Not so long ago, saying the name of any of the top car brands — Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Honda, etc — conjured up very distinct associated images and preconceptions, especially when compared to the smaller and newer brands on the market. But it looks like that line between champs and challengers is blurring as consumers re-think what they prize in an automobile. More »
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is shutting the books on its recent safety investigation into Chevrolet Volt battery packs when a few erupted into flames after crash tests. The verdict: Chevy Volts are just as likely to explode as any other cars. More »
Last year, OnStar used its platform at the Consumer Electronics Show to announce that it was finally going to make its service available for installation in vehicles that were not made by General Motors. This year, the company showed it wants to branch out from its established position in the crash-response/locked-out-of-my-car industry by announcing a partnership with Verizon Wireless that could be bringing all sorts of other content to your car via 4G LTE. More »
You know those battery fires that could spark up if a Chevrolet Volt crashes, the ones the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are very seriously investigating? Don't worry about it —Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the electric cars are safe to drive. More »
Do you own a Chevrolet Volt? If so, your battery might be in danger of catching fire. Instead of taking that risk, maybe you should accept General Motors' offer of a free loaner car while they check out that whole safety issue thing. More »
As mass-produced plug-in electric vehicles continue to roll off assembly lines, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is taking a closer look at the batteries that power these cars following an incident in which a Chevy Volt caught fire three weeks after undergoing a NHTSA side-impact crash test. More »
Hey buddy, can you spare, a spare? That's what some stranded motorists find themselves asking AAA when they pull over and discover that the spare tire, once standard, has become optional. More »
In an effort to protect folks in the front seat during side impact crashes, General Motors announced earlier today that it plans to introduce the industry's first front-center air bag in three of its vehicles starting with model year 2013. More »
Less than a week after it was revealed that OnStar was going to change its Terms and Conditions statement to allow the service to keep tracking customers' vehicles even after they cancel their subscription, the company has bowed to the massive negative reaction and decided to, uh, not do that. More »
Last week, OnStar raised some eyebrows when they emailed their customers to say that the company will tracking their car even after they canceled service. They then followed up with an emailed statement to the press to let everyone know they're not bad guys. More »
OnStar sent around an email to users this week letting them know they'll be keeping close tabs on their cars, even if they cancel the service. The navigation-and-emergency service will keep tracking your car, and the company is reserving the right to anonymously resell the collected data to third parties. More »
In 2009, America's General Motors unloaded Swedish-founded Saab on Netherlands-based specialty car maker Spyker Motors. We haven't heard many complaints about the new ownership until now, when Russ wrote in to complain that his car is now undriveable because his Saab dealer is out of key blanks. Worse: Saab is also out of key blanks. More »
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (AKA the people who have all the fun smashing cars into walls without getting ticketed) has released its annual report on which vehicles are the most- and least-frequently boosted by car thieves. And once again the top 10 list is dominated by big pickups and that rolling cliche of new money, the Cadillac Escalade. More »
It isn't even 2012 yet but General Motors is already recalling nearly 12,000 model year 2012 Chevrolet Impalas and more than 4,000 new Buick Lacrosse cars, each for different reasons. More »
In an attempt to rid U.S. consumers of the idea that domestic car dealerships are dreary, antiquated places with only a pot of burnt coffee to keep you awake while you wait in uncomfortable chairs, a growing number of car sellers are sprucing up their showrooms to keep potential buyers from running across the street to the cooler looking import lot. More »
To try to lure customers back into the dealership, GM is trying out a novel idea. They're giving new car buyers a free year of car insurance with their purchase. More »
More than 47,000 2011 Cadillac SRX cross-over vehicles are being recalled, according to General Motors and the U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The problem: Passenger-side side airbags might not deploy during a collision. More »
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson believes in educating the consumer. That's why, rather than GM being compelled by Washington to make more fuel efficient cars that might cost us more to purchase, he thinks the drivers of America need to learn a lesson in frugality by being forced to pay more money at the pump. More »
