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.
31. Tesla's first SUV, the Model X, is finally hitting the road - Friday, September 25, 2015
FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — Electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors has mastered the sporty two-seater and the elegant sedan. Now, it wants to conquer the family hauler.
Tesla's Model X — one of the only all-electric SUVs on the market — was officially unveiled Tuesday night near the company's California factory. SUVs were delivered to the first six buyers.
32. Survey: Recalls make Americans less satisfied with cars - Friday, August 21, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Americans are less happy with their cars and trucks than at any time in more than a decade, and it's largely because they're getting sick of dealing with recalls.
The 2015 American Consumer Satisfaction Index, an annual survey that involved 4,300 consumers, found that satisfaction with automobiles dropped for the third straight year to the lowest level since 2004. High new-car prices also were a factor.
33. Nissan, SUVs among big winners in June US auto sales - Friday, June 26, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Americans again bought vehicles that sit up high and come loaded with features like backup cameras and smartphone capabilities in June. Horsepower was also in; gas-sipping not so much.
34. Auto industry quality improves; GM, Nissan among winners - Friday, June 12, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — The quality of cars and trucks made by European, Korean and U.S. companies has improved so much in recent years that Japanese automakers, long the industry standard, are having trouble keeping pace.
35. Visa becomes first FIFA sponsor to warn it could jump ship - Friday, May 22, 2015
LONDON (AP) — Worried that their reputations will be tarnished by their links to FIFA, major sponsors are demanding that soccer's global governing body clean up its act, with Visa even warning it is prepared to jump ship.
36. Only 3 of 7 midsize SUVs perform well in crash tests - Friday, May 8, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Only three of seven midsize SUVs from the 2015 model year performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group.
The Nissan Murano and Jeep Wrangler four-door got the highest, or "good," rating in the latest round of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety small overlap crash tests. The Ford Flex got the second-best "acceptable," rating in the test, which mimics what happens when a car's front corner collides with another vehicle or object such as a utility pole.
37. General Motors beats a retreat out of Russia - Friday, March 13, 2015
MOSCOW (AP) — General Motors will slash production in Russia and pull its mass-market Opel brand completely in the face of plummeting sales in the economically troubled country.
Mainstream GM brands have been among the biggest losers as Russia's auto market shrinks, with sales of Chevrolet down 74 percent year-on-year in February and those of Opel plunging 86 percent.
38. US automakers improve in magazine's annual brand rankings - Friday, February 20, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Buick is the first U.S.-based automotive brand to crack the top 10 in Consumer Reports magazine's annual brand report cards.
U.S. automakers also placed three vehicles on the magazine's list of "top picks" for vehicles, the first time that's happened in 17 years. The rankings were unveiled Tuesday in the magazine's annual auto issue.
39. Booming SUV market gets new entries - Friday, February 6, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Sport utility vehicles are unstoppable — and automakers hope to cash in on the boom with some updated models coming to this year's Chicago Auto Show.
One out of every three new vehicles Americans bought last year was an SUV, according to Kelley Blue Book. SUV sales rose 12 percent to more than 5.5 million. That was double the pace of the industry as a whole.
40. What to watch for in this year’s Super Bowl ads - Friday, January 30, 2015
Regardless of what happens on the field, history will be made at this year’s Super Bowl of advertising – starting with a record price tag of roughly $4.5 million for a 30-second spot, a significant spike from the $4 million advertisers forked over last year.
41. Low gas prices, incentives change math for electric cars - Friday, January 16, 2015
DETROIT (AP) — Drivers trying to calculate whether it's practical to own an electric car are facing a new math.
U.S. gas prices have fallen more than $1 per gallon over the last 12 months, to a national average of $2.06, according to AAA. That makes electric cars — with their higher prices tags — a tougher sell.
42. Privacy protections unite carmakers - Friday, November 7, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nineteen automakers accounting for most of the passenger cars and trucks sold in the U.S. have signed onto a set of principles they say will protect motorists' privacy in an era when computerized cars pass along more information about their drivers than many motorists realize.
43. EPA says new vehicle mileage hits record 24.1 mpg - Friday, October 3, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Gas mileage for new cars and trucks in the U.S. averaged a record 24.1 miles per gallon last year, but gains in fuel economy are slowing.
The Environmental Protection Agency says fuel economy last year rose one-half mile per gallon over the 2012 model year, mainly because automakers have improved gas engines and transmissions and added turbochargers to give smaller motors more power.
44. Nissan shows big gain as US auto sales sizzle in July - Friday, August 1, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Big discounts helped U.S. auto sales sizzle in July.
Toyota, Ford, Nissan and Chrysler all saw double-digit sales gains. General Motors' sales were up 9 percent compared with last July, while Hyundai's rose 1.5 percent. Of major automakers, only Honda and Volkswagen saw declines.
45. Nissan sets May sales record as car buyers return - Friday, May 30, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — Brisk demand for SUVs and pickup trucks and a strong Memorial Day weekend were expected to push U.S. auto sales to a seven-year high in May.
Chrysler, Nissan and Toyota all reported double-digit sales gains over last May. Even General Motors, battling bad publicity from a mishandled recall, surprised with a 13 percent sales increase.
