🚨 CAN'T-MISS Jerry Commentary! PLUS 25% Large Truck Tariffs, Goodbye Kia Soul, and 2025 Lincoln Navigator L, 2025 Ram 2500 and 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron Test Drives

October 17, 2025

Dear Car Pro Family,

I sure hope you’ve had a wonderful week and that the temps are cooling off in your area. Summer seems to be hanging on in Texas, we may just skip fall altogether this year. We have a very interesting group of articles for you today, so be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom for my closing message.

We start today with a commentary piece by yours truly. We found out that General Motors was taking a huge write-off right out of their profits because they rushed into electric vehicles. I warned them, as well as other automakers, back in 2017. Take a moment, read my thoughts, and let’s discuss on the Car Pro Show tomorrow. We also have the winners of the Texas Auto Writers Association signature event of every year, the Texas Truck Rodeo, which includes SUVs as well.

Speaking of electric vehicles, Ford & GM are canceling their clever extensions of the $7,500 EV rebate, but you still have a couple of weeks. The Kia hamsters that were a huge part of the success of the Kia Soul have passed away. You can find out the best and worst cities to drive in, although it seems to me a few cities I know of that should be on the worst list. We LOVE our lady listeners, and below we remind you it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Also below, keep up with this: 3 car dealers are taking road trips in high mileage Nissans that have CVT transmissions. I pose the question: what could go wrong? You might recall I told you a few weeks ago that State Farm was sued for undervaluing cars that were totaled or stolen, and I predicted a class action suit was coming. Sure enough, info is below.

Kim Komando had a ton of interesting tidbits in her newsletters this week and I plucked a half dozen of them for you. Also. don’t miss Kim’s Fun Quiz, the answer is at the very bottom of this newsletter, under my closing message where I have written about recall apathy, and the dangers of that. I have a whole new batch of quirky and funny Quick Shift stories for you today, and don’t forget to go shopping in the Car Pro Merch shop, lots of good stuff there. Get caught up on the tariff news! In advice, I pose the question and give you the answer to: Are you wasting money on premium fuel?

In car reviews, I have two very large but very different vehicles this week. I have the ultra-luxurious 2025 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label. I also spent time with the 2025 Ram 2500 Longhorn Limited diesel 4x4 Crew Cab pickup. Amy Plemons brings you the engineering and tech marvel that is the all-new 2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron.

If you have never read my True Stories from a Former Car Dealer series, may I suggest you do so. People have loved this for a lot of years now. You’ll learn more about me than you probably want to know, you’ll roar with laughter at some, and you’ll likely get a tear in your eyes on others. They are all right here, 40 of them, carefully written by yours truly.

If you haven’t perused my FAQ page, please do. There are likely multiple articles you can use, every one of them written by me.

All of our other regular features are below including the Classic Car Contest, our radio station listings, how to connect with us on Facebook and call the show to talk directly to me, and much, much, more.

We very much appreciate you being part of the newsletter family. Without you, there is no Car Pro Show. Let us know how we can help you, and if you haven’t been to our website lately, check it out at CarPro.com. It changes daily.

Have a terrific week. See you on the radio!

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:

Chrome Sweet Chrome: Wyoming Airbnb Lets You Shack Up With Vintage Cars
You Can’t Make This Up: Tesla Turn Signals Now a Luxury Feature
Gene Simmons Blames His Crash on Dehydration—Rock & Roll Needs Water Too
Twenty Grand for 27 Minutes—Now That’s Premium Parking

Read Quick Shifts →

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM
JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO

Friends, we have been publishing the latest rules and eligible vehicles list for Tax Code 179 for over a decade. I encourage you to reach out to one of our Certified Car Pro Dealers at a CarPro approved dealership. They will help you figure out how to get the eligible vehicle you want. Note: Many automobile buyers will now be eligible to write the interest off on car loans, as a result of the “big beautiful bill” signed into law this July. The details of the rules are at the link below along with the latest on Tax Code 179.

2025 Tax Guide and List of Eligible Tax Code 179 Vehicles →

Interesting things I found in Kim Komando’s Newsletter

Medicare’s not calling: Open enrollment season almost guarantees you’re going to get more scam calls. Real Medicare won’t call unless they’ve mailed you first. If someone wants your SSN over the phone, they’re shopping for gullible folks. These scammers aren’t sloppy either, they’re international pros who can drain tens of thousands before you notice.

AT&T owes you: Two massive data breaches exposed info from 73 million AT&T customers, and the company’s dishing out $177M to make it go away. If your SSN was part of the leak, you could grab up to $7,500. Check if you’re eligible. Go to TelecomDataSettlement.com, enter your Class Member ID (or request one) and submit your claim by Nov. 18, 2025.

