Monthly Archives: November 2011
5 Things to Check in your vehicle Before You Go on a Road Trip
Whether taken with family or friends, road trips can be a lot of fun. However, this only happens if the fun continues and you don’t have to make any unscheduled stops on the way and that is why it’s necessary to check your vehicle before you put your foot to the accelerator.
Mentioned below are 5 things you need to check in your vehicle before you go on a trip:
Check Number 1 -The Coolant:
It is important to check your car’s coolant if the place that you’re headed to has a different climate than your home town. It’s necessary that you check your coolant’s mixture of water and antifreeze, so that your car is protected properly. If you’re not automobile savvy it would be a good idea to let your mechanic take a look at it.
Check Number 2 – The Tires:
Checking the tires before you take a long road trip is definitely a no brainer. Check if your tires have the right amount of pressure because low tire pressure can cause the tires to heat up and eventually blow out at high speeds. Look for any tears or bulges in the sidewalls of your tires. Also make sure that you have a spare tire in your car in case of an emergency.
Check Number 3- The Brakes:
Have your mechanic take a look at your brake pads, if they are worn out or in need of replacement do so before you go on your trip.
Check Number 4 – The Battery:
You check your cellphone’s battery before you venture out of home, don’t you? Well, checking your car’s battery before you go on a trip is just as important. Check for and clean if you find any battery posts and cable terminals with corrosive buildup. A great way to get rid of the build-up is by using a mixture of baking soda and water.
Check Number 5- The Air Conditioning:
Make sure that your air conditioning system is functioning properly before you go on your road trip. Check the refrigerant lines for any signs of leaks, if you find them remember to get them fixed as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want your car to heat up, now would you?
To avoid any roadside accidents and mishaps it’s important that you spend a little quality time with your automobile before you take a road trip so that you can fix all of its vulnerabilities. If you would like to purchase high quality car components with irresistible discounts, take a look at our wide variety of auto parts online at autopartsway.com.
CSK Auto / O’Reilly Automotive Fraud
Aftermarket Business has an interesting read about some CSK Auto / O’Reilly Automotive Fraud. Below is an excerpt.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that the former chief executive officer and chairman of CSK Auto Corporation has agreed to return $2.8 million in bonus compensation and stock profits that he received while the company was committing accounting fraud.
Maynard L. Jenkins of Scottsdale, Ariz., was not personally charged by the SEC for the company’s misconduct, however he is still required under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) to reimburse CSK Auto for incentive-based compensation and stock sale profits that he received during the company’s fraudulent period. The SEC filed court papers against Jenkins in July 2009 saying he violated the SOX “clawback” provision by failing to reimburse the company. It marked the agency’s first SOX clawback case against an individual who was not alleged to have otherwise violated the securities laws.
“CEOs should know that they can be deprived of bonuses or stock profits they received while accounting fraud was occurring on their watch,” says Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
Rosalind Tyson, Director of the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office, adds, “Jenkins received incentive-based pay while CSK Auto was fraudulently overstating its income to shareholders. His bonuses and stock profits are now being rightfully returned to the company for the benefit of the shareholders.”
The settlement with Jenkins is subject to court approval. Jenkins has agreed to reimburse $2,796,467 to O’Reilly Automotive Inc., which has since acquired CSK Auto.
The SEC previously charged four former CSK Auto executives who perpetrated the accounting fraud, and separately charged the company for filing false financial statements for fiscal years 2002 to 2004. The company settled the charges, and the litigation against three of the former executives is continuing (CSK’s former chief operating officer has since died). The U.S. Department of Justice brought a criminal indictment against those same executives, who have pleaded guilty to various charges. CSK Auto recently entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the DOJ in which it agreed to pay a $20.9 million penalty.
Forbes releases 2011 Worst Cars on the Road list
Forbes has released its 2011 Worst Cars on the Road list, and the outcome is not pretty for American manufacturers. With the exception of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the 2011 Smart ForTwo and the 2011 Nissan Titan, the cars on the list are all American-made. Worse than that, they all come from two manufacturers: General Motors and Chrysler. Ford managed to avoid the list completely.
To determine which cars get the dubious honor and which don’t, Forbes compiles results from six studies by Consumer Reports including the Most Reliable Cars Report, Best and Worst Safety Performance Survey, Best and Worst Fuel Economy, Highest Cost of Ownership, the Best and Worst Values Report and Consumer Reports’ overall scores for new cars.
