The cyber-secure vehicle is here. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) introduced the Secure Gateway Module into roughly half of their 2018 product line and nearly 90 percent of their 2019 vehicles. The Secure Gateway Module, which FCA refers to as the SGW, is essentially a firewall providing moderated access to the in-vehicle network diagnostic services. The […]

New 8-speed and 10-speed Automatic Transmissions (Direct Shift-8AT & Direct Shift-10AT) Toyota has developed two new automatic transmissions―the 8-speed Direct Shift-8AT and the 10-speed Direct shift-10AT. For both, various measures were taken to minimize energy loss and heighten transmission efficiency. Gear tooth surfaces were processed using a new technique for a lower coefficient of friction […]

Toyota owner’s of 2018 models or newer may find that one morning there car or truck will not start remotely when using the key fob. That’s because a lot of late model Toyota owners are not aware of the fact that the remote start feature is a subscription service and that their free trail time […]

Allison Transmission Plans To Offer Its Medium-Duty, Fully Automatic 9-Speed Transmission Globally. “Right now is an exciting time to be part of Allison and our industry as a whole,” said David S. Graziosi, president and CEO of Allison Transmission. “There is more rapid change in our industry and more Allison initiatives underway today than at […]

Fed-Up Ford Mustang Owners File Lawsuit Over “Faulty” Six-Speed Manual Transmissions Ford’s been hearing about this for almost a decade. Now, it’s headed to court. Just months after Ford agreed to pay millions to Focus and Fiesta owners over their faulty PowerShift transmissions, it’s again facing a class-action lawsuit—this time for the Mustang’s six-speed manual. Drivers of […]

Automatic Stop-Start Removed In Some 2021 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra Pickups   Pickup truck customers eager to ditch automatic engine stop-start will be happy to learn that General Motors is removing the feature from some 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 models. The change stems from the ongoing global microchip shortage.   According to the automaker, most […]

Auto Repair Industry Faces Shake Up as Unprecedented Number of Shop Owners Plan on Retiring in Next Decade More than half of independent auto repair shop owners expect to retire in the next nine years, and the majority plan to sell their businesses, potentially leading to a wave of consolidation in the industry and leaving […]

Harbor Freight jack stand recall: Now the replacement stands are also recalled! Company offers refund or credit on any Pittsburgh stand, even those not recalled. In May, Harbor Freight recalled more than 1.7 million Pittsburgh branded three- and six ton jack stands that could collapse due to a manufacturing flaw. The flaw on those stands […]

Attention all Automotive Aftermarket Repair Shops! The cost of business is going up…again. Just when you thought things are getting back to some kind of normal, along comes a flyball right in the face. If any of you technicians out there have recently attempted to scan an FCA vehicle that was built after January 31, […]

Remember This Car? For all that guessed Ford Maverick, you are getting on in years!  Ford produced the Maverick from 1970 through 1977 as inexpensive transportation in a compact package. Many jokes were directed towards the Maverick, however Ford sold 579,000 of them in that first year of production. Now you might have laughed whenever […]

A class-action GM transmission lawsuit has hit a snag after a judge dismissed certain implied warranty claims made in the filing. Five separate class-action lawsuits filed against General Motors over alleged defects with its eight-speed automatic transmission were consolidated in a Michigan court this week, according to Car Complaints. In the process, the judge presiding […]

CHEVROLET CONFIRMS C8 STINGRAY QUICKEST IN ITS HISTORY   Jaws dropped when Chevrolet first announced the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coupe would accelerate 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds with the available Z51 Performance Package. Today, the brand confirms the sportscar with the available Z51 Package can reach 60 mph in 2.9 […]

Nissan Transmission Class Action Settlement Nissan has agreed to extend warranties and reimburse repair expenses for consumers who purchased Sentra, Versa or Versa Note vehicles with a defective transmission. The settlement will benefit consumers who purchased or leased a 2013 to 2017 Nissan Sentra, 2014 to 2017 Nissan Versa Note, and/or a 2012 to 2017 […]

Police ask victims to report converter thefts as cases on the rise nationally. Theft of catalytic converters from the exhaust system of vehicles has become a growing problem just about everywhere. It’s not a new issue, but as the price of certain metals has risen, so have thefts. Add to the equation the Covid Pandemic […]

Catalytic Converter Thefts At An All time High Catalytic converter thefts dominated headlines in 2020, with police departments and auto insurers across the country reporting a record number of stolen parts—that trend didn’t slow in 2021. According to a recent analysis by BeenVerified, the number of catalytic converter thefts in 2021 surpassed last year’s record […]

EXHIBIT 1 TO DATA DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT FCA US SCAN TOOL DATA LICENSE AGREEMENT This Agreement is by and between FCA US LLC f/k/a Chrysler Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company having a principal place of business at 1000 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, Michigan 48326-2766 (“FCA US”), and the company identified below in the signature […]

Class Action GM Eight-Speed Transmission Lawsuit Hits A Snag   A class-action GM transmission lawsuit has hit a snag after a judge dismissed certain implied warranty claims made in the filing. Five separate class-action lawsuits filed against General Motors over alleged defects with its eight-speed automatic transmission were consolidated in a Michigan court this week, according to Car […]

Hyundai Motor To Launch Dedicated EV Platform In Major Push Into Electric Cars   SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group said on Wednesday it will introduce an electric vehicle-only platform early next year that will use its own battery technology to cut production time and costs. The plan underscores efforts by the world’s […]

RECALL SUBJECT: Subaru Corporation MANUFACTURER: Subaru Corporation SUMMARY: Subaru Corporation is offering consumers an extended warranty on the continuously variable transmission (CVT) on approximately 1.5 million vehicles after concerns were raised about transmission problems that may cause the vehicle to stall on model year 2012-2017 vehicles. Affected vehicle owners were notified by the automaker of […]

Ford Recalls Nearly 68,000 2020 Pickups and Expeditions   Ford has recalled nearly 68,000 vehicles manufactured at the start of 2020 and sold in North America, saying the cars suffer from a potential manufacturing defect where the clip that locks the gearshift cable to the transmission can become unseated. While the company says it isn’t aware […]