DETROIT (AP) — Demand may be slowing, but U.S. consumers still bought a whole lot of cars and trucks in 2016.
U.S. sales of new vehicles — which set a record of 17.47 million in 2015 — could hit a new high in 2016. Consulting firm LMC Automotive and car-buying site Edmunds.com each predict sales will squeak past the previous record and reach 17.5 million in 2016.
47. Black Friday deals lift Nov. auto sales; GM up 10%, Nissan 7.5% - Friday, December 2, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — Black Friday deals and postelection confidence helped pull November U.S. auto sales out of their recent slump — and increased the chances that 2016 could set a record for new vehicle sales.
48. October auto sales slow; GM, Nissan down 2% - Friday, October 28, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — It's a chilly autumn for U.S. auto sales. Sales of new cars and trucks were expected to fall in October as consumer demand wanes.
J.D. Power and LMC Automotive expect total October sales to fall by just over 7 percent, with retail sales to individual customers dropping 8 percent.
49. Nissan sales rise 4.9 pct., bucking industry trend for September - Friday, September 30, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — Nissan says its September sales rose 4.9 percent, defying analyst expectations of a U.S. sales decline as demand for cars and trucks has peaked.
The Japanese automaker says it sold almost 128,000 vehicles last month, a record for September.
50. Nissan drops 6.5%, GM 5% in down month for industry - Friday, September 2, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. sales of new cars and trucks fell in August, ending summer on a low note for the auto industry and making it less likely that this year's auto sales will match the record set in 2015.
51. Smyrna-made Maxima helps push US auto sales toward new record - Friday, July 1, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto sales may be slowing, but they're still expected to set a record in the first six months of this year.
Sales through June were expected to be up 2 percent over last year to 8.66 million, according to Kelley Blue Book.
52. US auto sales fall in May; Nissan down 1%, GM 18%, VW 17% - Friday, May 27, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. car buyers are tapping the brakes. May is usually one of the strongest months of the year for the U.S. auto industry, as Americans buy cars ahead of summer road trips. But last month, U.S. auto sales were expected to drop 7 percent to 1.5 million cars and trucks, according to car shopping site Kelley Blue Book. That's the biggest monthly sales decline since the Cash for Clunkers hangover in August 2010.
53. Honda, Nissan break records as auto sales stay hot in April - Friday, April 29, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — America's love of trucks and SUVs helped push most automakers to healthy sales gains last month as Honda and Nissan reported best-ever April sales. Ford posted record SUV sales, while Toyota broke a record for SUV and truck sales.
54. March is a good month to find deals on Japanese cars - Friday, March 18, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — If you're in the market for a Japanese car, March is a good time to buy.
Unlike U.S., European and Korean automakers, which end their financial year on Dec. 31, Japanese companies such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. close their books on March 31. In order to hit their annual sales targets, Japanese automakers usually ramp up the promotions and deals in March.
55. Toyota partners in making wind-power hydrogen for fuel cells - Friday, March 11, 2016
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is responding to the main criticism of fuel cell cars, that making the hydrogen for the fuel is not clean, with plans to help make the hydrogen using wind power.
56. Honda rolls out fuel cell in Japan, to lease 200 first year - Friday, March 4, 2016
TOKYO (AP) — Honda has rolled out a new fuel cell vehicle, the first of its kind to be a five-seater. The zero-emissions Clarity may not sell in big numbers, however, given its price tag of 7.66 million yen ($67,000).
57. Honda plans no Takata rescue, bullish on green vehicles - Friday, February 19, 2016
TOKYO (AP) — Honda's president is sticking to its stance that the Japanese automaker plans no independent financial bailout for supplier Takata, which is embroiled in a massive recall crisis over air-bag inflators that may explode.
58. Toyota discontinues Scion after years of slumping sales - Friday, January 29, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is killing its Scion brand after years of slumping sales. Beginning in August, 2017 model-year Scion vehicles will be rebadged as Toyotas.
The FR-S sports car, iA sedan and iM 5-door hatchback will be a part of the Toyota line-up. So will the C-HR, a small SUV concept that debuted in November, if Toyota decides to make it. The tC coupe will have a final release series edition and end production in August, according to Toyota Motor Corp.
59. GM unites car-sharing services under new brand 'Maven' - Friday, January 15, 2016
DETROIT (AP) — The final destination is a mystery, but General Motors is taking another step on its fast-moving journey into new ways of getting around.
