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Lexus Tops Consumer Reports' Brand Report Card

Lexus topped the rankings in Consumer Reports's 2013 automotive brand report card. Detroit automakers didn't fare very well -- Cadillac's 14th place tie was the best for U.S. brand -- while Japanese automakers again dominated, taking eight of the top 10 spots.

When It Comes to Cell Phone Privacy, You're an Open Book

Few people would willingly carry around a device that tracks their movements, records their conversations, and keeps tabs on all the people they talk to. But, according to documents recently released by the American Civil Liberties Union, cell phone companies are doing all of that -- and may be passing the information on to law enforcement agencies.

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.

February Auto Sales Likely Kept Zipping Along

Major automakers are set to release February sales figures on Tuesday, and analysts expect the reports will show sales improved 20% compared to a year ago. Consumers continued to warm to the slowly improving economy -- so far, despite surging oil prices.

January Auto Sales Should Build on 2010's Momentum

A slowly brightening economy combined with low financing rates and generally stable fuel prices have put consumers in a buying mood. New models, particularly from Ford and GM, are also helping to keep U.S. auto sales on a positive trajectory as 2011 starts.

Upbeat Consumers Push Auto Sales Higher

The nation's automakers ended 2010 strong, with most reporting higher sales for December. Consumers seemed to put concerns about the U.S. economy on hold and more than offset reduced demand by fleet customers, such as corporations and rental-car companies.

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.

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.

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.

October Car Sales Point to an Auto Rebound

Buoyed by consumers' increased confidence in the U.S. economy, most automakers reported higher sales of cars and trucks in the U.S. during October compared to a year ago -- making it the best October in three years for the auto industry.

October Auto Sales: Is the Market Improving?

Carmakers are expected to report a mixed picture for October sales: mostly better than a year ago, but down slightly from September. Still, the pace appears strong enough that the upper end of full-year forecasts is reachable.

GM Vehicles Rise in Consumer Reports' Latest Quality Survey

Although Honda and Toyota remain the benchmark of reliability in the U.S. automobile industry, General Motors has made considerable strides in improving the quality of its cars and trucks, according to the magazine's 2010 Annual New Car Reliability Survey.

Honda Also Plans Recall Related to Brake Fluid Leaks

First Toyota, now Honda: Japan's No. 2 automaker said Thursday it also plans to recall an as-yet undetermined number of vehicles because of brake fluid leaks that could lead to reduced braking power. Toyota's recall for same issue, announced earlier in the day, affects 1.5 million vehicles.