46. Advertisers back away from NBA's LA Clippers - Friday, April 25, 2014
NEW YORK (AP) — Advertisers are backing away from the Los Angeles Clippers after racist comments attributed to the NBA team's owner.
Mercedes-Benz USA said Monday its dealerships are ending their sponsorship of the Clippers in the wake of comments allegedly made by the team's owner, Donald Sterling. Used car dealership chain CarMax, airline Virgin America, and the Chumash Casino Resort are doing the same.
47. 2013 auto sales best in 6 years; Nissan up 9.4 pct. - Friday, January 3, 2014
DETROIT (AP) — December U.S. auto sales slowed a bit from the brisk pace earlier this year, but automakers still were on target to finish 2013 with the best numbers in six years.
For the year, Nissan had its "best sales year in history," according to Fred Diaz, senior vice president, sales & marketing, parts & service, U.S.A., with sales increasing 9.4 percent compared to 2012 with 1,248,420 cars sold.
48. Tire-maker Hankook to build $800M plant in Tennessee - Friday, October 11, 2013
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — South Korean tire-maker Hankook announced Monday that it will build its first North American plant in Tennessee, creating 1,800 jobs.
Hankook, the world's seventh-largest tire maker, said it will build the $800 million facility in Clarksville. Construction on the 1.5 million-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin by the end of next year, and it will begin making high-end performance tires by early 2016.
49. Auto sales rebound to pre-recession levels - Friday, August 30, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — For the U.S. auto industry, the recession is now clearly in the rear-view mirror.
New car sales jumped 17 percent to 1.5 million in August, their highest level in more than six years. Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Honda, Chrysler and General Motors all posted double-digit gains over last August.
50. AutoNation posts 14 pct profit rise for 2Q - Friday, July 19, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — AutoNation, the country's largest car dealership chain, made optimistic predictions for the next year as its second-quarter earnings rose 14 percent on strong growth in all of its business units.
51. Automaker Tesla takes fight to North Carolina - Friday, May 24, 2013
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Tesla Motors is fighting a bill in North Carolina that would effectively ban the company from selling its electric cars in the state, pitting it against auto dealers who say the car maker has an unfair advantage selling directly to consumers online.
52. European car sales plummet, even in solid Germany - Friday, April 12, 2013
MILAN (AP) — Europe's auto market is in freefall. Once the motor for Europe's economy, the car industry has fallen victim to the region's widening recession and soaring unemployment. Carmakers have suffered 18 straight months of declining sales as people worried that they might soon be out of a job put off making big purchases.
53. Camry battles spruced-up rivals in midsize market - Friday, March 29, 2013
DETROIT (AP) — For nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord have ruled the mid-sized car market.
Nobody accused them of being stylish or fast. But the cars rarely broke down, and they held their value better than competitors. For drivers who wanted a family car, Camry and Accord got the job done and were good enough to become two of the best-selling cars of all time.
54. Hot cars at the Detroit auto show - Friday, January 11, 2013
The North American International Auto Show begins this week in Detroit with media and industry previews. It opens to the public Jan. 19.
Here are some of the new cars and experimental concept vehicles unveiled at the show:
55. Storm delays lift already strong US auto sales; Nisan climbs 13% - Friday, November 30, 2012
DETROIT (AP) — Superstorm Sandy gave an extra boost to already strong U.S. auto sales last month, although carmakers warned that uncertainty over the "fiscal cliff" could undo some of those gains.
56. Hyundai Motor union approves deal, ends strike - Friday, August 31, 2012
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hyundai Motor's labor union has voted to accept a deal for increased wages and the elimination of overnight shifts, ending one of the costliest strikes ever at South Korea's largest car maker.
57. Renault, Nissan invest in South Korea production - Friday, July 20, 2012
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The French-Japanese auto alliance of Renault and Nissan is investing $160 million in its South Korean unit to produce Nissan-branded vehicles mostly destined for the United States, taking advantage of the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement and a more favorable exchange rate.
58. For car buyers, it's harder to end up with a lemon - Friday, February 17, 2012
DETROIT (AP) — Car shoppers today are less likely to end up with a lemon.
In the past five years, global competition has forced automakers to improve the quality and reliability of their vehicles — everything from inexpensive mini-cars to decked-out luxury SUVs.
59. Lexus tops as survey finds more auto dependability - Friday, February 10, 2012
DETROIT (AP) — Lexus is the top performer in a survey of vehicle dependability released Wednesday, but most other brands also showed improvement in an industry that has reached historically high dependability levels.
60. Chrysler posts 1st annual net profit since 1997 - Friday, January 27, 2012
DETROIT (AP) — Higher sales of Jeeps and other new vehicles propelled Chrysler to its first annual net income since 1997, capping a pivotal turnaround that many thought would never happen.
The U.S. automaker, now privately held and majority owned by Italy's Fiat SpA, earned $183 million last year, reversing a $652 million loss in 2010, its first full year out of bankruptcy protection.
61. Car dealers fear economy could scare off buyers - Friday, August 12, 2011
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — Jeff Swanson was in the market for a new car just a few weeks ago. Then the stock market went crazy.
So Swanson, 25, decided to keep his 10-year-old Pontiac Grand Prix for at least another year. Gyrations in stocks and talk of a weakening economy rattled Swanson's confidence about taking on another payment, even though his new job running a home for mentally disabled people seems to be secure.