The company on Thursday announced that it's formed a brand called "Maven" that will run its car-sharing ventures, including a new one that will begin competing with ZipCar next month in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spread to other metro areas later this year.
60. Honda has the most high risk models in Takata air bag recall - Friday, November 13, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Cars and trucks from the 2008 model year or older that were originally sold or registered in high humidity areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast are getting top priority for repairs as the government commences the massive Takata air bag inflator recall.
61. German transport agency is testing emissions on 23 brands - Friday, November 6, 2015
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority says it's testing the emissions of vehicles made by 23 foreign and domestic brands following revelations that Volkswagen installed software on some 11 million vehicles allowing them to fake emissions results.
62. Nissan reports 38 percent rise in profit, raises forecasts - Friday, October 30, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan's profit for the July-September quarter zoomed 38 percent higher on healthy sales in China, the U.S. and Europe, prompting the automaker to raise its full-year projections.
Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan Motor Co. reported Monday a fiscal second quarter profit of 172.8 billion yen ($1.4 billion), up from 124.9 billion yen the year before.
63. Green self-driving cars take center stage at Tokyo auto show - Friday, October 23, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Visions of cars that drive themselves without emitting a bit of pollution while entertaining passengers with online movies and social media are what's taking center stage at the Tokyo Motor Show.
64. Lexus is top brand in Consumer Reports' reliability survey - Friday, October 16, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Elaborate new transmissions are helping automakers meet rising fuel economy standards, but they're also requiring more trips to the repair shop.
Transmission problems tripped up Honda, Nissan, Jeep and other brands in Consumer Reports' annual reliability survey. Drivers reported rough shifting, clutch failure and even transmissions that had to be replaced twice in the first year of car ownership.
65. Apple, Google bring smartphone functions to car dashboards - Friday, September 4, 2015
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Playing deejay with voice commands will get easier for more Americans this fall as some best-selling cars get updated with software that integrates smartphones into the dashboard.
66. Nissan's quarterly profit up on cheap yen, US sales growth - Friday, July 24, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan's April-June profit jumped 36 percent as the Japanese automaker benefited from a cheap yen and better sales in the U.S. and Europe.
Nissan Motor Co., which makes the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models, reported Wednesday a fiscal first quarter profit of 152.8 billion yen ($1.2 billion). Quarterly sales grew nearly 18 percent to 2.9 trillion yen ($23 billion).
67. Honda announces another recall for faulty Takata air bags - Friday, July 3, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — The recalls at Honda Motor Co. over defective Takata air bags have grown by another 4.5 million vehicles, raising the tally at the Japanese automaker to 24.5 million.
Tokyo-based Honda said Thursday the latest recall affects 1.63 million vehicles in Japan, but none in North America.
68. Nissan, Toyota, Honda back hydrogen stations for fuel cells - Friday, June 26, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan, Toyota and Honda are working together to get more fuel cell vehicles on roads in what they call Japan's big push toward "a hydrogen society."
Fuel cell vehicles emit no pollution. They run on the power created when hydrogen stored as fuel combines with oxygen in the air to make water.
69. Takata CEO: Air bag defect still under investigation - Friday, June 19, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — The CEO of Takata Corp., the Japanese air bag maker at the center of a defect scandal that has resulted in recalls of more than 33.8 million vehicles, appeared at a news conference Thursday for the first time since the problems emerged but shed little light on the underlying cause of the problems.
70. Honda adds $363M to air bag recall costs - Friday, June 12, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Honda Motor Co. is setting aside another $363 million to fund a growing recall of air bags that can explode with too much force.
The automaker announced the spending Friday in Tokyo and said the additional costs will show up in revised earnings for the fiscal year that ended March 31. But the costs won't affect the company's dividend or earnings forecasts, it said in a statement.
71. Auto workers president rejects lower-tier of wages - Friday, March 20, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — The leader of the United Auto Workers union has rejected a third tier of lower wages for members who make auto parts.
Speaking Wednesday at the union's national bargaining convention in Detroit, President Dennis Williams said the UAW already has too many tiers of lower wages.
72. Honey, we shrank the SUV – and Europe loves it - Friday, February 27, 2015
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — In Europe, SUV now stands for: Shrinking Utility Vehicle.
An array of small sport utility vehicles is going on display this week at the Geneva International Motor Show. Automakers are piling into the segment as one of the best hopes for growth in a still-weak European market.