Make AI dad go away: Zelda Williams slammed fans for sending AI-generated clips of her late father, Robin Williams, calling them “disgusting, over-processed hotdogs” of human art. She said he’d never want his voice or face used that way, and I get it. Let him rest, folks. Chill out on the deepfake Sora 2 celeb videos.

Print for free at libraries: Why drop cash on a printer you’ll use twice a year? Many local libraries let you print 10-20 pages a day for free. Search libraries.org to find one near you, then call to confirm. Perfect for last-minute forms or that “oops” school project.

Musk made me do it: Look, if “Elon Musk” messages you about a hot crypto deal, it’s fraud not fate. Scammers are out there pretending to be him, using fake videos, livestreams and even his mom to vouch for the hustle. Folks have lost anywhere from 10 grand to a quarter million dollars. Some even think they’re dating him. Spoiler: You’re not.

See your Wi-Fi password: No more squinting or digging through sticky notes. On iPhone, open the Passwords app, tap Wi-Fi and select your current network. Long-press the password field and hit Show in Large Type. Ta-da, your Wi-Fi password appears in big, colorful letters, perfect for typing into that smart TV.

Photo Credit: Mecum Auctions, Inc.

We have had a lot of fun with our classic car contest on the Car Pro Show Facebook page. We post the photo of a classic vehicle every Saturday morning and invite people to guess the year, make, and model. The prize: an AutoHeatShield. Official contest rules →

This 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi will cross the block at Mecum Dallas/Fort Worth 2025 on Saturday November 1st!

Our Facebook winner this week, and winner of an AutoHeatShield, is:

CarPro listeners receive a 10% AutoHeatShield discount with the code "CarPro10".
Visit AutoHeatShield here →

If you are searching for a particular new or used vehicle, we can help you! The best news is, if you use CarPro to search, when you find the car of your dreams it will be at a CarPro approved dealership.

Our search feature is simple to use. Choose new, used, or certified. You can select the make and model, or find a price range you are looking at. Choose the number of miles you are willing to travel and enter your zip code. From there, you can look through all your matches, knowing you are shopping at a dealership I have handpicked that adheres to the high standards I require.

Start your search on the front page of CarPro.com. If you don't find the car of your dreams, check back regularly.

have 5 hours to call the show! From 9AM- 2PM Central, 7AM-Noon Pacific, and 10 AM to 3 PM Eastern, the phone numbers are:

DFW Show: 9 AM to 11 AM Central,
- 1 (800) 288-9227
National Show: 11 AM to 2 PM Central,
- 1 (800) 926-7777

Add the numbers to your cell phone; you never know when you are going to need straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive.

So, what is the CarPro Radio Show?

Confused about the car buying process? Worried you won’t get a fair deal? Wondering about which vehicle is best for you? Then tune in to the CarPro Radio Show every week where Jerry Reynolds and Todd Chambless will guide you through the car-buying process with confidence.

No matter where you listen to the show or which station you listen to, you have five hours to call in and ask your questions. We take calls every Saturday from 9 AM-2 PM Central time, 7 AM to Noon Pacific. The phone number is different the first two hours, then changes, so keep that in mind.

We would love to help you in any way possible! Keep in mind, we don’t take mechanical questions, but everything else is great!

The Car Pro Radio Show is heard every weekend all over the United States, and every weekend we deliver straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment and tell a friend about the show.

Most of our listeners tell us that they never thought they would look forward to a show about cars. You may have friends or relatives who feel the same way in the cities below, please make them aware.

Here are the DFW markets the show airs in, times, and stations, and don't forget you can now listen to WBAP on the FM dial at 93.3 FM!

Dallas, TX: WBAP 820 AM/93.3 FM/99.5 HD 2, Saturday 9am to 11am Central
Dallas, TX:
➡️ NEW!!! KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 1pm to 2pm Central Dallas Show Airs LIVE
KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 2pm to 4pm Central - Pre-recorded National Show
Granbury, TX: KPIR 1420 AM, Saturday 11am to 2pm Central
Listen to the WBAP Podcast (up every Tuesday)→

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There’s one part of vehicle ownership that too many drivers treat like jury duty—they know they should take care of it, they fully intend to, and somehow it keeps getting pushed to “next week.” I’m talking about recalls. Every year millions of them go unperformed, and every year, somebody pays the price for that procrastination.

I talked on the air Saturday about recalls, especially those that we label as fire risks. These are critical, and if your car has one of these, you should never park inside any structure, like your garage. Until the recall can be repaired, your car should not be parked anywhere near your home. I retold the story about how this had happened twice to listeners of the Car Pro Show. Luckily nobody died, but both houses were destroyed.

