It's Here: The Last Weekend Of January!

This is the last weekend of January, which means the deals are going to get even better.  Inventories are building fast and, in fact, many of our dealers are overstocked and eager to move some metal and avoid big interest bills on their vehicle stock, especially with interest rates so high.  It is actually less expensive to sell a vehicle at a very low profit or even a loss, than it is to pay a big interest bill.  I know this from personal experience.

January is always a rough month for car dealers.  Couple that with the weather from last weekend, where many dealerships had to be totally closed on the weekend, and, well, some dealers are in a flat-out panic.  They’ve got today and tomorrow to sell as many cars as they can and that puts you in the driver’s seat.

Unusually good incentives have increased as the month has gone on, as I predicted, so your timing is good to get yourself a bargain. Truck incentives have really seen escalations.  For instance, on the #1 selling vehicle in America, the F-150, in many markets the 2025 models have as much as $5,250 in cash back.  There is a lot of 0% financing out there as well.

If you have a trade-in, used car values have continually ticked up the past three weeks, which makes no sense, but it is reality.  Car dealers needing to sell new cars will stretch way out on trade values just to make a deal. 

You can visit any of our dealers by clicking FIND A CERTIFIED CAR PRO DEALER NEAR YOU toward the top of the page at CarPro.com, it’s the green button on the left. 

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: The Danger of Internet Car Advice

The internet gives us more information than ever before. The challenge now isn’t finding answers — it’s knowing which ones matter.

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  U.S. Auto Market 

J.D. Power Residual Value Awards

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Colorado Dealers Sue State Over New Scout Direct Dealer Licenses

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Buick Envision Assembly Moving From China to U.S.

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Ford & GM Get FDIC Approval To Be Banks 

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  Quick Shifts

Stories you’ll find today:

• Arkansas Trooper PITs the Wrong SUV, Finds Out Size DOES Matter
• Wrong Pedal, Wrong Speed, Very Wrong Outcome
• Philadelphia’s “Courtesy Tow” Is Courtesy in Name Only
• Mirai Owners Told Not to Pay, Reported to Collections Anyway

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  Weekly Recalls

• • Ford **FIRE RISK** →
  • Genesis **CRASH RISK**→
  • Hyundai →
  • Lucid (2) **CRASH RISK**
  • Nissan**CRASH RISK**→
  • Rivian→
    
    
• 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  

  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 new sweepstakes in partnership with Vehicle For Good! 

Our latest 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: 

Oh, the day around my house is reserved for cleaning up some mess, so let’s talk about your phone. Your constant companion, your digital diary, your miniature germ farm. Yep. That glowing rectangle you press to your face is filthier than a toilet seat. And most people never clean it the right way. 

❓ How many times does the average person touch their phone per day? A) 96, B) 500, C) 1,500 or D) Over 2,600. You wouldn't lick a subway pole, but you're basically dating one.

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

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

• 3-second tech genius: No cell service? Swipe down from the top of your phone and turn on Airplane or Flight Mode. Wait 15 seconds, then turn it back off. This forces your phone to reconnect to the nearest tower and refresh the signal. Try it the next time your bars drop. Brilliant.

• Stay ahead of the storm: Weather alerts tell you when conditions are getting dangerous. Make sure they’re turned on. On iPhone, Settings > Notifications > scroll to bottom > enable Emergency Alerts. On Android, Settings > Safety & Emergency > Wireless Emergency Alerts. I know the sounds are annoying but we’re talking about your safety here. 

• 🔦 Turn your flashlight into a lantern with a water bottle: Power's out and you need more than a spotlight? Grab a water bottle. Turn on your phone's flashlight and set it face-up on a table. Place a water bottle on top of the light. The water diffuses the beam and fills the whole room with a soft glow, instant lantern. MacGyver would be so proud.

• Turn on keyboard vibration: A subtle buzz can make typing on your phone feel more natural and improve accuracy. On iPhone, open Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle Haptic Feedback. On Android, head to Settings > Sound and vibration> System vibration and turn on Keyboard vibration (path may vary on some Androids).

