What's Up With All The Ford Recalls?

Ford Motor Co. has taken its share of criticism in recent years for the number of recalls attached to its vehicles, including from yours truly. But the automaker says the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story.  I felt a deeper dive into the subject was warranted after reading a recent Fox News story on the topic that I found to be quite misleading. I went so far as to reach out to Ford’s Chief Communications Officer Mark Truby for his insight into what's going on behind the scenes when it comes to Ford recalls. I also share my thoughts at the link below:

• What's Up With All The Ford Recalls? →
• Most Recalled Car Brands So Far This Year → 

   

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: Why Do New Car Headlights Blind Me At Night?

It's not your imagination. Car headlights are brighter these days, and here's why.

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  Legal File

Iowa AG Sues GM Over Selling Personal Data

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 Drivers Badly Underestimate True Cost Of Vehicle Ownership

A new survey finds that drivers are dramatically underestimating the true cost of car ownership - something critical to the car buying process. Annual vehicle ownership costs include things like fuel, insurance and repair/maintenance costs. It's important to fully understand these owning and operating costs before making a car-buying decision.

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  My Newest Song: Stand With The Brave

After my song about the Olympic Hockey teams winning the gold for the U.S., I had a number of listeners request I do one about the war in Iran. Then when word broke about casualties, I had even more requests. I wasn’t 100% sure I could do it to be honest. It hits hard to think of the death of a member of our Armed Forces, people who volunteered because they love their country, and in pursuit of that, paid the ultimate price.

I thought long and hard and this one took hours. The previous ones just rolled out, but not this one. I contemplated every single word. At the same time, I didn’t want it to be a song about sadness. I believe every one of our military members thought long and hard about their decision to voluntarily enlist. They knew the risk and did it anyway. So while the words to the song tried to capture the true meaning of what a hero is, I wanted it to also be somewhat of a celebration of the women and men who are a world away fighting for freedom for all of us. God bless those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families and friends.

In my closing message at the bottom today, I give you some insight into why I started songwriting and the reasons I find it important.

As I say in the song:

Freedom isn’t free, we all know the cost. It’s written in the names of the ones we’ve lost. Folded flags and a bugle’s cry, tears that fall but never ask why. We won’t forget, we won’t look away, we honor their sacrifice every day.

If you missed the song on the show last Saturday, click here or on the photo below for the link and feel free to share it with whomever you think might enjoy it. You’ll also find the complete lyrics there on that same page:

  Quick Shifts

Stories you’ll find today:

• From Car Crash to Manhunt in One Easy Step
• Six Days in Quicksand: Worst Florida Vacation Ever
• The Worst Possible Escort to the Hospital
• North Carolina Car Wash Learns the Hard Way About Fencing Wire

Read more→

  Weekly Recalls

• Buick **CRASH RISK**→
• Chevrolet/GMC (2) **CRASH RISK**→
• Ford (5)  **CRASH RISK**→
• Toyota →
• Takata Air Bag Recall →

  Incentives Guide

Here you'll find our incentives and rebate guide which includes a link to every major manufacturer’s incentive page. Just enter your zip code to find the current incentives offered in your area. 

Current incentives By Automaker  

  Sell Or Consign Your Car For Top Dollar!

I hear from a lot of people who end up with an extra car for some reason. Sometimes it is due to a death in the family, or someone gets transferred overseas. I’ve seen many occasions where this happens. Well now, we have two ways to dispose of a vehicle.

ThisCar has been with us for quite some time. They are terrific buyers and make the transactions very easy. They have helped many of our listeners and I’ve had terrific feedback. They are great, too, if you need a good idea what your car is truly worth and as I always say, a car is only worth what someone is willing to write a check for it. ThisCar writes checks, and lots of them.

Now, if you have more time, RetailMyRide.com is now an official partner of the Car Pro Show and they take cars on consignment. You’ve heard me recommend them in the past most likely, and they have helped many of our listeners. They market the car at all the right places, they get top dollar for it, take a little off the top, and you get the rest. It’s that simple. No people coming to your house, calling or texting, no worrying about how to complete the paperwork, they do all that for you.

So, the question is: Do you want quick cash or the most cash? We’ve got you covered either way with CarPro AppraisalPro OR CarPro ConsignPro.

It all starts at CarPro.com, click SELL A CAR at the top, or click here →

  Enter To Win A 2026 Corvette Or $40K Cash!

Imagine winning a brand-new 2026 Corvette—or choosing $40,000 cash instead. Now is your chance in our current sweepstakes in partnership with Vehicle For Good! 

The giveaway supports Hope Local, a nonprofit dedicated to walking alongside foster and adoptive families so children can experience stability, belonging, and hope. When you enter, you’re not just entering to win—you’re helping kids move one step closer to home.

  Kim Komando Quiz and Interesting Info  

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s.  We are on many of the same radio stations across America.  She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do:  Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better.  Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

💡Kim’s Quiz: 

 Your car watches, listens and records more than your phone, laptop and smart speaker combined. We’re talking GPS location down to the parking spot, speed, braking patterns, seat belt use, voice commands, synced contacts, call logs, even weight distribution in the seats. Some models know how many passengers you have and whether the driver’s eyes are on the road. And every bit of that data gets sent somewhere.

So, here’s the question. How many data points does your car vacuum up in a single hour of driving? A) 500, B) 2,500, C) 10,000 or D) 25,000+?

*Answer below my closing message at the very bottom of this newsletter

Some Interesting Items I Found In Kim’s Daily Newsletter! 

• Free car manuals, no catches: If you’ve ever paid a mechanic just to tell you what’s wrong, this one’s for you. charm.li is a free library of repair and service manuals covering over 50,000 car and truck models from 1982 to 2013. No sign-up. No paywall. No “start your free trial” nonsense. Find your make, model and year, and download the full repair manual as a PDF. Shade tree mechanics, this is your new best friend.

• Your gas app snitched on you: A federal judge ruled Allstate must face a class action accusing it of secretly tracking 45 million drivers through apps like GasBuddy, Life360 and Fuel Rewards. The allegation: Allstate's data unit embedded hidden software that monitored your speed, braking and location, then used it to raise your premiums. Even passenger rides counted against you. Fifteen lawsuits combined into one big case. "You're in good hands?" More like tracked hands.

• Wrist saves driver: Another day, another Apple Watch saves the day story. An Ohio 19-year-old hit a tree while driving home from work in the snow, slid down a 15-foot ravine, and her truck flipped upside down into the Little Miami River. Pitch-black, swallowing water, trapped. Her Apple Watch detected the crash and called 911 while she breathed through a 4-inch gap in the floorboards. Firefighters busted the window, yanked her out, with minor injuries. The watch costs $250. Let’s see your Rolex do that. These stories never get old. Neither does being alive.

• Drive-thru report card: Get this. Burger King is putting AI in employees’ headsets to track whether they say “please” and “thank you.” An OpenAI-powered chatbot named “Patty” listens to every drive-thru conversation and gives a friendliness score (paywall link). It’s live in 500 locations now and rolling out to all 7,000 U.S. stores by year’s end. Talk about lord of the fries.

• 3-second tech genius: Google Maps knows what you mean, even when you don’t. You don’t need an exact name. Type “quiet cafe with Wi-Fi” or “cheap oil change near me,” and it pulls up local spots instantly. Here’s the fun part. Try “sunset view” for somewhere scenic or “free things to do” for parks, events and museums that cost zero dollars. Google Maps is basically a concierge you forgot you had. Just check reviews first. Some people’s definition of “cozy” is generous.

• Know who’s calling without looking at your phone: Your iPhone vibrates the same way for everyone. Fix that. Open Contacts, tap the person, hit Edit. Scroll to Ringtone or Text Tone, tap Haptics, then Create New Vibration. Tap out your own pattern and save it. Now you’ll know it’s your kid, your boss or your mom before your hand hits your pocket. That mystery buzz? Gone.