Recalls aren’t optional upgrades or nice-to-have software patches; they’re red flags raised by the people who built your car, saying something under the hood, inside the airbag, or behind the dashboard could fail in a way that hurts you or someone else. And yet, about one in five vehicles on U.S. roads today has at least one open recall. That’s roughly 50 million cars, trucks, and SUVs rolling around with a known problem that their owners haven’t addressed.

Sometimes the reasons sound almost understandable. Drivers think it’ll take too long, or that their dealer will upsell them into something they don’t want. Maybe they figure the car’s out of warranty and they’ll get stuck with the bill. But recall repairs are always free, and they’re often quick—some can be done while you wait. The automaker pays the dealer to do it, not the other way around. And unlike that optional “vehicle health check” or the complimentary car wash, this one could literally save your life.

The Takata airbag crisis should have been enough to wake everyone up. Faulty inflators that could explode and send metal fragments into the cabin have been linked to more than 30 deaths in the U.S. alone. Millions of those airbags still haven’t been replaced, even after a decade of warnings. That’s not a failure of technology; it’s a failure of follow-through. Automakers sent letters, emails, even postcards. Dealers made phone calls. Some states partnered with DMVs to include recall alerts with registration renewals. And still, many vehicles slipped through the cracks because their owners didn’t take the time to schedule a free fix.

It’s easy to see how we got here. Cars are more reliable than ever, so people assume that if it’s running fine, it must be fine. But recalls aren’t always about something obvious. A fuel pump that might quit unexpectedly, a brake hose that can rupture under pressure, a seat-belt retractor that fails in a crash—these are invisible risks until the day they’re not. You won’t feel them during your commute, but the engineers who found them did, and they’re giving you a chance to get ahead of the problem.

Technology has made it easier than ever to check your vehicle’s status. Every automaker has a recall lookup on its website, and the federal site—nhtsa.gov/recalls—lets you enter your 17-digit VIN and see instantly if your car is affected. Some automakers even push recall alerts through their smartphone apps or infotainment systems. And as always, check this newsletter for the very latest recalls. There’s really no excuse anymore to be in the dark.

If you’re the type who likes to say: “I’ll get to it,” make this the week you actually do. Call your dealer, make the appointment, and mark it on your calendar. If you’re driving an older car that’s changed hands a few times, pass the word along to whoever owns it now. Recalls follow the car, not the title.

The industry spends millions chasing compliance that should be automatic. They can design safer cars, they can detect problems faster, but they can’t drag you into the service bay. That’s up to you.

So, before you put off that notice again, remember this: a recall isn’t an inconvenience—it’s a second chance. And in a world where so many things about driving are beyond your control, taking advantage of a free fix might be the simplest, smartest decision you make all year.

My New Must-Read Commentary!

When The Warning Lights Come On For Electric Cars

U.S. Auto Market

Tariff Talk: Large Imported Trucks Face 25% Tariff Starting Nov. 1st

Read more→

GM, Ford Cancel $7,500 EV Lease Rebate Extension

Read more→

TV Segment: $1000 Car Payments

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: Are You Wasting Money on Premium Fuel?

Ladies: It Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

On The Road: Test Drives

2025 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label

Read Jerry's review →

2025 Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn

Read Jerry's review →

2025 Audi S6 Sportback e-tron

Read Amy's review →

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.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

Very Sad: Kia Soul & Famous Hamsters Are Dead

The successful Soul and its hamster marketing campaign were pivotal for the brand.

What Could Go Wrong? 3 Car Dealers In High- Mileage Nissans

Rare Ford GT To Run At Barrett-Jackson Tomorrow

Genesis Opens New Design Studio in SoCal

Follow-Up: State Farm Class Action Lawsuit Over Lowball Settle

Which Rental Car Company Is The Best?

Best & Worst U.S. Cities To Drive In

Weekly Recalls

What's New For Tax Code 179 and More!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO

2025 Tax Guide and List of Eligible Tax Code 179 Vehicles →

Our Incentives Guide

Win A 2025 Ford Raptor or $50,0000!

Kim Komando's Quiz & Interesting Info

Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

Exclusive Approved Products & Services

It's Here! The CarPro Merchandise Shop!

Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter

Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

Click here for the WBAP DFW podcast →

Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle?

FAQ: Research Your Questions Before You Shop

You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show!

Where to Find Us

My Must-See Video Of The Week!

Todd's Video of the Week!

Closing Message: Pay Attention To Recalls

When The Warning Lights Come On
For Electric Cars

Very Sad:
Kia Soul & Famous Hamsters Are Dead

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM
JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO