AE eMagazine

An Interview with Jim Smith

Chrysler To Start Fixing Takata Air Bags In December

Chrysler Group LLC will start repairs on about 371,000 vehicles equipped with potentially defective Takata Corp. air bag inflators in December, nearly six months after it said it would comply with a request by U.S. safety regulators to make fixes, reported The WSJ. The company, in a letter to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration ... Read More »

U.S. Safety Regulators Probe Honda, Nissan Vehicles for Steering Issues

U.S. safety regulators have opened separate investigations into potential steering issues in an estimated 374,000 Honda Accord sedans and an estimated 17,000 Infiniti EX35 compact crossover vehicles, reported Reuters. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary evaluation into the failure of electric power steering in certain 2013 Accords made by Honda ... Read More »

Old Republic Insured Automotive Services, Inc. Celebrates 40 Years of Business

TULSA, OK – Old Republic Insured Automotive Services, Inc. (ORIAS), a leading provider of aftermarket products to the automotive industry, reaches a milestone as it celebrates its 40th anniversary serving the retail automobile industry. Gary Bishop, ORIAS’ President, says nurturing partnerships, preserving the company’s core values and providing consistent, superior service has shaped the organization’s ... Read More »

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sees Ferrari IPO Mid 2015

The initial public offering of luxury carmaker Ferrari is expected to happen between the second and the third quarter of 2015, the chief executive of parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) said on Tuesday, reported Reuters. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said last month he would spin off Ferrari from the group, sell a 10 percent stake ... Read More »

WeGoLook Rolls Out Online Car-Buying Service

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Mobile inspection company WeGoLook has launched its Digital Dealership Services this month for shoppers purchasing cars through eBay Motors, Autotrader.com, Cars.com, and more. The company specializes in onsite auto inspections nationwide. Agents are dispatched to take photos, video, and verify the seller’s claims on behalf of the buyer to complete a ... Read More »

TFS Hits 1 Million eContracting Milestone

TORRANCE, Calif. — Toyota Financial Services (TFS)recently celebrated its one-millionth econtract. The captive first introduced its electronic contract system in January 2013, enabling Toyota dealers to transmit contract packages electronically. “We saw an opportunity,” said TFS President and CEO Mike Groff. “The benefits of implementing an econtracting program were very clear from the start. With ... Read More »

Sonic Files Suit Against Former Employee for Luring Away Employees

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — Sonic Automotive and Philpott Motors, which the dealer group owns, filed a lawsuit on Sept. 16 against multiple dealerships and a former employee for luring away employees. Kevin McCabe, who attended Sonic’s Leadership Academy Program in 2011 while working for Philpott Motors, left the dealership shortly thereafter and hired at least ... Read More »

Companion Products

Honda Heightens U.S. Response to Problems With Takata Air Bags

Honda Motor Co. said on Thursday that it is expanding its U.S. response to potentially explosive air bags made by Takata Corp. , adding a small number of vehicles in certain hot and humid regions and upgrading its previous action to an official recall, reported The WSJ. Honda’s move comes after rivals Toyota Motor Co. ... Read More »