Even if you've never had to change a tire, chances are your car has a spare sitting there waiting patiently for a random roadside emergency. Chevrolet aims to change that with its Cruze Eco, which drops the spare tire in favor of an inflator kit with sealant that General Motors says can plug holes up to a quarter inch in diameter. More »
When gas hit $4 a gallon in 2008, Detroit's Big Three auto makers took it on the chin as American demand for big, fuel-thirsty SUVs and trucks suddenly disappeared. But even with gas prices again hovering north of $4, American car companies are whistling a much happier tune—all the way to the bank. More »
General Motors announced three recalls affecting several 2011 model year vehicles, including its popular Chevrolet Cruze sedan—recently recalled for steering wheel concerns. More »
Given the price of gas these days, it really helps to have an accurate fuel gauge on your vehicle. It certainly doesn't help to have a gauge that gives inaccurate or completely random readings. But enough GM drivers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about this problem for the agency to open an investigation. More »
A cocktail of advertising, performance, customer service and social prominence leads to the elusive concept of brand loyalty. Judging from an R.L. Polk study of 5.2 million new vehicle-buying households, Ford has nailed the formula more effectively than its competitors recently, because the company has surpassed GM for the top spot it previously held. More »
Our test-happy kin at Consumer Reports have released their annual auto issue, which means it's time for the magazine's list of its top picks in 10 categories. More »
Even though the 2011 Chevy Volt insisted it was an honor to just be nominated, you could just tell she had her eye on that shiny North American International Auto Show car of the year trophy. She had her acceptance speech ready in advance, kept shooting the evil eye at Nissans and Hyundais, and besides — could you believe that gown she wore? More »
General Motors has finally realized that its hands-free OnStar communications system might work better as a retail item than simply as a way to entice customers to purchase GM vehicles. At a press conference on Tuesday night, the company announced it has partnered with Best Buy to sell an after-market version that can be installed in non-GM cars and trucks. More »
Behind every buzzworthy headline of the past year has been someone in charge, someone to blame, or just someone to laugh at and talk about. From the debacle of Toyota's millions of recalled automobiles, to a fed-up flight attendant with a flair for drama, we've become familiar with a few new faces in 2010, for better or for worse. More »
General Motors Co. Chief Executive Daniel Akerson says he'd like a little more leeway on executive compensation from the Obama administration because the company is having trouble attracting quality executives. More »
Something a little more important than the newest Chevy went on sale at GM today — new shares of the company hit the market at $35 this morning and appeared by lunchtime to be doing a healthy business. And while today's IPO will likely put a sizable dent in the company's debt, CEO Dan Akerson isn't as eager as his predecessor to make promises that future stock sales will guarantee taxpayers are repaid in full. More »
As the latest step in its post-bailout image overhaul, General Motors announced yesterday that the car maker will be phasing out its GM Goodwrench auto service in favor of brand-specific "Certified Service" centers. More »
If you were hoping to spend millions advertising your business during the Super Bowl (which will certainly be a face-off of the ages between the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills), you are out of luck. According to Fox, they've already sold out all the available ad slots for the Feb. 6, 2011 event. More »
Our gear-head bros at Consumer Reports have published the results of their Annual Auto Survey and there's good news for General Motors, whose numbers showed considerable improvement. Still, no U.S.-based car makers were able to beat out either Honda or Toyota for reliability. More »
With the help of heaps of state tax credits, Michigan's Big 3 car makers — Ford, GM and Chrysler — will be adding over 2,200 jobs and $2 billion to that state's economy over the next few years. More »
A new study by an insurance industry analytics service reveals the vehicles with the highest and lowest percentages of traffic violations. Of the top 10 automobiles with the most violations, three of them were made by Mercedes-Benz. On the opposite end of the scale, 6 of the 10 least ticketed cars were GM models. More »
Before you go crashing your Chevy Impala into something, you should know that the seat belts might not hold up to the impact; GM announced earlier today that it is recalling 322,409 2009-2010 Impalas because some front seat belt webbings may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor pretensioner mounted to the side of the seat nearest the door. More »
