Quick Shifts

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.

Stories you’ll find today:Photo: Editorial Use Only: Michael Vi/Shutterstock.com. File Photo of Waymo in San Francisco March 2025.

• Artificial Intelligence Meets Real Negotiations
• The Dent Was Small. The Invoice Was Not
• They Came for Route 66, Not Theft Reports
• Louisiana's Most Unusual Backup Officer

Artificial Intelligence Meets Real Negotiations. Artificial intelligence may be coming for a lot of jobs, but apparently it still has a few things to learn about appraising used cars. When Canadian funeral director Zack Giacomelli contacted BMW Toronto about selling back the 2021 BMW X3 he purchased there three years earlier, he exchanged text messages with "Quinn" from the dealership and eventually received an offer of $27,162.79 along with an appointment to complete the deal. Thinking he was finally getting enough money to pay off his loan balance, Giacomelli was feeling pretty good about things—until he learned Quinn wasn't a person at all. According to CBC News, the dealership later contacted him to explain that he had been communicating with an AI chatbot and that the offer was a mistake. The revised offer came in roughly $7,000 lower. Giacomelli told CBC he felt both embarrassed and angry, arguing that if dealerships are going to use AI in place of employees, they should stand behind what the technology says. The dealership's pre-owned sales manager blamed the mix-up on a human employee who provided information that caused the chatbot to interpret the vehicle's loan balance as the purchase price. The dealership says future offers will come directly from human staff and that it will do a better job disclosing when customers are interacting with AI. Welcome to the future, where the computer might answer your questions, negotiate your deal, and accidentally offer more money than the boss intended. The good news? At least the chatbot didn't ask to speak with its manager.

The Dent Was Small. The Invoice Was Not. A Rivian owner recently found himself staring at a repair estimate of roughly $42,000 after damage to his R1, a bill so eye-popping that even Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe exclusively told The Drive it never should have happened. As reported by the outlet, according to Scaringe, the unusually high repair costs stem from a combination of the R1's aluminum construction, its large one-piece body-side design, and the fact that most collision repairs are handled by independent body shops that may not be familiar with Rivian repair procedures. He noted that some shops have reportedly quoted extremely high numbers because they don't know the vehicle well or don't want to take on the work. Scaringe stressed that collision repairs should not cost tens of thousands of dollars and described these cases as unusual situations rather than normal Rivian ownership experiences. The takeaway is simple: buying an expensive vehicle is one thing, but sometimes repairing one is where the real sticker shock begins. Because when the CEO of the company sees the repair bill and basically says, "Yeah, that's ridiculous," you know the number got everyone's attention.

They Came for Route 66, Not Theft Reports. A group of classic car enthusiasts traveling historic Route 66 got an unwelcome surprise when several vehicles were stolen during a tour stop. According to reports, thieves made off with multiple classic cars that were part of the organized trip, turning what was supposed to be a celebration of America's most famous highway into a frustrating and expensive ordeal. Authorities launched an investigation, and some of the vehicles were later recovered, but the incident served as a reminder that even treasured collector cars can become targets when traveling. The takeaway is simple: classic cars attract attention everywhere they go, and unfortunately not all of that attention comes from admirers. Because when you're cruising Route 66 in a vintage ride, the last thing you expect is for part of the tour itinerary to include filing a police report.

Louisiana's Most Unusual Backup Officer. A Louisiana man suspected of driving while impaired discovered that hiding in a swamp isn't always the best escape plan. According to authorities, the suspect fled from deputies during a DWI investigation and ran into a swamp, where he was attacked by an alligator that injured both of his arms. Despite the encounter, he continued trying to escape before deputies, using a drone to track his movements, eventually took him into custody. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office couldn't resist having a little fun afterward, posting AI-generated images of "Deputy Al E. Gator" and joking that the reptile deserved recognition for assisting law enforcement. Fortunately, the suspect's injuries were not life-threatening, and the alligator returned to what the sheriff's office jokingly described as its "regular patrol of the swamp." The takeaway is simple: if you're thinking about running from deputies in Louisiana, you may want to remember that law enforcement isn't the only thing waiting in the swamp. Sometimes Mother Nature decides to join the task force.