auto

A New Way to Help Drivers Find Better Leases?

While car buyers have been able to comparison shop online for years, drivers who want to lease their cars mainly have had to do their own legwork -- until now. LeaseTrader.com this week launched a new service to help them comparison shop for leases.

Considering Leasing a Car? Read This First

In a still-shaky economy, more and more drivers are deciding to lease their cars instead of buy them. If you're considering leasing your next set of wheels, here's how to find out if it makes sense -- and to get a good deal.

The 10 U.S. Cities Where Parking Is Most Expensive

City dwellers know that finding an affordable downtown parking spot involves cutthroat competition. And in some urban centers, even the winners pay through the nose for a place to stash their cars. Find out where the rates are worst (and the high price we all pay for "free" parking.)

Can Pay-As-You-Go Auto Insurance Save You Money?

If you're driving less in this time of high gas prices, you might be eligible to pay less for auto insurance with a new crop of pay-as-you-go plans. But these per-mile policies come with some drawbacks as well, and certain habits -- like driving late at night -- could disqualify you.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How Hyundai Turned a Corner in the U.S.

Despite tepid industry sales last year, South Korean carmaker Hyundai set a sales record, thanks to savvy designs and sophisticated engineering. It's come a long way from an early econo-box image. Now, if it could just do as well at home.

GM and Chrysler Will Pay Bonuses to Salaried Workers

Less than two years after they exited bankruptcy, Chrysler Group and General Motors will soon distribute bonuses to salaried employees in recognition of their efforts to help revive the once-flagging Detroit automakers. The payout is likely to anger the companies' unionized workers.

Toyota Earnings Slide 39% on Strong Yen

The Japanese automaker said earnings fell 39% in the third quarter while sales fell 1.2%. But the company is optimistic that auto sales are recovering: It raised its full-year forecast.

Toyota Fights Recall Woes and Stronger Yen

The Japanese automaker's bottom line is likely to have been hit by its many safety recalls, weaker U.S. sales and Japan's rising currency. Analysts forecast Toyota will report a quarterly profit of about $1 billion on sales of $56.2 billion.

U.S. Auto Sales Surge in January on Strong Consumer Demand

Despite wintry weather across much of the nation, Americans were in a car-buying mood last month, boosting most automakers' sales by double-digit percentages compared to a year ago. Analysts estimate that January's sales reached the second-fastest pace in 17 months.