(March 16, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Finding an honest auto body shop can be a scary experience for consumers who don't know the difference between a fender and a bumper. Edmunds.com seeks to save drivers some angst — and even some hard-earned money — with "Five Tips for Choosing the Right Auto Body Shop."

(March 15, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — As L.A. Fashion Week gets underway, Edmunds' AutoObserver.com examines the influence that fashion has on automotive design and discovers that the two industries have more in common than many may realize.

In his new piece "Catwalks to Car Dealerships," AutoObserver.com contributor Nick Kurczewski explains the parallels traced by the evolution of fashion and automotive design over the last century.

(March 14, 2011) The massive earthquake and tsunami that slammed Japan last week may have a devastating and lasting affect on the entire Japanese auto industry including production and sale of U.S. vehicles even though the Japanese big three — Toyota, Honda and Nissan — assemble a large portion of their vehicles in North America.

(March 14, 2011) MONTEREY, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Lexus, Honda and Toyota dealerships ranked highest in a newly released study to measure dealership responsiveness to customer inquiries over the internet. The study measured average dealership performance for all major U.S. automotive brands, showing a wide variety in performance by brand. 

By Ed Garsten
Chrysler Group LLC

(March 11, 2011) When a reporter called yesterday snarkily asking, “seen any good tweets lately,” I knew exactly what was coming next -- a firestorm across the web regarding an errant tweet by a now-former employee of Chrysler’s social media agency.

(March 11, 2011) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Despite some perceptions that auto dealerships routinely pressure customers to accept unnecessary maintenance or repair services, very few service customers indicate experiencing upselling by the dealer, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Customer Service Index Study released today.

(March 10, 2011) ATLANTA (PRNewswire) — Where is the tipping point in gas prices where consumers shift their interest to more fuel efficient cars?  That's the question analysts at AutoTrader.com have been focusing on as they analyze traffic and data on the site. 

(March 10, 2011) LONG BEACH, Calif. (PRNewswire) — A new "AiM Certified" package from AiM Mobile Inspections allows consumers to purchase, for the first time, a vehicle inspection that includes an oil and transmission fluid analysis for cars and trucks. 

(March 10, 2011) IRVINE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — According to the latest Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com Market Intelligence Brand Watch study, Ford is back on top as the most-considered auto brand among new-car shoppers.

Ford consistently captured the most-considered auto brand title from fourth quarter 2009 through second quarter 2010, but momentarily fell to the No. 2 spot for third quarter 2010 when Toyota re-captured its previously held most-considered brand status for that quarter.