Because there is nothing more important for GM to improve with their vehicles, the car company has begun testing a functionality that would allow Facebook-addicted drivers to tell everyone "I can't believe Prince Poppycock made it through to the finals on America's Got Talent!!!" without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. More »
Ken is facing a $13,000 repair bill on his 2007 Chevy 2500 diesel truck, because the full factory warranty the dealership assured him it had was voided by GM. The reason: GM says at some point in the past, someone put a chip in the truck that doesn't match the info GM has, so they don't have to service it. The problem for Ken is that the dealership didn't check for this chip before it sold the truck to Ken, and Ken didn't know about this loophole when he bought it. In fact, he says he bought it about a year and a half before GM implemented this rule. More »
Earlier today, General Motors announced the good news that it turned a profit of $1.3 billion last quarter — oh, and CEO Ed Whitacre will be leaving at the end of the month. More »
After months of speculation about what price General Motors would slap on its first electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt, we finally have an answer, and it's an expensive one. The Chevy — oops, we mean Chevrolet — vehicle will debut with a price tag of $41,000. More »
GM has agreed to buy subprime auto lender AmeriCredit Corp for $3.5 billion, bringing the auto company back into the lending game. GM, of course, used to own GMAC, now separate and known as Ally bank. GMAC was created to supply the financing for GM cars, but also got into subprime mortgage lending through its Residential Capital unit — and, well, you know how that turned out. More »
At first I thought it was a horror movie trailer coming out of the dashboard radio. There is a wall of droning sound, then an intense voice overlays with, "Listen. Hear that? That's the sound of the status quo crumbling." I wondered what new machete-wielding maniac would be gracing the theaters this summer, until I realized that his name was Chevy Volt. What? That's your electric car ad? Why does it sound so much like the trailer for the 1983 cult classic Christine in which an otherworldly-possessed car goes on a murderous rampage? More »
Apparently, when General Motors isn't busy destroying documents, they're apparently not taking the time to improve their vehicles. Instead, they're fretting over whether people refer to their most popular brand as "Chevrolet" or "Chevy." More »
Though General Motors has made a big deal about allegedly paying back their bailout loan to the federal government, the fact is that most of the bailout money was turned into equity, which means the government — and ultimately the taxpayers — are the majority shareholder in the car maker. That's why some members of Congress are a little upset about GM's continued practice of destroying important documents. More »
1.5 million GM vehicles are equipped with a heated windshield fluid system that was previously recalled due to fires— but that apparently is still smoking even after being fixed. The Detroit Free Press says that GM kept monitoring the part in question — the so-called HotShot system made by supplier Micro-Heat. After the first recall, GM withheld payments to cover its costs, which forced the company to liquidate. Now that the supplier is out of business and the product is still a potential fire hazard, GM is offering to remove the system and compensate owners with $100. More »
GM announced today that it made $865 million in the first quarter, its first profit since 2007. Revenue was up 40%, and the NYT says that GM is on track to being a public company again as soon as the 4th quarter. More »
If you pay attention to all the various automobile ads on TV, you'd probably notice that just about every make and model of vehicle has won some sort of award from some magazine, or that its been "rated highest in its class" by any number of organizations. But what many people don't know is that these awards and thumbs-up ratings almost always cost the car companies a pretty penny. More »
Unless you don't have a TV, you've probably seen the new ads for General Motors where GM CEO Ed Whitacre touts the amazing rebound of the car manufacturer, and how they repaid their "government loan in full, with interest, five years ahead of the original schedule." Yeah, well that might not be exactly true. More »
NHTSA, fresh off its $16 million smackdown on Toyota is now investigating the company that booted Toyota from Consumerist's Worst Company In America tournament — General Motor — for possible brake failure issues in millions of the company's trucks and SUVs. More »
Since General Motors declared bankruptcy last July — and received over $50 billion in federal aid to stay afloat — the company has really managed to turn things around, only losing $4.3 billion in the months since. And some people wondered how GM beat out Toyota in their Worst Company In America match-up. More »
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like a done deal that General Motors would be putting their Hummer brand out of its misery. But a group of Hummer fans (because who doesn't love an occasional Hummer?) is going to make a final stand for their favorite vehicles at a summit in Chicago this weekend. More »