Original Forbes Article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2011/11/09/worst-car-flops-of-2011/
Chrysler made the list with the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country, which racked up dismal scores for reliability and cost of ownership. Both the 2011 Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Liberty made the cut, with the Liberty scoring poorly for reliability and fuel economy. The Wrangler joined the Liberty in the reliability department, and also ranked for worst value, and made a spot on Consumer Reports’ Worst Cars list. The 2011 Dodge Nitro and Dodge Dakota made the list for similar reasons.
The picture is almost as bleak at GM, where offerings from Chevrolet and Cadillac crowded the picture. The base model 2011 Cadillac Escalade earned spots on the Worst Value, Highest Cost of Ownership and Worst Safety Performance lists. The 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid hung with the Cadillac for Worst Value and safety, and earned a spot on the Least Reliable roster as well. The Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Colorado rounded out the worst General Motors offerings for 2011.
Though the results make it seem like General Motors and Chrysler still can’t do anything right, there are plenty of vehicles from both manufacturers that didn’t make the list. Added to that, luxury vehicles like the Escalade are at a disadvantage in the value and cost of ownership categories. Head over to Forbes for further explanation on how the worst cars are weeded out.
Chevy HHR Discontinued
Conspicuous by its absence from Chevy’s 2012 line of crossovers, the HHR has been dropped. The HHR (Heritage High Roof) first arrived as a 2006 model, and was left largely unchanged through its lifespan. Enthusiasts may recall the HHR SS introduced as a 2008, a neat little hot rod boasting a 2.0L turbo four rated at 260hp, a five-speed manual and racy bodywork. The HHR SS was dropped after 2010. Apart from that model, the HHR was a fairly unremarkable, but capable vehicle.
Personally, it is a car I am not sad to see go the way of the dodo. Chevy, as a brand, is moving forward with interesting new product, and the HHR was a reminder of Chevy’s recent misguided past. Spurred by the raging initial success of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, and with no original idea of their own, Chevy poached the guy who designed the PT Cruiser and charged him with designing basically the same car, but this time drawing inspiration from the 1949 Chevy Suburban. And he did just that, but by the time the HHR arrived, the PT Cruiser was in its sixth year of production, and the hype had long since faded. While the HHR did outlast the PT, such a retro design left little or no room for the HHR to evolve. The Chevy of today was smart to let the HHR quietly die.
Original Story: http://thegarageblog.com/garage/chevy-discontinues-hhr/
BMW Sales Jump 13.5% In October – Mini Sales Skyrocket 37.1% for Month
The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported October sales of 27,288 vehicles, an increase of 17.5% from the 23,222 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago.
Year-to-date, BMW Group sales are up 14.6% to 246,602 in the first ten months of 2011 compared to 215,274 in the same period in 2010.
“Auto sales are probably the best indicator of economic direction and the critical fourth quarter has made a good start fueled by demand and boosted by new models,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America. “The model year changeover is complete, the new 528i and the full 6 Series lineup are available along with the 2012 X3 and X5 so I expect a strong run to the end of the year.”
BMW Brand Sales
Sales of BMW brand vehicles increased 13.5% in October for a total of 21,873 compared to 19,272 vehicles sold in October, 2010.
Year-to-date, the BMW brand is up 12.9% on sales of 199,552 January through October compared to 176,736 sold in the first ten months of 2010.
In October, best performing vehicles included the BMW X3 SAV up 2,244% to 2,321 units; the all-new BMW 6 Series, up 762.5% to 414 units and the BMW X5 SAV, up 25.6% to 3,997 units.
BMW Pre-Owned Vehicles
In October, sales of BMW used vehicles (including certified pre-owned and pre-owned) totaled 13,262, a decrease of 4.4% from the 13,867 sold in October 2010.
Year-to-date, BMW used vehicle sales are down 5.5% on volume of 132,686 compared to 140,468 in the first ten months of 2010.
MINI Brand Sales
MINI USA reported sales of 5,415 automobiles in October. The October 2011 sales are up 37.1% from the 3,950 sold in October 2010. The MINI Countryman, on sale since December 2010, had its best month ever in October with 2,012 units.
Year-to-date, MINI sales in the U.S. are up 22.1% on volume of 47,050 compared to 38,538 in the first ten months of 2010.
