Federal Vehicle Safety Inspection Bill Introduced
from Automotive Service Association
 The Michael Jon Newkirk Transportation Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, H.R. 259, has been introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, in the first week of the 111th Congress. The bill was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 259 proposes to establish state safety inspection programs and national standards for state safety inspections of motor vehicles across the United States. More
The Hot New Car Is Your Old Car
from The Wall Street Journal
Drivers craving the latest in mechanical "bling" found easy credit and inexpensive lease deals attractive enough to get a new ride every three years or so. Today, the scarcity of attractive terms for financing and leasing means that many people are keeping the cars they have. As a result, car dealerships are quiet while service shops buzz. More
GM Puts a Charge in Auto Show
from The Washington Post
The most talked-about announcement at the North American International Auto Show yesterday wasn't about any of the gleaming cars on the convention center floor. It concerned batteries. General Motors unveiled plans to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Michigan to assemble battery packs for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the company's highly anticipated plug-in electric hybrid. More
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Product Showcase:
URG Offers Quality Recycled Parts Search Engine
 United Recyclers offers body shops and mechanical repair shops the ability to search used parts for cars and trucks. Each URG member provides quality assurance to the product. The result is a nationwide label that delivers consistently high quality parts and maximizes consumers, collision center, and estimator confidence. More info
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Obama-Biden Send Stimulus Plan to Congress
from Automotive Service Association
 President-elect Barack Obama has proposed a four-part stimulus plan to revitalize the U.S. economy. The four key sections of the plan include immediate action to create good jobs in America; immediate relief for struggling families; direct, immediate assistance for homeowners; and a rapid, aggressive response to the nation's financial crisis, using all the tools available. According to the Obama-Biden transition team, this plan aims to give small businesses access to necessary credit in order to meet payroll and create jobs. More
Detroit Auto Show: Car and Truck of the Year Named
from The Los Angeles Times
The Hyundai Genesis was named the 2009 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit auto show, while Ford's redesigned F-150 pickup truck took home top honors in the truck category. The win by the Genesis, Hyundai's top-of-the-line sedan, was the first for a South Korean automaker since the award was launched in 1994. It was the fifth Truck of the Year award for Ford and the third for the F-150. More
| Coming Soon!
Attention Automotive Repair Businesses: Watch your e-mail box in the coming weeks for a survey regarding Automotive Service Association membership and its affect on repair facilities. For the first time ever, ASA will poll active paid members, former members and perspective members to determine the current value of ASA membership. In these challenging economic times, we must be certain that we deliver what members want and how. ASA has hired an independent firm to conduct the research. Responses will be reported to ASA in the aggregate; individual responses will be kept confidential. Timing for the survey to be released is early February. If you own or operate an automotive repair shop and receive notification of the survey, please take the opportunity to make your opinion known.
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Debate Over Aftermarket Crash Parts Continues
from ABRN
Federal legislation that would have exempted non-OEM crash parts from patent infringement law failed to make it out of committee in 2008, but parts distributors and insurers will continue their efforts to keep aftermarket crash parts available. More
GM Targets Return to Leasing in U.S. Market
from Reuters
General Motors Corp is planning to re-enter the vehicle lease business early this year and could see that form of financing amount to about 5 percent of its U.S. vehicle sales, a senior executive said. As credit tightened and the economy slowed last year, GM's affiliated finance company, GMAC, stopped financing vehicle leases and tightened standards for vehicle loans sharply. More
Problems with Fuel Delivery System Repairs?
from AutoInc.
Don't feel alone if you are frustrated by the fuel pump and module work entering your shop. Warranties in this area are near double digits in the automotive aftermarket industry. This causes a domino effect, resulting in increased administrative expense for all levels of distribution for freight and handling, loss in confidence of the product you are selling or installing, and - more importantly - higher downstream prices for the product to cover the additional expense. More
For Body Shops, a Little Ice Means Big Business
from Granite City Press Record
Ken Kohnen just has to peek outside each morning to tell if he’s going to have a busy day. If he sees ice or snow, even a dusting, the owner of Snelson Collision Repair in Granite City, Ill., knows he’s in for a long one. More
Electronic Stability Control: Life-saving Auto Technology
from San Jose Mercury News
Simply put, electronic stability control is the most important auto safety innovation since seat belts. That's the consensus from Consumer Reports, the federal government, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and many other auto industry experts. The good news is that the high-tech system that helps prevent rollovers and other accidents caused when a car skids out of control is found on more and more of today's new cars and trucks. More
Mazda Reduces Precious Metal Usage in Converters by 70 Percent
from Automobile Magazine
Mazda issued a press release last week, stating that it has developed a way to reduce the amount of precious metal needed in catalytic converters. The technology will be employed on the upcoming 2010 Mazda3, and Mazda will progressively apply it to all its global markets. Called single-nanocatalyst, the technology requires 70 percent less precious metal in its application on the 2010 Mazda3 compared to the outgoing model. More
BMW Sensors Calculate Chances of Injury in a Crash
from USA Today
Automaker BMW will announce a new direction in car safety protection with a system that calculates for emergency responders the likelihood of severe injuries in a crash. Sensors in all 2009 BMWs except the M3 now can assess car damage and other factors.
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