Perhaps in a move to not win Consumerist's Worst Company In America title, General Motors announced today that they plan on installing brake override software in all GM cars with automatic transmissions and electronic throttle control worldwide by 2012. More »
Naader says his 2002 Buick Regal was totaled when his engine caught fire in February. He discovered afterward that GM had put out an engine fire safety recall for his vehicle back in 2008, but he had never gotten word of the move. Now Naader says GM is stonewalling him on the compensation front. More »
A bailed-out, bankrupt car company VS one dealing with its first major crisis. The two companies have a long history together... in fact up until recently, they operated a plant in California. Both are unpopular right now... but which one is worse? More »
Kenneth Feinberg, better known as the Obama administration's pay czar, announced yesterday that he'd cut salaries on top executives at 5 companies that are still using bailout cash. More »
In the April issue of Consumer Reports, they announce their top picks for vehicles in 10 separate categories, from Family Sedan to Green Car to Pickup Truck to Best Car Overall. This year, that title belongs to the Lexus LS 460L. More »
In a move to remove some of the taint of bankruptcy and bailout, luxury car maker Cadillac is taking steps to distance itself in the public eye from its parent company, General Motors. More »
As if the poor fellas at Toyota didn't have enough on their hands with this massive recall, hearings in Washington and cars that just won't get fixed. Now the car company is giving away $250 million to workers at a soon-to-close plant in California. More »
Toyota might be getting a pity party at home in Japan for the skewering the car company is receiving over their recall of 8 million vehicles, so this latest report will probably turn them into saints. A new look at almost 13,000 speed-related complaints over the last decade shows that Toyota led the pack in with the most complaints involving a crash. More »
GM has announced that it is recalling 1.2 million vehicles to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury. More »
No matter how much heat Joseph buts on GE to fix his oven, he can't get things cooking. Despite dumping big money into repairs, he isn't sure whether or not he should continue the latest bungled fix-up process or just buy a new oven. More »
While the Congress frets about the millions of Toyotas on the road that probably shouldn't be, our grease-monkey brothers at Consumer Reports were busy getting domestic. They just released the list of their Top Picks for vehicles put out by American car companies. More »
Auto decal makers and window-tinters of the world are in mourning this afternoon, following an announcement from General Motors that — after several months of trying to unload their Hummer brand of gas-guzzlers on the Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Company — they're stopping production of the controversial phallic stand-ins. More »
Amid the Toyota recall hubbub, a little, tiny — though related — GM recall of the Pontiac Vibe went largely unnoticed, unless you happen to own a Vibe, like Mitch. More »
Ed Whitacre, new CEO of General Motors, will receive a $1.7 million salary and $9 million total compensation package. That's about twice what his predecessor Fritz Henderson received. Don't cry for Henderson, though—he's making almost $3,000 per hour consulting for GM for twenty hours a month. More »
If you've been having flashbacks to the fall of 2007 while watching the Olympics on NBC this week, you might want to blame Chevy, who decided to dust off their love-it-or-hate-it "Our Country" ad campaign for the winter games in Vancouver. More »
The Treasury Department now owns 61% of GM, but apparently the new owners are being stingy. The Detroit News says GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Friday that the top 25 senior executives (whose pay packages are being reviewed by the Treasury) are "way, way, way" underpaid. More »
Motors Liquidation Co., a company that exists solely to liquidate worthless assets of the old General Motors, has become the latest plaything of penny stock speculators and other market players, jumping about 40% since the beginning of the year, to 77 cents. Yes, this is going to end very badly for someone. More »
The pay czar has spoken. Late yesterday, the Treasury Department's pay czar, Kenneth Feinberg, ruled on whether executives of bailed-out companies can receive higher salaries than the $500,000 limit. Rulings included exemptions for General Motors, GMAC, and Chrysler. Citigroup has repaid enough of its bailout funds that it will be exempt from pay caps in 2010. [Marketwatch]
Saab may not die after all! Spyker Cars made another offer yesterday, along with a proposal addressing the concerns that led GM to turn down their initial offer. More »
The final attempt to sell money-losing-jet-car-maker Saab has failed, says GM. The brand will be discontinued, which makes the country of Sweden really sad. More »
Finally, the truth is revealed: this is clearly where the bailout money went. Below, watch a Chevy Volt promotion song-and-dance-spectacular performed earlier this month at the LA Auto Show. More »