73. Lexus tops auto dependability survey - Friday, February 20, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Lexus is the most dependable car brand for the fourth consecutive year in rankings that increasingly hinge on high-tech features.
Buick, Toyota, Cadillac and Honda and Porsche, which were tied, rounded out the top five spots in the annual survey, released Wednesday by the consulting firm J.D. Power. The survey asked original owners of vehicles from the 2012 model year about problems experienced in the last year.
74. Honda to replace its president following air bag fiasco - Friday, February 20, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co., the Japanese automaker at the center of an air-bag defect scandal, said Monday its president Takanobu Ito will step aside and be replaced by another Honda executive.
75. Nissan raises profit forecast after sales grow in US, Europe - Friday, February 6, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan raised its earnings forecast for the fiscal year after reporting a nearly 21 percent jump in quarterly profit as a cheap yen amplified strong overseas sales.
The Japanese automaker said Monday that sales were strong in the U.S. and Europe and the cheap yen boosted overseas revenue, offsetting a decline in its home market.
76. Tech advances lower chance that driver will die in car crash - Friday, January 30, 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) — The chances of a driver dying in a crash in a late-model car or light truck fell by more than a third over three years, and nine car models had zero deaths per million registered vehicles, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
77. As cheap gas shifts car buyers' habits, automakers power on - Friday, January 9, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Inside the auto show here, automakers are showing off electric and other vehicles designed to cut our dependence on fossil fuels. Outside, car buyers are paying the lowest prices in years for carbon-based fuels.
78. Japan: Auto recall overhaul needed for global woes - Friday, December 5, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — The top Japanese auto safety official acknowledged Friday that Japan's recall system needs an overhaul to better respond to global problems highlighted by the debacle over Takata air bags that can explode.
79. Toyota to start sales of fuel cell car next month - Friday, November 14, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — There will only be a few hundred, and they won't be cheap, but Toyota is about to take its first small step into the unproven market for emissions-free, hydrogen-powered vehicles.
The world's largest automaker announced Tuesday that it will begin selling fuel cell cars in Japan on Dec. 15 and in the U.S. and Europe in mid-2015. The sporty-looking, four-door Toyota Mirai will retail for 6.7 million yen ($57,600) before taxes. Toyota Motor Corp hopes to sell 400 in Japan and 300 in the rest of the world in the first year.
80. US factory output increases 0.2 pct in October - Friday, November 14, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing output grew modestly in October, as autoworkers churned out fewer cars and trucks.
Output at manufacturing plants rose 0.2 percent in October, the Federal Reserve said Monday. Gains came from the rising demand for machinery, plastics, clothing and furniture. Factory output has risen 3.4 percent over the past 12 months.
81. Honda expands air bag recall in southern states - Friday, November 7, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Honda is adding hundreds of thousands of vehicles to a previously announced recall for passenger air bags that can explode with too much force and send shards of metal into the passenger compartment.
82. Senators ask gov't for nationwide air bag recall - Friday, October 17, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Two U.S. senators are calling on regulators to issue a nationwide recall of cars with faulty air bags made by Takata Corp., questioning why automakers have been allowed to limit recalls to only certain locations with high humidity.
83. Rogue, Leaf help Nissan sales jump 18.5 percent in September - Friday, September 26, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Nissan sales rose 18.5 percent to 102,955 in September. Sales of the newly revamped Rogue crossover jumped 52 percent, while sales of the electric Leaf were up 47 percent. Both are assembled in Smyrna.
84. Some fear auto industry returning to bad habits - Friday, August 29, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Big discounts. Six- or seven-year loans, in some cases to buyers who would have been turned down in the past.
As the auto industry strives to sustain its post-recession comeback, car companies are resorting to tactics that some experts warn will lead to trouble down the road.
85. Toyota profit up nearly 5 percent on sales growth - Friday, August 1, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. reported a 5 percent jump in quarterly profit Tuesday, outpacing expectations as vehicle sales grew in North America and Europe, offsetting a drop in Japan.
86. Nissan profit rises on strong sales, cheap yen - Friday, July 25, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan's quarterly profit rose nearly 37 percent, helped by a favorable exchange rate and healthy sales in North America and China.
Nissan Motor Co. reported Monday a better-than-expected net profit of 112 billion yen ($1.1 billion) for the April-June first fiscal quarter, up from 82 billion yen a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had forecast a quarterly profit of 85 billion yen ($835 million). Quarterly sales jumped 10 percent to 2.466 trillion yen ($24.2 billion).
