May 29, 2026

Dear Car Pro Family,

I hope you had a spectacular Memorial weekend. I know many of you got new vehicles, so congrats to you! The end of the month is here, and the great incentives end Monday night. If you missed them last weekend, there is still time. You may notice a bit of an abbreviated version of the newsletter today. With the Monday holiday this week, I wanted our folks (and me) to be able to enjoy Memorial Day. We’ll be back with a full edition next week.

There has been much fearmongering about future cars and kill switches that are being proposed. I took the time to separate fact from fiction and have a special report for you below. I don’t have to tell you this, but your fuel costs are up, at least for now, but below I tell you just how much. Not sure why this was great news to me, but Febreze is coming out with cabin air filters for your car. I also introduce you to a new Ford Bronco Edition and a hot new lineup of Ram trucks.

True Story #15 is at the bottom of this publication, and it is called Ignition Switches. Back in the day, Ford was doing something stupid and I had a meltdown in front of God and everybody. For this week’s car reviews, I have the unusual but beautiful 2026 Ford F-150 SuperCrew STX Lobo. I also spent time with the 2026 Honda Pilot Elite 3-row SUV. Amy Plemons brings you a full review of the 2026 Mazda CX-50 Turbo Premium Plus.

In advice this week, I expound on the Kim Komando special report from last week with a column titled Your Car Knows More About You Than You Think. In my closing message, I talk about the fact that You Only Have So Many Saturdays. I’ve got some great stories for this week’s Quick Shifts, and Suits & Settlements-my legal roundup feature, will return next week.

We’ve got another quiz from Kim Komando and some really cool tech tips from her outstanding 7-day per week newsletter. If you aren’t used to looking at her section, give it a try, there are some real gems there. 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, so don’t miss out, look at all the stories all the way to the bottom.

Check the recall section to see if you may need to take action on your vehicle. Miss a radio show? Below we tell you how to get the podcast, and if you missed a newsletter, we tell you how to find the archive page where you can see the last 10 editions. The incentives have gone up lately, but our Incentive Guide is always 100% up to date.

All of our other regular features are below including the Classic Car Contest, our radio station listings, how to 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!

YOU’LL FIND THE FOLLOWING STORIES AND A LOT MORE INFORMATION AS YOU SCROLL DOWN THE NEWSLETTER:

Huge May incentives end Monday-Don’t miss out
Car Pro Special Report: The truth about the proposed vehicle kill switch
Your annual fuel costs are up by $706 currently
Febreze is making cabin air filters for your car
Check out the Filson Edition Bronco
Survey: People don’t believe electric cars save money
Meet the new Ram Rumble Bee lineup of trucks
This week’s Quick Shifts
Kim Komando’s Quiz & great tech tips
This Week’s Q&A Spotlight: Your Questions Answered
Car Pro Advice: Your car knows more about you than you know
Car Pro Car Review: 2026 Ford F-150 Lobo 4x4 pickup
Car Pro Car Review #2: 2026 Honda Pilot Elite SUV
Car Pro Review by Amy Plemons: 2026 Mazda CX-50 Turbo SUV
Videos of the week
True Stories from a former car dealer #15: Ignition Switches
Closing message: You Only Get So Many Saturdays
Plus, all your normal, weekly information!

Here we are again! The big Memorial weekend incentives end Monday night and historically, they drop in June slightly. If you had plans to get a new vehicle this year, and particularly in the next 90 days, this may be the last big end of the month sales for a while, who knows? There is still plenty of inventory available, but in the case of the Ford trucks, those are getting tougher and tougher to find with no end in sight.

The good news is if you have a trade-in, the market is staying up extremely high. Auction prices are still through the roof, and what is interesting is it is across the board, not just certain segments. At the auction I just watched, cars were selling to dealers for thousands of dollars over the Manheim Market Report price guidelines.

If you missed the big sales last weekend, there is still time and eager dealers. I can tell you from experience that if you have a good month going with a few days left, you want to make it a better one. If you’ve had bad weather or other challenges, you try to salvage the best month you can. In dealerships, it’s go time.

Use my process, it works if you follow it. Here is a quick reminder of how to fully take advantage of my tried-and-true system:

At Carpro.com, just a little down from the top, choose Find a Certified Dealer near me, select the brand you are interested in, and enter your zip code. All approved dealers will be found there sorted by the nearest to you. All the contact info will be there, and if you email them from their listing on my website, they’ll know I sent you and you’ll have VIP status. Set your appointment with the Car Pro contact and you are on the way to a new set of wheels. Our website is user-friendly for your phone or on a computer.

If at any time you need help, just click:

Need help? Our team is ready to assist you. Click here.

Get yourself a bargain before Monday night!

kill-switch-cars-jerry-chat-gpt-plus-2-1

AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

For the past several months, one of the hottest automotive stories online hasn’t been tariffs, EV adoption, or self-driving technology. Instead, it’s been something called the “kill switch” mandate. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a lifesaving safety breakthrough or the first step toward government control of privately owned vehicles. A lot of “automotive journalists” have used the topic for click bait and to frighten people. I set out to find the facts. No guessing, no conjecture, just what we know that can actually be verified. Novel approach, heh?

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 →

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.

I recommend you subscribe to Kim’s daily newsletter. I learn something new every single day, and it’s free! Subscribe here →

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 is an AutoHeatShield. Official contest rules →

Last weekend's Classic Car, posted on our Facebook page, was a 1955 Ford Thunderbird Convertible that crosses the block at Mecum Tulsa 2026 on Saturday, June 6th. Our Facebook winner this week and winner of an AutoHeatShield, is:

Visit AutoHeatShield →

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)→

High Gas Prices Drive Georgia Man to Create a Mini-Car

One Georgia handyman may have accidentally built the unofficial mascot of the $4 gas era: a tiny homemade “mini car” that he says costs just $3 to fill up. The pint-sized ride — somewhere between a scooter, a toy car and a hot-pink DIY go-kart — was created by a 30-year-old handyman who built the quirky vehicle himself. He stuck a two-gallon, one-piston engine from a power washer into a broken pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper that’s only 4 feet tall. One pull of the lawnmower-like rip cord and he’s off!