After acquisition talks between Swedish company Konigsegg and General Motors fell apart, Saab is without a home. This makes the third division of GM that the company has failed to divest itself of, after Saturn and Germany's Opel. Saab may be shut down, like Saturn—or kept, like Opel. More »
—>The huge salaries and bonuses paid to executives of banks and other firms that received government bailout funds have been the subject of a lot of taxpayer rage. The Obama administration listened, and will order pay cuts. More »
—>The Washington Post notes that although Saturn dealerships have until this time next year to close, many will be saying goodbye sooner due to low inventory, and that's partly why now is a good time to buy a Saturn. That is, if you don't plan on reselling it in a couple of years. More »
—>Saturn will not have a new life as part of Penske, the company that, among other things, distributes Smart cars in the U.S. Talks between Penske and GM fell apart today, and so did any chance for a deal. More »
—>GM's new 60-day money back guarantee (good through November 30th, 2009) on new car purchases sounds pretty straightforward—if you don't want the car for any reason (it doesn't have to be a good reason), you can bring it back. But it has a few rules that you should be aware of before your purchase, notes the Associated Press. More »
—>Paul Smith, who lives in San Diego and has a credit score of 751, had his HSBC credit card limit lowered from $7,000 to $1,400 recently for mysterious reasons. He called HSBC to find out why. More »
—>A new report by the Congressional Oversight Panel — an independent, yet totally powerless, group appointed by the Senate to review the results of the recent government bailouts — states that we'll get a few bucks back from the automakers, but shouldn't count on it to cover our car payments: More »
GM is planning massive layoffs. Shockingly, just asking people to quit for money didn't work. A job in this economy is apparently worth more than cash payments of $20,000 to $115,000 and $25,000 toward a new-vehicle purchase. [NYT] More »
—>The Pontiac G8, from what we can tell, is considered the only Pontiac worth saving — and so it has been saved. It'll now be known as the Chevrolet Caprice, according to USAToday. More »
—>General Motors is considering a partnership with eBay to make it easier for consumers to impulse-buy new vehicles, the recently solvent car maker announced yesterday. Though the deal isn't yet finalized, General Motors would like to sell their vehicles both through traditional auctions and with a "Buy It Now" option. More »
—>Cupcakes all around! GovernmentGeneral Motors emerged from bankruptcy today, and the shiny new version of GM is now leaner, in charge, and ready to manufacture cars that people actually want to buy. Maybe. More »
—>Up until its recent plunge into bankruptcy, GM had been our nation's second-largest advertiser — behind only Procter & Gamble. The company spent $2 billion dollars annually for the past few years — and though they've recently cut back and fallen into third place behind Verizon, the company apparently plans to continue to spend their pre-bankruptcy budget of $40-50 million a month on ads. More »
—>With the future uncertain, or at the very least, pretty different from normal, for Chrysler and GM, does it make sense to buy a car from one of these companies? How doe s the restructuring affect you as a potential new car owner? Consumer Reports Online Auto Crisis Center has the answers to six questions every Chrysler and GM car owner will want to know before signing on the line which is dotted. More »
—>Good news for Saturn-lovers, the brand is close to being saved by Roger Penske, a Detroit businessman who runs the Penske Automotive Group (PAG) chain of dealers, and distributes the Smart line of mini-cars in the US. The Detroit Free Press says that the deal will have GM manufacturing Saturns for two years, after which Penske will be looking for a new manufacturer. More »
—>Now that Chrysler and GM are getting remixed, what does this mean for me? Consumer Reports Online Auto Crisis Center has the answers to five questions every Chrysler and GM car owner will want to know as the two car companies move their restructuring. More »
—>Do you own a GM car (or subsidiary, such as Hummer or Saturn) and are worried about who will perform warranty service? The super-awesome car department over at Consumer Reports checked into this, and learned that the service department of any GM dealership can perform warranty service on your car. They just might not realize that, or might not choose to service Saturns or Hummers. More »
—>GM is bankrupt so now the hindsighted punditing can kick into overdrive, hence Jalopnik's gallery of the 10 vehicles that bankrupted General Motors. I always liked the GMC Envoy XUV, pictured, because beneath its pricey and puzzling retractable rear roof each one came with a free set of antique cabinets. More »
So, General Motors is bankrupt, and the "GM" brand now essentially stands for "Government Motors," since the restructured company will largely be owned by the U.S. and Canadian governments. But what you really want to know is whether you should consider buying one of those cars your tax dollars are building. Consumer Reports has an FAQ on the subject, along with this quick video from the company's head of auto testing. Tweetable version: There are great deals, but get a decent car. CR likes the Malibu and CTS. Be prepared for inconveniences, like local dealers closing shop. More »
