Honeywell Exec Says Higher CAFE Standards Could Boost Turbo Sales

Supplier predicts consumers will like the performance a turbocharged diesel provides.

By James M. Amend • July 3, 2007

Auto Makers, Government Practicing Too Much Restraint

A shocking abundance of vehicles feature more shoulder harnesses than head restraints, which begs the grim question: Who goes unprotected?

By Eric Mayne • June 13, 2007

Osram Says Promoting Safety May Help Xenon Gain Ground

A survey commissioned by the supplier shows consumers, dealers think touting safety benefits of xenon lighting will broaden its appeal.

By Christie Schweinsberg • June 13, 2007

Why Comply? A Chilly Lesson

A record fine of $500,000, imposed on a dealership chain's nine stores in Alaska, underlines the need for dealers to tighten regulatory compliance measures in every department of their stores.

By Mac Gordon • June 1, 2007

Indian Government Exits Maruti

Maruti at one time was an equal joint venture between the Indian government and Suzuki, which maintains a 54.2% share in the domestic auto maker.

By Sudhakar Shah • May 14, 2007

NHTSA Chief Plugs Active Safety

Nicole Nason urges the auto industry to perfect collision-avoidance systems and the public to trust they will save lives.

By Tom Murphy • April 20, 2007

Korea Drops Car Tariffs in Landmark U.S. Trade Pact

The agreement calls for Seoul to eliminate an 8% tariff on vehicle imports, as well as non-tariff taxes and regulations.

By Ward's Staff From Wires • April 2, 2007

We Have Your Property

We are seeing an increased interest by many state governments in the area of unclaimed property. Companies are required to file unclaimed property reports at least annually. Unclaimed property includes bank accounts, wages, refunds, utility deposits and contents of safe deposit boxes. For a dealership, the most common unclaimed property would be uncashed payroll or vendor checks, unclaimed we owes,

By John Davis • Dec. 1, 2006

EC Campaign to Showcase Intelligent Systems

The eSafety initiative was developed under the EC's Road Safety Action Plan, intended to cut the number of deaths on European roadways in half by 2010.

By Deirdre Mason • Oct. 24, 2006

Researchers Question Safety Contribution of Airbags, ABS

Auto makers and safety experts are wholly unconvinced of the study's findings, citing the small size of the sample and conclusions that run counter to NHTSA's own research.

By Herb Shuldiner • Oct. 18, 2006

U.S. Government Wants ESC on All Vehicles

Heralding electronic stability control as the best safety feature since the seatbelt, federal regulators are likely to require OEMs to include the technology on all vehicles by 2011. A National Highway Transportation Safety Admin. proposal would mandate some form of ESC starting with the '09 model year. The feature also would be required as standard equipment on all '12 model passenger vehicles. Ford

By Scott Anderson • Oct. 1, 2006

How to Do F&I the Right Way

There are no ands, ifs or buts in Robert A. Harkins' finance and insurance training classes on how to avoid shady or unethical practices. Dealers run a great risk of being investigated and prosecuted if their F&I and sales personnel fail to comply completely with all and I do mean all federal and state regulations, Harkins warns a class of dealership comptrollers and managers at the Chicago Automobile

By Mac Gordon • Oct. 1, 2006

NHTSA Probes Headlight Glare

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center receives a grant to study the effects of headlight glare.

By Herb Shuldiner • Aug. 9, 2006

What Happens when Law Sees Dealers as Creditors

Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Dealers who spot deliver vehicles (and then the credit agencies don't finance the buyers) or dealers who simply size up a customer as not cr...

By Jim Leman • July 1, 2006

Try Testing Your F&I Compliance Knowledge

Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Complying with auto financing regulations at dealerships starts with vehicle salespersons, not finance and insurance staffers. So says Bruce...

By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2006

Airbag Safety Everyone’s Concern

The growing number of airbags in vehicles is making the work of emergency personnel much more difficult.

By Barbara McClellan • June 14, 2006

How Many Dealers Comply?

Hazard a guess at how many dealerships fully comply with finance and insurance rules and regulations: (A) 33% (B) 76% (C) 4% (D) 15% According to F&I experts, the answer is 15%. They admit it's an educated guess. In fact, it even may be closer to 10%. And the sad part here is that at least 50% of dealers think they're doing it right, says Terry Dortch of Automotive Compliance Consultants. Considering

By Jim Leman • June 1, 2006

Polycarbonate Stalled?

A major project announced in March 2005 to replace automotive glass with lightweight polycarbonate glazing has not yet gelled. Cadence Innovations, the successor to the former bankrupt supplier Venture Industries, has planned a $30 million investment over the next six years in Czech Republic to produce polycarbonate glazing coated with a scratch-resistant layer. However, the company has not yet decided

By William Diem • June 1, 2006

Where Did All Of Those Bad Drivers Come From?

An automotive forecaster predicts a greater emphasis on vehicle safety to address an expected increase in the number of bad drivers in the U.S. Those sub-par motorists of the future would come from opposite ends of the population spectrum: young people with little driving experience and older motorists whose driving skills are waning, says Sean McAlinden of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann

By Steve Finlay • Feb. 1, 2006

Mind Those HR Matters

The dealership world has become burdened with government regulations affecting every part of the operation. One often overlooked is the human resources department. Dealerships not large enough for a separate HR department and director typically add that responsibility to an already overloaded controller or office manager. At what point do you need a separate department or position? There is no clear-cut

By John Davis • Feb. 1, 2006

Dealers Learn Online How to Ship Hazardous Material

A new online training program will instruct dealership employees how properly ship hazardous materials. The training starts in late 2005. Two years in the making, it is a joint effort involving the Automotive Industry Action Group and the North American Automotive HazMat Action Committee, which includes regulatory compliance specialists from major auto makers. We have resolved to move forward with

Sept. 1, 2005

FACTS’ Unsettling Facts

I had the discomfort of listening to a presentation by Paul Metry and Smitha Koppuzha of the National Automobile Dealers Assn.'s regulatory affairs division during a conference sponsored by my firm, Dixon Hughes. It's not that their presentation was poor. To the contrary. They were right on target. They outlined for us not only the legal responsibility that dealerships have concerning federal regulations

By Don Ray • Jan. 1, 2005

Case of Hungry Lawyers

The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this month in the case of Stewart Toyota of North Palm Bay, FL vs. Raymond Ingalsbe and Kent Brown. If the court rules against the dealership, dealers may no longer have the right to settle legal disputes with their customers out of court and without lawyers present. The lawsuit likely will reinforce the perception among car dealers that trial lawyers

By Cliff Banks • Nov. 1, 2004

ABCs of F&I Compliance

Most dealers I've met know a heck of a lot about selling cars, but not much about things such as Regulation Z, M or B. If you don't know what these regulations are, this proves my point. Dealers do know that first and foremost they must keep the metal rolling off the lot in order to survive. But, amidst a counter-business culture comprised of plaintiff lawyers and relentless state attorneys general,

By ROB COHEN • Nov. 1, 2004

Debt Cancellation Policy Replacing Credit Life

A debt cancellation contract that replaces the traditional credit life or health insurance policy has been introduced to the F&I market by Central States of Omaha. Advantages of the Secure Pay Plus contract, says the provider's spokesman, Greg DuPlessis, include no-commission caps applicable as required by several states, and no state license is needed since debt cancellation is not considered an

Nov. 1, 2004