• Check your phone subscriptions: Those free apps you downloaded a while back might have turned into monthly charges in the background. On iPhone, open Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions and cancel anything you’re not using. On Android, open the Play Store > Profile Picture > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions.

• Set a charge limit on iPhone: If you’re always leaving your phone plugged in for hours, this one’s for you. Open Settings > Battery > Charging and choose an 80% limit (or whatever percentage you prefer). Once your phone hits that level, it stops charging, which helps reduce battery wear. 

• EV science project: Ford’s CEO Jim Farley wants you to know something big is brewing. A $30,000 electric truck is rolling out, built on a brandnew Universal EV Platform. But it’s not easy. He compared the effort to the Apollo space program. They’ve stopped production on the old Escape, installed mega-casting machines and wrote their own software. Whether it’s revolutionary or a nice idea? We’ll see this year. 

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  Closing Message From Jerry

The Privilege Of
Being Trusted 

Over the years, I’ve learned something important about trust: you don’t own it. You borrow it. And you only get to keep it for as long as you take care of it.

I was reminded of that in a big way after last week’s closing message. The response was overwhelming — Facebook posts, notes from listeners who took the time to say thank you, to share a story, or just to say they felt heard. I’ll be honest with you, that kind of response stops you in your tracks. Not because it’s flattering, but because it’s humbling.

When someone trusts you with their question, their concern, or their money worries, that’s not a small thing. They’re letting you into a very personal space. Buying a car isn’t just a transaction. It’s a financial commitment, a safety decision, and often an emotional one. People don’t ask for advice lightly, especially when they’ve been burned before.

I’ve always believed that trust in this business has to be earned slowly and protected fiercely. It can take years to build and seconds to lose. One careless answer. One rushed response. One time choosing convenience over honesty. And it’s gone.

That’s why I’ve never taken this show lightly. When someone calls in nervous, skeptical, or clearly worried about making a mistake, I hear more than the question they’re asking. I hear the experiences that led them there. The bad dealership visit. The confusing paperwork. The feeling that the process is stacked against them.

Trust means slowing down when it would be easier to rush. It means saying “I don’t know” when that’s the honest answer. It means steering someone away from a car when buying one would be the wrong move — even if that’s not what they hoped to hear.  It means holding a caller into the next break, which radio professionals tell you never to do.

I learned a long time ago, back when I was on the sales floor, that people don’t remember every detail of what you say. They remember how you made them feel. Did they feel respected? Did they feel pressured? Did they feel like someone was finally on their side? Those things last longer than any rebate or interest rate.

The auto industry has no shortage of opinions. What it has always needed more of is accountability. Someone willing to say, “Here’s the truth as I see it, and here’s why.” That responsibility doesn’t get lighter with time — it gets heavier. And that’s exactly how it should be.

Last week’s response didn’t make me feel like celebrating. It made me feel recommitted. Recommitted to listening carefully. Recommitted to asking better questions. Recommitted to earning that trust again this week, and next week, and as long as I’m lucky enough to do this.

Because trust isn’t about being right all the time. It’s about being honest every time. It’s about remembering that behind every car question is a real person trying to do the right thing for themselves or their family.

If you’re one of the listeners who reached out, thank you. And if you’re someone who just listens quietly every week, know this: none of that trust is taken for granted. Not for a moment.

The privilege of being trusted is the most valuable thing I’ve ever been given in this business. And my promise to you is simple — I’ll keep doing everything I can to be worthy of it.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

 💡Kim Komando Answer:

D) Over 2,600 touches per day. Scientists have found staph, strep, even E. coli (gross!) lurking on our screens because apparently sanitizing means breathing on it and rubbing it against your jeans. University of Arizona researchers found the average smartphone has 10x more bacteria than a toilet seat. If you’re side-eying your phone right now, same.