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Detroit Automakers Cutting Back on Summer Factory Shutdowns

Detroit's automakers are largely forgoing traditional two-week summer breaks at their factories and speeding up production to meet buyers' demand for new cars and trucks.

An Annoying Twist for Walmart.com's Clearance Deals

There are nearly 3,000 items in the Walmart.com "Clearance" section and the prices are remarkably low. But the world's largest retailer is testing a new, less customer-friendly wrinkle. Now, some of the online clearance products have to be picked up at stores unless the customer wants to pay for home shipping.

Ford Expands Recall of F-Series Trucks Over Faulty Airbags

Ford is expanding a recall of its popular F-Series truck line because of faulty airbags that can deploy unexpectedly and possibly lead to injuries, federal regulators said Thursday. The expanded action now includes some 1.2 million trucks from the 2004 through 2006 model years.

UAW Head Uses Ford CEO's Big Payday to Rally Union

When Ford awarded CEO Alan Mulally more than $50 million in compensation for 2010's record profit it raised eyebrows around Detroit. Now, the UAW is using that big payday as a rallying point for members as it starts negotiations to regain some of what autoworkers gave up in concessions during the downturn.

Resurgent Ford Awards Top Two Execs $99 Million in Stock

Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Executive Chairman Bill Ford, have been awarded $56.5 million and $42.4 million in stock, respectively, in recognition for the company's stunning turnaround, which resulted in the automaker raking in $6.6 billion last year -- its best performance in more than a decade.

Toyota Issues Recall Over Faulty Tire Pressure Monitors

Toyota is recalling another 22,000 trucks and sport-utility vehicles, this time so that it can repair faulty tire pressure monitoring systems. Vehicles affected by the recall include the Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra from the 2008 through 2011 model years.

Ford Recalls 32,000 Vehicles to Fix Fuel Leaks, Electrical Shorts

Ford Motor is recalling nearly 32,000 recent-vintage pickup trucks and crossover vehicles in two separate actions to fix fuel leaks and electrical shorts that may lead to fires, according to a notice posted Wednesday on the National Highway Traffic Safety site.

February's Sales Put Carmakers in the Fast Lane

It was a good month for auto sales despite inclement weather across much of the country and surging oil prices. Cars sold near an annual pace of 13 million vehicles. That would make February the best on record since the "cash for clunkers" rebate program in 2009.

Ford's Sales Climb 14% on Explorers, Fuel-Efficient Models

Ford reported Tuesday that its sales in February rose 14% compared to a year ago, in part due to strong sales of the revamped Ford Explorer sports-utility vehicle, the Fusion midsized sedan and the Ford Escape compact SUV. Total sales for the month hit 156,626.

GM's February Gain Outpaced Forecasts

GM models sold smartly despite the steadily rising price of gas. GM says it sold 207,028 vehicles during the month. The increase was driven largely by a 70% jump in retail, or individual consumer, sales.

Just What Detroit's Revival Doesn't Need Now

As in the summer of 2008, when prices broke $4 a gallon, big jumps at the gas pump may give car buyers reason to pause and cause vehicle sales to stall. At least the carmakers now have more fuel-efficient fleets, except for Chrysler, which is still catching up.

Ford Reluctantly Recalls 144,000 F-150 Pickup Trucks

Ford is recalling 144,000 F-150 pickup trucks to repair airbags that may deploy without warning, a defect that has led to dozens of injuries, safety officials say. The federal government had pressed Ford to recall the pickups, but this recall isn't as broad as regulators wanted.

Ford Recalls 360,000 Pickup Trucks for Defective Door Handles

Faulty interior door handles may allow the doors to pop open during a crash. The recall involves F-150 pickups from the 2009-10 model years equipped with chrome interior door handles.

Though Chrysler Is Still Unprofitable, Employees Earn a $750 Bonus

Union employees at Chrysler Group will receive a $750 bonus next week as an acknowledgment of their contributions in helping to revive the once-bankrupt company, the automaker said Monday. Salaried workers, excluding the company's top 50 executives, will also receive the payment.

Parts Shortage Forces Ford to Idle 3,000 Workers

Ford Details Its Lincoln Reboot, Chrysler Talks Trucks

At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Tuesday, Ford and Chrysler both announced plans to introduce a host of new models. Ford will add seven vehicles with "truly unique Lincoln DNA" to its luxury line, while Chrysler has its eyes on new pickups, a revived Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and possibly, a 'mini-minivan.'

December Auto Sales: Set to End 2010 in High Gear

The economy may be less robust than most Americans would like, but that didn't stop many of them from hitting the showrooms in December. That likely propelled auto sales in the final month of 2010 to 1.13 million units, the year's highest levels.

Chrysler and Ford Recall 160,000 Vehicles for Safety Defects

Chrysler Group is recalling more than 144,000 Dodge and Ram vehicles in three separate actions, and Ford Motor is recalling about 15,000 trucks and sport-utility vehicles that may catch fire. These actions add to what's been a near-record for auto recalls.

2010 Likely Busiest Year for Auto Recalls in Seven Years

2010 may be the year of the car recall, with the U.S.'s six-largest suppliers recalling more than 19 million vehicles over the last 12 months. Toyota, which recalled about 7 million cars this year, tops the list. General Motors, at about 4 million, came in second.

GM Recalls 100,000 Vehicles to Fix Airbags, Rear Axles

Chrysler Recalls 76,000 Ram Trucks for Brake Problem

Chrysler Group is recalling 76,122 Ram trucks from the 2010 and 2011 models years to repair a problem with brake pedals that return too slowly after being depressed.

U.S. November Auto Sales Show Plenty of Zip

It's traditionally one of the slowest months of the year for vehicle sales, but most automakers reported higher U.S. sales in November compared to a year ago, despite continued consumer caution about the slow economic recovery.

Ford Sales Surge 24% in November

Sales at Ford Motor rose 24% in November compared to a year ago as demand surged for a wide range of the company's products, the automaker said Wednesday. For the month, Ford said it moved 147,338 vehicles off dealers' lots, up from 118,536 in November 2009.

General Motors Sales Climbed 11% in November

General Motors, fresh off its initial public offering, reported today that November sales rose 11.4% compared to the same month a year ago. Among its four core brands, Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet, GM said sales rose nearly 21%.

Trucks and SUVs Should Fuel November Auto Sales

Year-over-year gains are again likely when automakers report November U.S. sales figures Wednesday. But a drop from this October's level is on tap. Detroit probably fared better than its foreign counterparts as sales rebounded further from last year's anemic levels.