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  True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

This is #4 in a series of 40 stories written by me about occurrences from my days in the car business. Each story had a lasting impression on me for some reason or another. Some because they were funny, some because they were sad, and some were just strange. But whatever the case, over the next 37 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

Today, is Child Care. Sometimes even the very best ideas sort of backfire. When I built my new Ford dealership, we built a super nice child care area so kids could play while Mom and Dad shopped for a new car. It took the pressure off the parents and made the deals go smoother and faster. For the most part, it worked out great. But the lesson learned was words matter, especially in advertisements.

You can read #4 here:

True Stories #4: Child Care→

  Closing Message From Jerry

The Heart Behind
The Songs   

If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while, you know I’ve been doing something a little different lately.

I’ve been writing songs. People have told me my whole life I had a flair for writing. That was always a compliment and I am careful but passionate about everything I write, including things in this very newsletter.

Now before you start wondering if I’ve completely lost my mind, hear me out. These weren’t just random songs. They came from moments that meant something to me — and I suspect to a lot of you, too.

One was about the U.S. Olympic hockey teams bringing home gold. Both the men and the women captured gold medals this year, something that doesn’t happen very often and is a reminder of what can happen when preparation meets heart. Watching those teams celebrate on the ice with the American flag draped across their shoulders was one of those moments that just makes you proud to be an American.

Another song was about our military men and women who are serving our country overseas. Every one of them volunteered to wear the uniform and stand between us and danger. That’s a level of commitment most of us can’t fully comprehend, but it deserves our respect and gratitude every single day. Included in Stand With The Brave was also the sacrifice that the families make.

I even wrote one inspired by that famous GMC Christmas commercial. You know the one. A husband gives his wife a puppy for Christmas, and she surprises him with a brand-new pickup truck in the driveway. It’s a commercial, sure, but the reason people love it is because it taps into something real — the joy of surprising someone you love with something meaningful. I was also quick to note that GM has been running the same commercial for five years.

And yes, I even wrote a song poking fun at Jerry Jones, a man I know personally. If you’re a Cowboys fan, you know exactly what I mean. Sometimes that man can make you cheer, sometimes he can make you shake your head and spit nails-like when he says “this is our year” every year for the past 30 years. But one thing you can’t deny is that he has passion for making money.

At first glance, those songs may seem like they have nothing in common. Hockey players, soldiers, pickup trucks, and football owners aren’t exactly the same story.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized they actually share something important.

Passion.

Those Olympic athletes didn’t win gold medals by accident. They spent years chasing a dream that most people will never experience. Early mornings. Long practices. Injuries. Sacrifices. All for the chance to stand on that podium with the national anthem playing.

Our troops show that same kind of passion and dedication every time they put on the uniform.

Even that Christmas commercial works because it captures the joy people feel when they give something meaningful to someone they love. It reminds us that sometimes the best moments in life happen in the driveway, not in the headlines.

And yes, even in sports, passion is what drives everything. Owners, players, coaches, and fans all care deeply about what happens on that field or court.

The more I think about it, the more I realize those songs weren’t really about hockey or trucks or football.

They were about people who care deeply about what they do.

That’s something I’ve always greatly admired.

When I owned my dealership years ago, the people who succeeded weren’t always the flashiest salespeople. The ones who did the best were the ones who genuinely cared about the customer sitting across the desk. They cared about helping someone make the right decision. They cared about doing the job the right way.

You can’t fake that kind of passion.

You see it in an athlete skating toward a loose puck in overtime. You see it in a soldier standing watch in a place most of us will never visit. You see it in someone handing a family the keys to a vehicle they’ve been saving for.

And sometimes, you even hear it in a song, and this is my hope in these endeavors.

I’ll probably write a few more before I’m done. I can’t promise any of them will ever win a Grammy, but they’ll always come from the same place — appreciation for the people and moments that remind us why we love the things we love and to hopefully put a smile on the faces of Car Pro Show listeners and subscribers.

Because in the end, whether it’s hockey, our troops, a pickup truck in the driveway, or even the Dallas Cowboys…passion is what keeps the engine running.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

 💡Kim Komando Answer:

D) 25,000+ data points per hour. That’s roughly seven data points every single second you’re behind the wheel. Over a year, your car generates about 25 gigabytes of data, about the same as streaming 50 hours of Netflix, from driving to work and back.