Why there may be no return to ‘normal’ for the used vehicle market

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Customers browse in a used car lot on February 15, 2023 in Glendale, California. Mario Tama | Getty ImagesAll new vehicles become used cars and trucks once they’re sold. It’s an obvious statement, but one that needs to be laid out to explain the root cause for ongoing inventory and pricing issues in the US used vehicle market, which has been a barometer for the country’s inflation levels.related investing newsDuring the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, automakers shuttered factories for weeks to stop the spread of Covid-19. This was an unprecedented action that eventually…
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Hyundai Heads to Home Event at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca With Momentum – Autos Community

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Hyundai Motor America continues competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) as the schedule shifts to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Motul Course De Monterey, powered by Hyundai N weekend – the home event for Hyundai Motor America. Making his debut at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and IMPC is Jordan Wiseley. Wiseley is an actor and athlete who competed on MTV’s THE CHALLENGE television series and became one of the winningest competitors across seven seasons. The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 is set to see the green flag fly at 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT on…
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What dealerships service managers are reading

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When I was first starting at Automotive News a few years back and trying to learn the service and parts business, Lee Harkins, CEO of dealership training company M5 Management Services, let me be a fly on the wall at one of his performance group meetings. I must not have made too big of a nuisance of myself because I’ve been invited back to every meeting since, including one a couple weeks ago in Orlando. The discussions there were the same: What are you struggling with? Where are you having success? What’s one best practice you want to share with…
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Kia and Hyundai Break-Ins On the Rise in Kent

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Social media challenges, which have steadily increased since 2020, range from silly and benign to downright dangerous and harmful. One of the latest harmful challenges to hit social media this summer is the “Kia Challenge”—and it continues to gain momentum across the country. The Kia Challenge is a TikTok trend that encourages social media users to steal Kias manufactured between 2011-2021 and Hyundais made between 2015 and 2021. These models are being targeted because they don’t come with an engine immobilizer, which is a piece of hardware that prevents the engine from starting if the matching chip in the key…
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April sales up 2.3% but still below pre-pandemic levels

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New light-vehicle sales in April were up 2.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, but still below pre-pandemic levels, at an estimated 144,069 units compared with 180,616 in April 2019, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. Sales in April were also slightly below March. All figures are estimates now that the vast majority of automakers report sales on only a quarterly basis. DesRosiers managing partner Andrew King said in a statement that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales for April was 1.48 million units. King says that’s easily the weakest reading so far in 2023, and a…
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Electric Chrysler 300 Replacement Reportedly Shown to Dealers

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Remember Chrysler? The once formidable American automaker now only has three cars in its lineup with the Pacifica, Pacifica Hybrid, and 300, and one of those is set to be replaced in the near future. After 13 long years in production, the 300 is getting ready to bow out. Chrysler hasn’t provided any official details on its successors, but Mopar Insiders reports that dealers in Las Vegas got to see the all-electric vehicle that’s set to replace the 300.The outlet, citing unnamed dealer sources, claims that those in attendance saw a lot of parallels between the image Chrysler showed…
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Study reveals drop in customer satisfaction for independents

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Recent numbers from research firm Ducker Carlisle showed growing dissatisfaction with franchised dealership service departments. This week, JD Power released its 2023 US Aftermarket Service Index Study that showed an overall decline in satisfaction with independent repair facilities as well. The data firm revealed independent shops dropped in all three categories that make up the study — quick oil change, full-service maintenance and repair and tire replacement. Shops were scored on seven measures within each of the three segments. These include ease of scheduling, fairness of charges, service adviser courtesy and quality of work. This is the fourth year of…
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Regina auto repair shop transitions to 4-day work week

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Employees at a Regina auto repair shop may never experience a case of the Mondays again. Earlier this month, Kinetic Auto Service (KAS) switched to a four-day workweek schedule for its employees. “I think in the end, it will increase productivity and we just have to work out the kinks as we go,” said KAS president and CEO Erin Vaughan. KAS employees will work 10 hours a day from Tuesday to Friday. The new schedule is a trial run stemmed from employee feedback. Vaughan believes it will improve her employees’ work-life balance. She hopes her staff can spend more time…
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