87. After hybrid success, Toyota gambles on fuel cell - Friday, July 11, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Rocket science long dismissed as too impractical and expensive for everyday cars is getting a push into the mainstream by Toyota, the world's top-selling automaker.
Buoyed by its success with electric-gasoline hybrid vehicles, Toyota is betting that drivers will embrace hydrogen fuel cells, an even cleaner technology that runs on the energy created by an electrochemical reaction when oxygen in the air combines with hydrogen stored as fuel.
88. Toyota expands recall for air bag glitch - Friday, June 6, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling nearly 650,000 vehicles in Japan and repeating a recall for problems with front passenger air bag inflators announced last year, seeking to fix some 2.27 million vehicles.
89. Nissan profit rises as sales outpace industry - Friday, May 9, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan's quarterly profit edged up nearly 5 percent as sales grew around the world and a favorable exchange rate helped earnings.
Nissan Motor Co. reported Monday that January-March profit totaled 114.9 billion yen ($1.1 billion), up from 109.7 billion yen the year before. Quarterly sales rose more than 20 percent to 3.2 trillion yen ($31 billion).
90. Toyota chalks up record profit, vehicle sales - Friday, May 2, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota chalked up a record annual profit and sales above 10 million vehicles for the first time, but forecast Thursday a slower year ahead as the momentum from a weak yen fades.
Expenses such as the $1.2 billion penalty it paid in a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department earlier this year for hiding information about defects in its cars dented its profit for January-March quarter, according to Toyota.
91. Toyota gas cars get efficient engine from hybrids - Friday, April 4, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota has developed an efficient gasoline engine using technology fine-tuned with gas-electric hybrids, in which the Japanese automaker is an industry leader.
Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday the engine will be rolled out in 14 models this year and next year.
92. Apple dials up effort to meld iPhone with cars - Friday, February 28, 2014
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is accelerating the race to make smartphone applications easier and safer to use in cars.
Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are previewing Apple's iPhone technology for cars this week at an auto show in Geneva.
93. Obama admin drives ahead with new cleaner gas rule - Friday, February 28, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is driving ahead with a dramatic reduction in sulfur in gasoline and tailpipe emissions, declaring that cleaner air will save thousands of lives per year at little cost to consumers.
94. Honda 3Q profit doubles, sales get weak yen boost - Friday, January 31, 2014
TOKYO (AP) — Honda's quarterly profit doubled from a year earlier as sales got a big perk from a weak yen.
Honda Motor Co. reported on Friday a 160.7 billion yen ($1.58 billion) net profit for the October-December fiscal third quarter, up from 77.4 billion yen the year before.
95. Nissan looks to no-frills China brand for revival - Friday, November 29, 2013
HUADU, China (AP) — His Chinese sedan was a disappointment. So when truck driver Xie Yanzhen needed to replace it, he turned to Venucia, a 2-year-old no-frills brand launched by Nissan and a Chinese partner.
96. Hydrogen cars could be headed to showroom near you - Friday, November 15, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.
At auto shows on two continents Wednesday, three automakers were unveiling hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be delivered to regular people as early as spring of next year.
97. Government oversight of tour bus, truck industries faulted - Friday, November 8, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal accident investigators called on Thursday for a probe of the government agency charged with ensuring the safety of commercial vehicles, saying their own look into four tour bus and truck crashes that killed 25 people raises "serious questions" about how well the agency is doing its job.
98. Toyota profit jumps 70 percent despite sales slip - Friday, November 1, 2013
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota's quarterly profit soared 70 percent, and the world's top-selling automaker raised its earnings forecast, as cost cuts and the weaker Japanese yen compensated for slightly weaker vehicle sales.
99. Japan car parts makers in price-fixing plea - Friday, September 27, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nine Japanese auto parts manufacturers and two of their executives will plead guilty and pay $740 million in criminal fines for conspiring to fix the prices of more than 30 products sold to many of the world's largest automakers operating in the U.S., the Justice Department announced Thursday.
100. Honda recalls Odyssey, Acura MDX for airbag defect - Friday, September 13, 2013
TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it is recalling 318,000 Odyssey minivans in the U.S. and 63,400 Acura MDX sport-utility vehicles in several nations for an airbag defect.