Our 25th Anniversary Show Is Tomorrow!

This Saturday marks a milestone I am extremely proud of: The Car Pro Show has officially been on the air for 25 years. To be clear, this is not the 25th anniversary of the show on WBAP. It is the 25th anniversary of the show itself—the day this adventure began with a microphone, a telephone and the belief that car buyers deserved straight talk and honest answers.

When we started, I could never have imagined what the show would become. There was no grand plan for national syndication on 181 radio stations, a large dealer network, podcasts or a weekly newsletter reaching readers across the country. The goal was much simpler: Help people make good decisions about buying, selling, financing, leasing and maintaining their vehicles. Tell callers the truth, even when it was not necessarily what they wanted to hear, and never allow an advertiser to influence the advice they received.

That basic promise has never changed.

It would be impossible to talk about the first 23 years of the show without talking about Kevin McCarthy. Kevin was beside me from the beginning and was far more than simply a co-host. He is my friend, my sounding board and an essential part of the personality and success of The Car Pro Show. We shared thousands of hours behind microphones, took countless calls and somehow managed to survive more technical problems, strange questions and unexpected moments than either of us could possibly remember.

Kevin brought his own knowledge, humor and perspective to the program. He also had the rare ability to know exactly when to jump into a conversation—and, occasionally, when to let me keep talking until I had driven myself directly into a ditch. You cannot erase 23 years of chemistry, memories and friendship, and I will always be grateful for everything Kevin contributed to this show and to my life.

This Saturday also marks the second anniversary of Todd Chambless joining me as co-host. Todd stepped into a role that could not have been easy, but he never tried to imitate anyone or turn himself into something he was not. He brought his own voice, considerable broadcasting experience, quick wit and genuine love of cars to the program.

Over the past two years, Todd and I have developed our own rhythm, and I could not ask for a better partner behind the microphone. More importantly, he is also a good friend. Todd understands what this show has always been about: serving the listeners, giving honest advice and having some fun along the way. If we can save somebody from buying the wrong car, help a listener solve a problem and get a few laughs before the commercial break, that is a pretty good hour of radio.

Along the way, I’ve had the support of my wife Kelly. The hours are long, the emails never stop. I’ve had help growing the show from Tom Haynes and the crew at Acuity Marketing. Amy Plemons is our Executive Producer & car reviewer, and she puts the newsletter together every week. Our producers, Duane Sedge and Lee Riza are invaluable, and our caller screeners play a vital role in the final product you hear. It seems seamless on the air to most, but the preparation that goes into the show goes on way before the on-air lights hit the mics. I have to thank our station affiliates for believing and supporting.

We will celebrate Saturday by broadcasting remotely from the Sam Pack Auto Group Museum in Farmers Branch, surrounded by one of the most remarkable private automobile collections you will ever see. I cannot imagine a more fitting place to mark 25 years of talking about cars. There will be beautiful classics, loyal listeners, old friends and plenty of memories. Knowing us, there may also be a few stories that improve slightly with age.

Most of all, this anniversary belongs to you. You called the show, trusted our advice, visited our dealers, read the newsletter, listened to the podcasts and told your friends about us. Some listeners have been with us from the earliest days. Others discovered the show only recently. Every one of you has played a part in keeping us on the air for a quarter of a century.

Twenty-five years is a long time in radio—or in anything else, for that matter. The automobile business has changed dramatically, but people still want someone who will answer their questions honestly and help them avoid expensive mistakes. As long as you keep listening and calling, Todd and I will keep showing up.

Thank you for an unforgettable first 25 years. The odometer is still turning, the tank is full, and I am not ready to pull over yet. I have more thoughts on this milestone in my closing message today.

  CarPro Sweeps! Win A '26 Corvette or $40K!

We're excited to bring you CarPro Sweeps - formerly Vehicle for Good!  

CarPro Sweeps was created to give everyday people a fun, exciting opportunity to win incredible vehicles and life-changing prizes through a sweepstakes experience they can trust.

You can enter now to win a 2026 Corvette Stingray or $40K cash! Our 30X bonus entries ends Sunday! Click here to enter! →

The sweepstakes began July 20, 2026 and ends 11:59:59 p.m. CST on November 1, 2026!

Check out past sweepstakes winners here! →

  LIVE Remote TOMORROW At Sam Pack's Museum!

JOIN THE CAR PRO SHOW A WEEK TOMORROW AT THE 34th ANNUAL DALLAS NATIONAL’S CLASSIC CAR SHOW brought to you by the Sam Pack’s Five Star Dealerships.

Mr. Sam Pack opens his private car museum only one time per year!

This Year Featuring the Shelby Cobra America Texas Club!

• WHEN: Saturday, September 26th, 8:30AM – 2PM
• WHERE: 2070 Diplomat Drive, Farmers Branch, TX 75234 – Click Here for a Map
• REGISTRATION TIME: 8AM – 10:30AM
• REGISTRATION FEE: $25
• SHOW TIME: 10:30PM – 1PM
• AWARDS: 1 PM to 2:15 PM

The Car Pro Show will be broadcasting LIVE from 9AM – 2PM!

