Consumerist
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marketing
GM Extends Satisfaction Guarantee Deal After Only 15 People Return Their Cars
You may have seen GM's recent commercials touting their "60-day satisfaction guarantee" on all new vehicles. It seems that the stunt has been successful. Last week GM spokesperson Tom Henderson told the AP that only 15 cars had been returned. Now the company says they are extending the offer to Jan. 4, 2010. More » -
new and exciting products
Magic Auto Additive Makes Your Service Contract Refund Disappear
Auto service companies in St. Louis have found a way to avoid issuing refunds when customers cancel vehicle-protection contracts: by selling warranted vehicle additives in place of service contracts. More » -
advertising
A Guide To The Bull#$@% They Say In Car Commercials
The folks at Bankrate and Yahoo! Finance have put together a guide that translates the silly things that are often said in car commercials. More » -
recalls
Toyota Will Recall 95,700 Vehicles That May Experience Brake Problems At Very Low Temperatures
Toyota has announced that it plans to recall 95,700 2009 and 2010 model year Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and 2008 and 2009 Scion xD vehicles all equipped with 1.8 liter engines. The company is only notifying owners in states "affected" by extremely low temperatures: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. More » -
cash4clunkers
"Cash 4 Clunkers" Will Reach Vanishing Point Sometime In September
If you're planning on taking advantage of the Cash 4 Clunkers program you'd better do it sooner rather than later, says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The program is running out of money and the administration says that in the next two days they will outline a plan to gracefully wind it down. More » -
fuel
Watered-Down Gasoline Damages Cars Near Baltimore
Rain water, not fraud or sabotage, is behind the bad gasoline sold at stations near Baltimore early this week. Hess, the supplier, is covering any damage to customers' cars caused by the diluted fuel. So, how does this happen? More » -
protests
Car Dealership Picketing: American West Coast Edition
Remember the disgruntled Range Rover owner in England who lettered his complaints on the vehicle and parked it in front of the dealership? Reader M.H. discovered his American counterpart standing in front of a Hyundai dealership in Vancouver, Washington. More » -
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fun
Cheap-ish Collectible Cars For The Recession
Just because there's a recession on doesn't mean you can't have a hobby. Well, ok. It might mean that, but let's assume for a second that it doesn't. The NYT asked some collectible car experts to recommend some affordable old cars that, while they may not be considered "an investment," are still lots of fun. More » -
bankruptcy watch
GM Bondholders Say No To Debt-For-Stock Offer
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 » -
Carpocalypse
Ford Factory Dumping SUVs For Small "Green" Cars
Demand for bigass SUVs just isn't what it used to be. Ford says it is spending "550 million to convert a plant, which previously produced trucks and SUVs, into a "green" manufacturing complex building small fuel-efficient and electric cars," says CNN. More » -
chrysler
Chrysler Will Enter Bankruptcy, Partner With Fiat, Warranties Backed By US Government
President Obama announced today that Chrysler would seek bankruptcy protection and enter into an alliance with Fiat. The president told reporters that a "small group of speculators" made up of hedge funds and other investors held out in the hopes that the US government would bail them out. That didn't happen. More » -
auto bailout
GM To Eliminate Pontiac, Give Government 50% Stake
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 » -
car loans
Payment Late? Lenders Can Remotely Disable Your Car
Repossessing cars is so old-fashioned. All that driving, locating people's houses, towing the cars away... with the mess credit markets are currently in, who has time for that? Car lenders don't.
That's why engine shut-off devices, or car disablers, are a hot new trend in car accessories. Less useful than a GPS and way less fun than a DVD player, the devices allow lenders to disable a car's engine remotely when payments are overdue. Yes, it's legal. More »
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auto bailout
The New Car Deals Are Piling Up — But Do You Care?
BusinessWeek did a little math and discovered that if you lined up all the new financing deals, tax incentives and discounts — a new car might actually be cheaper than a late model used one. But do you care? More » -
tax cat
Tax Break: IRS Announces New Car Buyers Can Deduct Sales Tax
The IRS just announced that new car buyers can deduct the state and local sales and excise taxes on their 2009 tax returns next year, according to our furry little tax adviser. More »
auto
New York, 5:16 AM
Mon Nov 9
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