—>As GM's bankruptcy looms, let's take a look at what might be in store for its network of dealerships. Chrysler dealers are understandably angry at the company's shutting down of dealerships, refusal to take back unsold inventory, and general inability to, in the words of Jon Stewart, "be a f@#king person." Or ethically behaving corporate entity, whatevs. More »
—>After failing to get its debt-for-stock offer approved last week, and missing the June 1st deadline for concessions from creditors and its union, GM will file for bankruptcy later today. Reuters notes that its filing will be the third-largest in U.S. history, after Lehman Bros and Washington Mutual, and the largest ever in manufacturing. More »
—>Let's say the U.S. has poured billions of dollars into a failing company. How strongly should it try to protect that money once the company files for bankruptcy? The Washington Post is reporting that the plan for GM—which may go belly up as early as Monday—is for federal officials to select 5 or 6 of the company's new board members, and have a say over which 6 of the existing board will remain. The UAW gets to choose another, and Canada might possibly be given one slot to fill. The rest of us will probably just get t-shirts or a souvenir mug. More »
—>GM's debt-for-stock offer to its bondholders expires tonight. The company needs 90% of the bondholders to agree but has a fraction of that, notes CNN, which almost assures a bankruptcy filing in the coming days. We say "almost" because it's possible the Treasury Department will extend talks with bondholders until June 1st, when GM's other deadlines hit. More »
—>In case you don't watch "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" as obsessively as I do, here's a segment from earlier this week that is relevant to Consumerist readers' interests. In it, they provide an overview of news coverage of the closing of GM and Chrysler dealerships, and implore the companies to "be a f@#king person!" More »
—>To add insult to injury, Chrysler and GM will NOT be buying back vehicle inventory from dealerships that recently received closing notices. Maybe we have two new candidates for Worst Company in America next year! On the other hand, maybe this is good news for consumers. Large inventories + need for quick cash = SALE! More »
Sorry, Canada. GM is shutting down 42% of their dealerships north of the border. [Bloomberg] More »
—>The automotive bloodbath continues today as GM plans to eliminate up to 1,200 dealerships. The dealers could start getting notification as soon as Friday. More »
—>The New York Times DealBlog liveblogged the GM conference call. We're glad they did, because just reading their recap is depressing enough for us. More »
Hey, GM just lost $6 B and barely has enough cash to operate. [CNN] More »
—>Now here is a match-up! One company is trying to avoid bankruptcy in a tough recession, the other struggles with customer service. Which one makes your blood boil? More »
—>GM released a new plan to avoid bankruptcy today, and the cuts are deep. The U.S. Treasury would own at least 50% of the company and the failing Pontiac brand would be completely eliminated. More »
—>General Motors is projected to default on its next bond payment—the last before the June 1st government-imposed restructuring deadline. Next freeway exit: bankruptcy. More »
—>Sorry to disappoint all of you who think that the two-person Segway is the most innovative thing GM has produced in its long history — it seems that the company's most important new idea was consumer credit. More specifically, convincing a nation of thrifty debt-averse tightwads that taking on debt was socially acceptable. Yes, it's true. We weren't always a bunch of debt junkies. More »
—> How would you like to ride down Second Avenue in this? And where would you park it once you got to work? The P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project), recently unveiled by General Motors and Segway, can go 35 miles on one battery charge, seats two, and reaches speeds of 35mph. Whee! More »
—>Now that a bunch of people have a finger in the "If you lose your job, we'll help you out with payments" punch bowl, which is the best deal? Hyundai, Ford or GM? Jalopnik broke it down and says the original is the best, giving the award to Hyundai Assurance Plus. "Hyundai is the only one offering negative equity coverage with real teeth and payment assistance," they wrote. Caveats apply depending on your situation. and, "in the end, if you are fairly certain you're going to be losing your job soon you shouldn't buy a new car." More »
—>Not to be outdone by Hyundai, if you buy a Ford and lose your job, the car-maker announced they'll make your payments for up to a year, up to $700 per month. President Mark Fields released a video about the "Ford Advantage Plan" on YouTube. Take a shot every time he says "confidence." GM is supposed to announce their own version this morning, says Kicking Tires. UPDATE: And here it is. More »