This is #15 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 24 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

Today, I tell you about the only time in the 2 years I was the Ford National Dealer Council Chairman that I came unwrapped in a meeting. I lighten it up in this True Story, but the reality was I lost it at the stupidity of Ford executives. I can’t say I am proud of it, I am usually cool, but it is what it is.

You can read #16 here: Ignition Switches→

Click here for the True Stories library →

You Only Get So Many Saturdays

If you work a Monday through Friday job, Saturdays probably mean something different to you than they do to me.

For most people, Saturdays are for sleeping in, youth sports, yard work, golf, watching games, running errands, and family dinners.

For most of my adult life, Saturdays meant work.

And not just work. Saturday in the car business.

If you’ve never done it, it’s hard to explain. Saturday isn’t another day—it’s game day. Everything builds to Saturday. Inventory, advertising, staffing, month-end pressure, customers finally having time to shop, sales managers watching numbers, trade appraisals stacking up, deliveries piling up.

You show up knowing there’s a pretty good chance you’re not leaving on time.

And if you owned the dealership, Saturday carried a different kind of responsibility.

All those years I’d bring in lunch for a staff of 150 people or more. Now before you think that was because I’m some great guy, let me tell the truth: I brought lunch because I didn’t want everybody leaving at the same time. If people stayed, customers got helped, deals kept moving, and Saturdays worked better.

But over time, those lunches became one of my favorite parts of the week. You’d walk through the break room and see technicians sitting with salespeople, managers laughing with porters, and everybody catching their breath for ten minutes before heading back into battle.

I miss that.

Long before radio, long before Car Pro, Saturdays belonged to the dealership. And if I’m being honest, there were years when I missed birthday parties, family gatherings, sleeping in, and what most people would call a normal weekend.

Because people buy cars when they’re off work—not when you are.

Then something funny happened.

After I got out of the dealership business and moved into radio, I thought maybe Saturdays would finally become normal.

That lasted about five minutes.

Now Saturdays mean a headset and five straight hours of live radio with no script and no reset button. Caller after caller trusting me with one of the biggest financial decisions they’ll ever make.

And honestly, I still love Saturdays.

Not because they’re easy. They aren’t. By the end of the show, I’m mentally exhausted some days. There are moments retirement sounds pretty appealing.

Then the phones light up.

A couple of weeks ago, Vernon called and told me he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was trying to get things in order for his family. Out of everything he could’ve been doing, one of the things he wanted to do was make sure they didn’t make costly mistakes after he was gone.

That call stayed with me.

And Sherman called week before. Sherman is almost 90 years old. He served our country in the military and later with the Dallas Police Department. Sherman told me he wanted one last thing: his final new truck.

So, I reached out and had one of my dealers deliver a brand-new truck right to his house.

Not because of ratings. Not because of business. Because some moments matter more than business.

That’s when it really hit me.

Somewhere along the line, Saturdays stopped being about selling and became about serving. Helping people save money. Helping them avoid mistakes. Helping somebody feel heard when they don’t know where else to turn.

I’ve been blessed beyond measure. I had greater success in the car business than I ever imagined as a kid washing cars. Truth is, I could stop tomorrow. I could sleep in on Saturdays, learn to play more golf, and turn off my phone.

But I don’t.

Because you only get so many Saturdays.

Nobody knows how many.

And the older I get, the more I realize the ordinary Saturdays often become the meaningful ones. The Saturdays helping people. The Saturdays shoulder to shoulder with your team. The Saturdays where somebody calls in and reminds you why you still show up.

Twenty-five years ago, if you’d told me I’d still spend Saturdays helping people—but through a microphone instead of across a desk—I wouldn’t have believed you.

But here we are.

And if I’ve learned anything, it’s this:

A Saturday spent helping somebody is never wasted.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

Gooodbye KNX In SoCAL!

The HUGE May Incentives - Don't Miss Them!

Car Pro Special Report

AI-Generated Using ChatGPT Plus.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: Your Car Knows More About You Than You Think!

Fuel Watch

Your Annual Fuel Costs Are Up By $706

Survey: People Don't Believe Electric Cars Will Save Money

FAQ: This Week's Q&A Spotlight!

Q: Should I Buy A Hybrid?

Q: What Does Certified Pre-Owned Actually Mean?

On The Road: Test Drives

2026 Ford F-150 STX Lobo 4X4

Proof you can get a V8-powered pickup that's a whole lot of fun without breaking the bank.

2026 Honda Pilot AWD Elite

One of the best three-row family-friendly SUV buys on the market!

2026 Mazda CX-50 Turbo AWD

A near-luxury interior, Turbo power and engaging driving dynamics at a great price.

Quick Shifts

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

Check Out The Filson Edition Ford Bronco

Meet The New Ram Rumble Bees

New Febreze Cabin Air Filters For Your Car

Weekly Recalls

Incentives Guide

Sell Or Consign Your Car For Top Dollar!

Kim Komando Quiz and Tech Tips

Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

Exclusive Approved Products & Services

Get Your Car Pro Show T-Shirts, Hats and Mugs

Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter

Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle?

You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show!

Where to Find Us

Jerry's Must-Watch Video of the Week!

Todd's Video of the Week!

True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

Closing Message From Jerry

You Only Get So Many Saturdays

Q: Should I Buy A
Hybrid?