ADESA's Tom Kontos reports wholesale used vehicle prices down in July from previous month. Although prices up year-over-year, he notes high gas prices last summer don't offer accurate comparison of current weak market.
Technology that allows vehicles to communicate with each other is being tested. Combined with GPS technology, vehicles could warn others electronically of problems or transmit traffic updates. The new system, expected within the next 10 to 25 years, could even apply brakes automatically.
NHTSA is quietly looking at a power-steering problem on the 2006-2007 Crown Victoria police cruisers after receiving a complaint posted on its web site in May from a police department outside Arizona. Ford originally contended that the failures were confined to Arizona. The issue has some seeming similarities with a steering defect in the early 1990s. The deaths of four police were blamed on that defect but Ford insists that the two situations are completely different animals.
As new-car sales suffered through July drought, sales of certified used vehicles were up nearly 5% compared to last year. Even domestic automakers, which saw share of new vehicles dip below 50% for first time, had strong certified sales.
Analog networks supporting some older style GPS locaters may no longer be supported next year. Buy-here, pay-here dealers who rely on GPS locaters will have to switch to new digital units or lose track of vehicles. Many suppliers are offering trade-in allowances but making the switch can take time.