could cause it to remain engaged.

The recall applies mainly to used cars, as the German automaker announced that it will primarily be M-Class vehicles from 2000-2002 that are affected by the issue. A small number of vehicles made between 2002 and 2004 under the AMG high-performance line are also included. In total, 136,751 vehicles are included for the U.S.

Cruise control allows drivers to maintain a certain speed without having to use the gas pedal. Normally, tapping the brakes allows a driver to disengage cruise control. However, Mercedes found that in a rare number of cases a malfunction with a brake-lamp switch could mean that tapping the brakes wouldn't be enough to disengage the system, potentially leading to a panicked moment where the car would be accelerating with no way to stop it.

Mercedes says that the cruise control doesn't completely become locked. Drivers can still turn off cruise control using the "stalk" located on the steering wheel, according to the company. Harder braking will also cause the system to become disengaged.

Drivers in the market for a used auto should keep up with the latest recall news to ensure that their vehicle isn't included. Once they've narrowed the choices down, they can head to New Jersey State Auto Auction to compare models.

Car rivalries heating up in early months of 2011

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Chevrolet, Ford

It's baseball season again, but the biggest rivalry in the country may not be between the Yankees and Red Sox. If the early sales numbers are any indication, the real competition people should be watching is between the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

The rivalry dates all the way back to the sixties, and the current incarnations of the vehicles are so close in price and statistics that it's easy to say General Motors and Ford take the competition very seriously. March was a good month for Ford, as the automaker was able to outsell GM for just the second time since 1998. Yet it couldn't surpass the Camaro, according to USA Today, which sold 8,964 units to the Mustang's 8,557. Chevrolet also easily won January and February thanks to some nice incentives, making the overall score so far 19,972 to 15,419.

In more modern rivalries, Ford is doing a bit better. Its Fiesta subcompact is thrashing the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris, selling 9,787 vehicles in March alone. Of the two other cars, the Fit was closest, with 6,955 cars sold.

The closest race, however, is between minivans. The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna are very similar cars, and Honda only eked out the win by about 100 vehicles, selling 10,586 compared to Toyota's 10,449.

Drivers interested in any of these vehicles should consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers both new and used versions of these popular models.
 

Toyota unveils Scion FR-S

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

Toyota has released new images of its Scion FR-S rear-wheel drive sports car, while confirming that the vehicle will be coming to the U.S. in 2012.

First known as the FT-86 Concept, the car originally appeared at an auto show in 2009, with no timetable for production. The car is the result of a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru to develop a 2 + 2 coupe to fill a hole in their lineups. Toyota's version of the vehicle has an aggressive, swooping front end and sleek styling, inline with the youth-oriented Scion brand. No performance information has been released, but it will reportedly be priced at $25,000 to compete with models like the Camaro and Mustang.

Subaru has not yet unveiled its production version of the vehicle, only showing off the chassis at the recent Geneva Auto Show with a translucent body that is unlikely to be seen in the final design. According to Edmunds, it may only be available in Europe.

Waiting for Toyota to release this new coupe will likely take some time, but if drivers are sold on this sleek-looking vehicle already, they might want to consider purchasing a used car in the meantime. New Jersey State Auto Auction offers a wide range of cars for sale at low prices that can easily tide drivers over until the FT-86 hits.
 

Ford officially outsells GM

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Ford

Many analysts predicted it in the middle of March, but the final sales totals for the month are in and Ford has officially outsold its crosstown rival, General Motors.

This marks only the second time since 1998 that Ford has been able to accomplish this feat. The previous time was in February of 2010, when Ford was momentarily the top brand in the country after Toyota's sales fell due to a recall and GM stumbled after the economic collapse. Even then, Ford only eked out a win by 470 units.

This time the difference was much larger, with Ford beating GM by 5,675 cars sold. Ford improved over the same period in 2010 by more than 16 percent. The key factors for the jump included record sales for the Fusion and Escape, a 56 percent increase in Fiesta sales compared to February, and a 21 percent jump in truck sales – which surprised analysts, given the high gas prices.

Still, General Motors has little to complain about. Sales increased by 17 percent year-on-year for the automaker, and the company absolutely cleaned up in January and February due to major incentives offered on its vehicles. In fact, many attribute the stumble in March due to the fact that GM retracted these offers on vehicles, rather than any type of quality flaw.

Whether you're interested in a Ford or a Chevrolet, New Jersey State Auto Auction has a wide range of cars for sale at affordable prices.