Here's the Thing

Edmunds advises car owners how to avoid body shop scams

(May 3, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Getting a fair deal on auto body work starts with choosing the right shop, according to the latest installment in Edmunds.com's "Confessions Series" titled "Confessions from the Auto Body Shop."

"Of every 10 body shops, three of them are unethical and five of them do mediocre work at best," said "Neal," one of three anonymous auto body business veterans who agreed to give Edmunds.com an insider's look at some of the shady practices carried out across the industry.

Toyota top choice of African-Americans in 2010

April 28, 2011) SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (PRNewswire) — Toyota led all automotive brands among new vehicle purchases by African-Americans in 2010, according to Polk, retaining the position it held in 2009.

Analyst predicts April may be last strong sales month until late summer

(April 29, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — This month's new car sales (including fleet sales) are expected to be approximately 1,171,000 units, a 19.3 percent increase from April 2010 but a 6.0 percent decrease from March 2011, according to Edmunds.com. Retail sales are expected to be approximately 942,000 units, down from about 975,000 last month.

Consumer group says conclusions from J.D. Power study on electrics are wrong

(April 29, 2011) WASHINGTON (PRNewswire) — In the past 24 hours, a number of news organizations have reported on what the Consumer Federation of America called "erroneous conclusions" drawn by J.D. Power and Associates study on the future of electric vehicles.

Share of hybrid and electric vehicles expected to remain below 10 percent

(April 27, 2011) WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (PRNewswire) — Growth of alternative powertrain vehicles sales in the U.S. will be limited by consumer concerns about costs as well as functionality, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Green Automotive Study released today.

Survey finds teens think parents have careless driving habits

(April 27, 2011) NEW YORK — U.S. teens and tweens say their parents are riskier drivers than they claim, according to a new national survey commissioned by Ford. While nearly all parents say they are safe drivers and good role models for their kids, more than half (51 percent) admit their teens and tweens have asked them to slow down, stop talking or texting by hand, or practice other safe driving behaviors.

Study finds consumers ready to plug-in, but prefer the extended range that hybrids offer

(April 26, 2011) BOULDER, Colo. (PRNewswire) — Plug-in electric vehicles may just be entering the market, but most U.S. consumers are ready to buy them according to E Source, which analyzed data from the Nielsen Energy Survey.

While 85 percent of U.S. consumers say they would purchase an electric battery-driven vehicle at some point in the future, 58 percent strongly prefer plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or extended-range electric cars such as the Chevrolet Volt.

Edmunds offers tips to safely sell your used car

(April 26, 2011) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — While selling your car through Internet and classified ads is generally a safe practice, there are enough documented cases of fraud, scams, robbery and even personal attacks to give anyone some pause.

Website explains how accident victims can claim for 'diminished value'

(April 25, 2011) FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. (PRNewswire) — Imagine you're stopped at a red light when someone rear-ends you. The insurance company pays for the repair as well as your deductible. However, your car now has a claim registered against it and through no fault of your own, public perception makes it worth less, a lot less, on the open market compared to a claim free vehicle.

Hybrid, clean diesel sales now growing nearly three times as fast as rest of auto market

(April 25, 2011) WEST BLOOMFIELD (PRNewswire-USNewswire) — High gas prices and a recovering economy led to a 46 percent increase in hybrid and clean diesel sales in March 2011 compared to March 2010, a jump that was about three times higher than the increase in the overall car market last month, according to auto analyst firm Baum and Associates.