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.
cars
Range Rover Protests Its Own Existence Outside Dealership
By 6.3.09
Sure, if you’re dissatisfied with your vehicle, you could complain to the company. You could write to Consumerist, or even start your own Web site. Or you could park it in front of the dealership that it came from, with a list of the vehicle’s flaws and a warning to potential buyers plastered on in vinyl letters. A man in Colchester, England did just that.
Who Will Perform Warranty Service On My Pontiac, Saab, Hummer, Saturn….
By 6.3.09
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.
By 6.2.09
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Know your financial obligations: Though you let your car get voluntarily repossessed, you’re still responsible for the unpaid balance on the loan, plus any storage and transportation fees, plus interest charges. [Bankrate]
10 Crappy Cars That Blew Up GM
By 6.1.09
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.
Car Dealerships Feebly Fight Back Against Bankrupt Automakers
By 6.1.09
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.
By 6.1.09
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On Sunday, a judge approved the sale of nearly all of Chrysler’s assets to a group led by Italy-based Fiat. [BBC]
GM Files For Bankruptcy Today
By 6.1.09
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.
By 5.29.09
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GM Counts Down to B-Day Follow along as the CR car blog keeps track of the other implications of the impending GM bankruptcy. [Consumer Reports Cars]
In GM Bankruptcy Plan, Government Will Select New Board Of Directors
By 5.28.09
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.
Customer Drops Off Car At Dealership For Repairs, Gets Tires And Wheels Stolen Instead
By 5.27.09
Before you drop off your car at your local dealership for any sort of repairs, make sure you’re clear on the chain of liability should anything happen to it—especially right now, when dealerships can barely afford those flappy air things, much less tires. A woman in Charlotte, NC was left with around $1,000 in damages when the tires and wheels were stolen from the 2005 Audi she’d left with the dealership over the weekend.
GM Bondholders Say No To Debt-For-Stock Offer
By 5.27.09
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.
Car Ad On Craigslist Has Hidden Paragraph On Hitler
By 5.25.09
Our commenter Zorantor discovered a weird, uh, can you call this an Easter egg?, buried at the bottom of a Craigslist post last night:
Automakers: Forget 35.5 MPG, We'll Just Improve A/C
By 5.22.09
President Obama wants car makers to start making 35.5 MPG cars by 2016. Instead of improving fuel efficiency, automakers could very well just take the cheaper road of making the A/C less wasteful, thanks to what Jalopnik calls “a hummer-sized loophole” in the federal regulations. [Jalopnik] (Photo: Simone Ramella)
Chrysler/GM Car Glut: Savings Opp Or Nightmare?
By 5.21.09
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!
By 5.20.09
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Sorry, Canada. GM is shutting down 42% of their dealerships north of the border. [Bloomberg]
GM To Close Up To 1200 Dealers
By 5.15.09
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.
FTC To Investigate Car Warranty Robocallers
By 5.13.09
You knew it was imminent: after the “your car warranty is about to expire” robocallers pissed off the internet and the government within a matter of days, it was just a question of who would take them down first. Surprisingly, it looks like it’s going to be the government.