—>In accordance with the March 31st deadline for evaluating the restructuring plans of the bailed out automakers, President Obama is expected to address the nation today to present his administration's findings — and the news isn't too sunny for the automakers. More »
—>With two weeks to go before the government deadline to approve GM's restructuring plan, the AP says that GM's CEO Rick "The Station" Wagoner told the press that if GM is allowed to go into bankruptcy, it will simply be liquidated. More »
—>Reader James forwarded us a sad email he got from Saturn, in which they admit that GM is probably going to give them the ax. In it, they emphasize that their warranties feature the "industry's best overall coverage" and that no matter what "GM will support the continued availability of Saturn parts and service as needed." More »
—>I watched the Who Killed The Electric Car documentary last night and was thunderstruck by the "ad" that GM made when California made them make electric cars against their will. If you want to sell a car, you put a hot person in it and shoot them skidding at high speeds across desert plains. This was like trailer for a sequel to The Ring. More »
—>At what point is an auto manufacturer freed from all responsibility for the car it makes and sells? Griffin says it's almost certain that the incorrect body control module (BCM) was inserted at the factory, and that GM's mistake cost him $459 to fix. GM says the former owner (Griffin's friend) must have swapped out BCMs and therefore it's "out of our control," but Griffin argues that's pretty much impossible. More »
—>Not that you necessarily need convincing that GM is doomed no matter how much cash is thrown at it, but here's a cool graphic that shows all of the auto company's problems as piles of shipping containers. The designer points out that "many aspects of this graphic can apply to the rest of the Big Three but I focused on GM since they are in the most dire position." More »
—>One of the conditions of the auto bailout is the elimination of private corporate jets. Guess they probably shouldn't have flown them to Washington to ask for a tax payer bailout. Whoopsie! More »
—>President Bush has approved a $17.4 billion auto bailout, with $13.4 billion in emergency loans to prevent the collapse of GM and Chrysler and another $4 billion to be handed out in February. More »
—>GM announced a deal with 1,200 credit unions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio to make $10 billion in low-interest car loans available to shoppers. More »
—>General Motors took out an advertisement apologizing for "disappointing" consumers on Monday, asking your forgiveness for years of incompetance. Do you forgive them? More »
—>CBSNews is reporting that while, at this very moment, the big three auto bosses are testifying in front of the House Financial Services Committee (watch this now at CSPAN, if you like.) about how they need emergency bridge loans in order to continue functioning — they still apparently have enough money to continue to spend millions lobbying our government. More »
—>A majority, 61% of Americans are not in favor of bailing out the auto industry, says CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll. Ford, Chrysler and GM have requested up to $34 billion dollars in emergency loans, but a majority of Americans polled thought that bailing out the automakers wouldn't help the economy. More »
—>GM desperately wants an invite to the bailout party — and has submitted a request for $12 billion dollars. In return, GM will attempt to return to profitability by "explor[ing] alternatives for the Saturn brand," as well as cutting "product offerings" at Pontiac. More »
—>The CEOs of Ford, GM, and Chrysler have all agreed to take only a $1 salary if the government will pretty pretty pretty please with killed-electric-car-on-top bail them the out. [CNNMoney] (Thanks to DjDynasty!) (Photo: Nrbelex) More »
—>ABCNews says that the big three auto CEOs "flew to the nation's capital yesterday in private luxurious jets to make their case to Washington that the auto industry is running out of cash and needs $25 billion in taxpayer money to avoid bankruptcy." More »
—>Hey, here's a new and exciting deal. Buy a car; get 100 shares of GM stock. "Join us in jump starting America," says the sales pitch. Unfortunately, GM's shares are trading at 66 year low today as a bailout looks doubtful. More »
—>Consumerist reader Darkrose writes, "I just got this in my e-mail. Thought you guys might be interested in it." In the email, GM's president Troy Clarke is in high PR mode, pointing out the grave consequences and emphasizing that GM wants not "a bailout but rather a loan that will be repaid." We thought other readers who aren't GM customers would find it interesting. More »
—>GM is running out of money and may not have enough cash to continue running its business. They've burned through $6.8 billion in the last quarter and will exhaust their reserves by the end of 2008 without government intervention or a significant increase in auto sales. Which sounds more likely to you? More »
—>After the failure of the nation's largest Chevy dealerships brought the plight of the car dealer to everyone's attention, the bleeding hasn't stopped. The California New Car Dealers Association says dozens of dealerships in CA have also closed. More »
