Wholesale Inventories Rise Mildly as Manufacturers Hedge
U.S. wholesalers increased their stockpiles in April and their sales rebounded from a big decline in March, positive signs for economic growth.
auto industry
Tesla Repays $465M Government Loan 9 Years Early
Electric carmaker Tesla has paid off its U.S. Department of Energy loan nine years earlier than required, using money raised last week in a stock and debt offering.
Japanese Automakers Recall 2 Million Cars For Defective Airbags
Four Japananese automakers recall more than 2 million vehicles worldwide for a problem with air bags that may burst, sending plastic pieces flying.
Housing Recovery Helps Boost March Auto Sales
U.S. sales of sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks jumped in March, spurred by rising home prices and an increase in housing construction, major automakers report.
Automakers Expected to Report Highest U.S. Sales Since 2007
Automakers are expected to report Tuesday that U.S. car and truck sales hit their highest level in nearly six years in March.
GM's 2012 Performance Slips Amid European Woes, Lower Market Share
General Motors' earnings and market share were down in 2012 despite a better year for car sales in the U.S., a combination that soured Wall Street on the automaker's fourth quarter and year-end earnings report.
Hurricane Sandy Boosts Car Sales in November
The auto industry wins the silver lining award from the affects of Hurricane Sandy: November car sales jumped 15 percent on strong demand from people replacing cars destroyed by the storm, Americans feeling more confident in the economy, and an easier access to credit.
Could GM Ever Fail? Yeah, It Could Happen
GM has been cleaning up its act and has the profits to show for it. But the competition has never been stiffer, all over the world, and GM's cars will have to be top-notch to assure the success of a turnaround.
Hyundai and Kia See Accelerating Sales in September
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.
Toyota Prius Sales Hit New Milestone in U.S.
Toyota's recent recall woes may have pushed its U.S. sales lower during the past year, but they haven't stopped one popular model from setting a new milestone: The fuel-efficient Toyota Prius hybrid recently surpassed 1 million sales in the U.S.
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.
UAW Readies for Key Contract Talks
UAW delegates will gather next week in Detroit, as the union works out a strategy to negotiate with domestic automakers for a new four-year contract. The current pact expires in September, and with auto sales rebounding the UAW is eager to win back some concessions.
Toyota to Keep Japanese Plants Idle Into Next Week
The Japanese automaker has extended its halt on vehicle production at its plants in Japan through March 22, as the country continues to reel from the devastation of last week's massive 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Earthquake's Effects Rattle Japan's Carmakers
Toyota, Nissan and Honda, among other companies, have shut down plants temporarily in Japan in the wake of Friday's earthquake and tsunami. While many of their factories were undamaged, crippled nuclear plants are causing power shortages, and there has been damage to parts makers and transportation infrastructure.
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.
Honda, Chrysler and Toyota Issue Safety Recalls Involving 77,000 Cars
Three top automakers are recalling vehicles for items ranging from steering problems to stalling engines to faulty tire-pressure monitoring systems. The largest involves 35,000 Honda Civic hybrid models to fix electrical components that could cause headlights to shut off or the engine to stall.
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.
GM Plants Cancel More Shifts After Fire at Parts Supplier
Last week's fire at auto parts supplier Magna International continues to echo through General Motors' supply chain. The automaker shut down the Lordstown plant where it makes the Chevy Cruze for another day Monday. Five other GM plants have also seen shortened and canceled shifts.
Chrysler Recalls 250,000 Minivans, Crossovers to Fix Engine Stalling
Chrysler is recalling nearly half a million popular minivan and crossover models because the engines may unexpectedly turn off while driving, increasing the risk for a crash.
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.
Asian Automakers Top Consumer Report's 'Best Value' List
Asian automakers have traditionally fared well in tests conducted by Consumer Reports magazine, and this year is no exception. Overall, eight Japanese and Korean models were named "best values" in their segments, the publication said Monday.
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.
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.
Will GM Post Its First Annual Profit Since 2004?
Or will it disappoint? Investors -- and taxpayers -- will be watching on Thursday, when GM posts its latest earnings. Despite analyst expectations of a full-year profit, the automaker has warned that fourth-quarter results will fall "significantly" from previous periods.
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.