Service

VW to modify late-model diesels in N. America to prevent improper fueling

May 22, 2013 06:01 CET
Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.... Read More »

 

VW to modify late-model diesels to prevent improper fueling

4:36 pm U.S. ET | May 21, 2013
Volkswagen plans to refit more than a quarter million 2009-12 diesel cars to prevent North American customers from mistakenly pumping gasoline into the fuel tanks.... Read More »

 

Automakers, dealers remain opposed to bill preventing rental firms from renting recalled vehicles

6:34 pm U.S. ET | May 21, 2013
Major automakers and auto dealers told a Senate panel Tuesday that they remain opposed to legislation that would prohibit rental car companies from renting or selling vehicles that are subject to a federal safety recall.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Women do well as service advisers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 20, 2013
I wholeheartedly agree with the assessment of Roger Pipher, fixed operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J., about women as service advisers.... Read More »

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Parts plan could hurt customer care

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
I read the article about the tiff between General Motors and its dealers over the new parts program ("GM wants more parts at stores," April 22). My analysis of the program indicates my store will lose $20,000 a year after we add back the new grid payout.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Connecting with service customers

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
Soon after employing his first female service adviser, Roger Pipher had an epiphany: He should hire more women. "I just watched her and the customers start to develop relationships that I never saw with men before," said Pipher, fixed-operations director of Coleman Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Lawrenceville, N.J.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Jaguar F-Type training is hands-on

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 6, 2013
On two high-speed race tracks last month, about 1,300 Jaguar sales and service employees were put behind the wheel of the new F-Type convertible, part of the new way Jaguar Land Rover North America is training dealership personnel.... Read More »

 

Honda recalls almost 46,000 Fits in U.S., Canada

11:04 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Honda is recalling almost 46,000 Fit small cars in the United States and Canada to fix a problem with the electronic stability control system software.... Read More »

 

Nissan recalls 123,308 Altimas for spare tire issue

9:36 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013
Nissan is recalling 123,308 Altima sedans in the United States to adjust the inflation of the spare tires, which could be over- or under-inflated.... Read More »

 

GM wants more parts at stores

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 22, 2013
General Motors is overhauling its parts program, incentivizing dealerships to beef up their inventory for more same-day repairs and to buy more of those parts directly from the factory. But some dealers complain that they are sinking thousands of dollars into extra parts to meet GM's voluntary program.... Read More »

 

Jaguar Land Rover N.A. names Duke Hale to head customer service

4:18 pm U.S. ET | April 9, 2013
Jaguar Land Rover North America has hired Duke Hale as vice president of customer service. Hale will head up warranty, parts operations and owner relations in this newly created post.... Read More »

 

FINANCE & INSURANCE

Service lane focus lifts Lithia's F&I sales

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 8, 2013
New software and a boost in spiffs have made it easy -- and lucrative -- for Lithia Motors Inc.'s service advisers to sell extended service contracts and lifetime oil change plans.... Read More »

 

GM alerts 779,000 owners to need for more-frequent oil changes

10:26 am U.S. ET | April 5, 2013
General Motors is warning owners of almost 800,000 2010-12 vehicles that they may need oil changes more frequently than their onboard oil monitoring systems are telling them.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Lithia tests 2 service dept. apps

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
Lithia Motors Inc. is testing two apps for the service department: one that shows customers if their vehicle needs service and another aimed at streamlining communication with customers.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Hyundai dealers get up to speed on quick lubes

12:01 am U.S. ET | April 1, 2013
More than 80 Hyundai dealerships have signed up for Car Care Express. The program helps dealers adopt best practices for speedy oil changes, vehicle inspections, tire rotation, air-filter replacement and other basic services.... Read More »

 

Tire study: Replacement rate runs higher for run-flats

1:36 pm U.S. ET | March 29, 2013
Run-flat tires are far more likely than conventional tires to need replacement because of a flat or blowout, according to a new study by J.D. Power and Associates.... Read More »

 

Pa. Toyota store must pay crash victims $16 million, jury says

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 23, 2013
A jury has ordered a Toyota dealership in Philadelphia to pay six crash victims $15.7 million for its negligent maintenance and repair of the 2006 Toyota Sienna rental in which they were riding.... Read More »

 

GMC tops volume brands in dealer service satisfaction, Power says

1:15 pm U.S. ET | March 13, 2013
Three General Motors brands, led by GMC, ranked among the top five volume makes for customer satisfaction with the dealership service department, based on an annual J.D. Power and Associates survey released today. Overall, customer satisfaction with dealership service departments is rising as automakers and stores spend more to improve the customer service experience, according to J.D. Power's 2013 U.S. Customer Service Index.... Read More »

 

Service moves up front

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 11, 2013
Bill Underriner is building the dealership of the future. Underriner's new dealership reflects what architects and industry leaders say is a growing trend: dealerships putting the service department in the front of the building, next to the showroom.... Read More »

 

Expert: Dealers should stress service online

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 11, 2013
Dealer Rick Case wants his virtual service department to rival his physical one.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Ford pilot cuts service e-mails

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 4, 2013
Ford Motor Co. and its dealers are on a mission to reduce the number of service bulletins and promotional materials that clutter customers' e-mail boxes.... Read More »

 

FIXED OPERATIONS

Honda helps dealerships find old cars to service

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 4, 2013
American Honda is launching a program this year that will attempt to channel owners of old vehicles to Honda dealerships.... Read More »

 

Chevy offers free maintenance on aging Silverado

1:17 pm U.S. ET | March 1, 2013
General Motors is including scheduled maintenance in the price of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup for sales in March and April, matching a promotion it began last month on the GMC Sierra.... Read More »

 

JAMIE LaREAU

Sell a service contract on a lease? It's all in the pitch

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 27, 2013
For dealers, a lease deal usually means a bum deal on the back end. The sale of a high-profit product such as an extended-service contract is typically off the table.... Read More »

 

Toyota Prius being evaluated by NHTSA for steering-shaft concerns

1:41 pm U.S. ET | Feb. 26, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into whether steering shafts in Toyota Prius models spanning from 2004 through 2009 model years are defective.... Read More »