—>What do you do when your industry starts to go belly up and you can't make enough revenue to stay afloat? If you're a short-sighted U.S. auto maker, you beg the government for $25-50 billion in immediate, low-interest loans in order to retool your plants, so you can start producing the hybrid cars you should have been planning years ago. More »
—>The Wall Street Journal's "Deal Journal" blog says that the owner of the car dealership that serves as the backdrop to A&E's "King of Cars" will close his Hummer dealership and begin selling "Smart Cars."More »
—>Can your late-model GM vehicle melt snow and ice with a blast of heated windshield wiper fluid? It might be one of 944,000 vehicles with a faulty heating system that can cause odors, smoke, or even a surprise car fire. More »
—>Consumerist reader Chris decided to take advantage of GM's please-buy-a-car Employee Discount sale that we wrote about yesterday, so he headed off to two different dealerships in the NY/NJ area. What he found were deserted showrooms with salesmen who ignored him or argued with him over the existence of specific models he'd looked at online. He adds, "tonight I’m off to Toyota for some hard numbers on a Corolla and Camry." More »
—>GM is desperate to boost its sales this month, so the company is offering some steep discounts under its "Employee Pricing" sale. The car blog KickingTires is covering the discounts and points out that "almost all of the prices are around 10% off, which is big in terms of car sales." For example, you can save $9,000 on a Hummer H3. Of course, you'll spend that much on gas for it in the first week, but there are other options as well, like Saturns, Chevys, and even the 2008 Corvette Z06 (which we mention separately because KickingTires says powerful sports cars are usually exempt from this sort of sale, but not this time). More »
—>People who drive fewer than 15,000 miles per year can save 13-54% on their GMAC insurance premiums under a GMAC Insurance's new Low-Mileage Discount. All you have to do is opt-in to let OnStar monitor your mileage. The average annual vehicle mileage is about 12,000 miles, according to the Department of Energy's Annual Energy Review '06, so it looks like most people with GMAC insurance and OnStar could save under OnStar’s Low-Mileage Discount Program. With the need to save every dollar on your car, this could be a good program for eligible drivers to check out by calling 1-800-GMAC-123 or going to gmacinsurance.com. More »
Anyone got $15 billion laying around? Merrill Lynch says GM needs it. Bad. [Reuters] More »
In an effort to spur sales, General Motors is offering no-interest, six-year loans on new vehicle purchases through June 30th. Unfortunately, only the slow-selling models (i.e., not very fuel efficient) are included in the sale. Oh, also they're raising prices on 2009 models. [New York Times] More »
Gas prices are changing consumer behavior says G.M., forcing the manufacturer to slash production and close 4 plants as they make the shift toward more fuel efficient vehicles. They also announced that they may sell the "Hummer" brand. More »
—>Researchers have figured out a way to hack remote keyless car entry devices. The threat to the consumer is minimal, it takes several hours to crack the code, but it does give one pause, especially considering that if the Keeloq's manufacturer added a few simple measures they could render the exploit nearly useless. More »
—> This week, GM announced it plans to begin testing its plug-in, rechargeable car, the Chevrolet Volt, in the spring of next year. Says GM bigwig Bob Lutz, "We'll have some on the road for testing next spring, and we should have the Volt in production by the end of 2010." The secret ingredient to the Volt's claim of 40-miles-per-charge is its "next-generation" lithium-ion battery, which is designed to last for 10 years, and which Lutz says will be ready by this October. Can we get one for our laptops? More »
—>The Consumerist is interested in hearing from car salespeople and customer service representatives in the automotive field. We're looking for tips related to buying a new or used car. If you are or once were a car salesperson or worked in a car dealership and would like to confess, write to us at tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. More »
—>GM sold cars to Hitler, enjoyed it, then tried to cover it up, contends the investigative report, "Hitler's Carmaker" by Edwin Black. Much of the piece describes the relations between James D. Mooney, head of GM's overseas operations, and Adolph Hitler. More »
—>You might remember last month's Wal-Mart blogging scandal, in which it came to light that Wal-Mart was feeding information to bloggers. Many bloggers were posting the propaganda wholesale without attributing the (obviously) subjective source. Slimy MSM toads chortled as a chink in blogging's armor appeared: why, mainstream media is objective. They'd never betray the precious sanctity of their journalistic integrity, as holy and binding as stone tablets handed down from YHWH. They would never simply ejaculate PR propaganda into our faces wholesale — they were better than that. More »
