CarSales

When car buyers take possession of a vehicle before their financing arrangements are complete, they're risking a big money mess if the loan falls through. And some less scrupulous dealers will take advantage. Here's what you need to know to avoid the yo-yo financing trap.

Automakers reported their sales Tuesday. Toyota and Chrysler saw big U.S. sales gains in April, but they came at the expense of General Motors and Ford.

While many think a driver's license is an all-American birthright, young people have been gradually taking a pass on getting behind the wheel. And it's not just high gas prices to blame.

Bad news for GM: The Chevy Volt still isn't selling the way the automaker hoped it would, so it's temporarily halting production of the battery-powered hybrids for five weeks. Worse news for GM: Shutdowns like this only make the Volt a harder sell.

U.S. car sales just hit their highest level in four years, and that's good news for economy watchers. Falling unemployment, more cooperative lenders, and rising consumer confidence all contributed to the boom. So if you're looking to buy, what does this all mean for you?

When a major oil company predicts that the era of gas-powered cars is coming to an end soon, the rest of us might want pay attention. According to BP, you've got maybe 18 years left before your car is obsolete -- and probably a lot less than that.

U.S. auto sales are off to a strong start this year, continuing the brisk pace from late 2011. Chrysler had its best January in four years while Ford got a boost from small cars and SUVs. Volkswagen, which wants to aggressively expand in the U.S., reported much higher sales. One sour note was GM, where sales fell.

America loves cars, but Wall Street analysts don't have much affection for the country's leading auto showroom operator. AutoNation has beaten its targets, is making strong profits, and is poised to grow. So what's wrong with its stock?

GM made $2.2 billion in North America in the third quarter, but it couldn't expand on that number with earnings abroad. Now the bailed out, revamped and much-improved automaker has to find a way to make Europe profitable -- because the Continent is essential to its global operations.

Hyundai and its stablemate Kia have been taking U.S. auto market share gradually for more than two decades. Lately, though, those chunks have gotten bigger. The South Korean car makers' sales are expected to surge almost 25% in September compared to the same month year ago.