There is NO ADMISSION CHARGE to visit Mr. Sam Pack’s private car collection!

Lots of Cars, music, and fun for the entire family- note: Kids Corner- Bounce house & Face painting! Contact: Alex Sagal 972-408-8062

  BARGAIN TIME! Last Weekend Of The Month & End Of Q3

It is the end of the month Wednesday, so time is running out on the amazing September incentives, and almost always, they drop at the beginning of any new quarter. The end of the third quarter of 2026 ends on that Wednesday also, so this is the last weekend for both!

It’s no secret, the deals get better at month end, and when the quarter ends at the same time, it really gets good for consumers. Automakers push the dealers for volume, and dealers do whatever it takes to make a deal.

Gas prices are sky high and I know a lot of you are considering going electric. The incentives on those are terrific, and of course, hybrids continue to be hot products. Trade values are through the roof, especially on clean trade-ins of any make or model. I keep saying these high used prices can’t last, and the truth is, when they drop, they’ll drop like a rock.

Remember too, at least for now you can write interest off on your taxes for 2026, and you self-employed and business owners, Tax Code 179 awaits and you might want to make that move now instead of December. There is something for everybody and we’ve got all the latest changes to the laws below, don’t miss out.

For best results, follow my process and talk to one of my friends here:

After all, everybody needs a friend in the car business.

  State and Federal Headlines

Jay Leno's Law Signed By California Governor

Read more→

Update! AM Radio In Your Car Gets A Boost!

Read more→

FTC Issues More Guidance On Car Dealer Ads

Read more→

Credit Acceptance Corporation Is Forgiving $634 Million In Loans 

Read more→

  2026 Tax Code 179 Guide

2026 Tax Code Section 179, Bonus Depreciation and Car-Loan Interest Guide

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

2026 Tax Code Section 179 Guide→

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

Chat GPT Plus/CarPro.

CarPro Advice:
Be Sure To Ask About Your New Car's Subscriptions

Don't buy a new vehicle without asking this very important question.
Read more →

You Ask, CarPro Answers

• How Do I Calculate My Car Payment? Jerry's Answer → 

• What Does Certified Pre-Owned Actually Mean? Jerry's Answer →

 Suits and Settlements

Suits & Settlements is a weekly feature highlighting recent automotive-related legal matters. Whether they impact customers and drivers, a specific automaker or have wider implications for the industry, they are important lawsuits and settlements I think you'll find as interesting as I do.In this week’s Suits & Settlements, you’ll find the following reports:

• Hyundai Sued Over Driver-Monitoring Camera System 
• Ford and Lemon Law Firm Battle Over Allegedly Inflated Legal Bills
• GM Sued Over Alleged CVT "Shuddering" and Stalling Defect
• F-150 Owners Denied Class Action Status in 10-Speed Transmission Suit 

Read more →

  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:

• When Your Check-Engine Light Picks the Worst Possible Zip Code
• The Corvette With The Ultimate Final Owner
• California Sees Red Over Red Headlights
• Elon Musk's "Palace" Has Wheels

Read more →

  Weekly Recalls

• • • • Buick/Chevrolet  **CRASH RISK**→ 
      • Ford (2)  **FIRE AND CRASH RISK**→ 
      • Hyundai  **POWER REAR SEATS MAY TRAP A PERSON*→ 
      • Jeep **CRASH RISK**→
      • Rivian **CRASH RISK**→
      • Toyota/Lexus **CRASH RISK**→
      • Volkswagen  **CRASH RISK**→       

 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 →

  Kim Komando Quiz and Tech Tips

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 →

 
💡  Kim's Quiz

Remember when “smart car” meant it beeped if you left the lights on? Now your car is basically a rolling laptop with cupholders and battery anxiety.

🚗 A new premium car runs on more lines of software code than what? A) A fighter jet, B) A calculator app, C) My nephew’s video game that he’s very good at or D) All of the above? The answer’s parked at the end.

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

Tech Tips & Interesting Finds From This Week’s Komando Newsletters

This week, New York City rolls out new robotoilets.

Read more →

  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.

GiveMeTheVin has been with us for quite some time. In fact, GiveMeTheVin founder John Clay Wolfe and I have been friends for over 30 years. His team is made up of terrific buyers who make the transactions very easy. They have helped many of our listeners and I’ve had terrific feedback. They're great, too, if you need a good idea of 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. GiveMeTheVin 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 →

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Go to the Newsletter Archive →

  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! 

 The Car Pro Show Now Airs In 180 Markets!

  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

Twenty-five years.

I've been saying that a lot lately, and I'm still not sure I've completely wrapped my head around it.

This Saturday marks 25 years since the Car Pro Show first went on the air. Not 25 years on WBAP specifically, but 25 years of sitting behind a microphone on Saturday mornings talking about cars with people I've mostly never met.

When we started, I certainly didn't have a 25-year plan. I was a car dealer who knew a lot about the automobile business and thought I might be able to help people understand an industry that can be confusing, intimidating and, unfortunately, sometimes deserving of the reputation it has.

Kevin McCarthy was sitting beside me in those early days and remained my co-host for the first 23 years. Neither of us could possibly have imagined where this thing would go. We weren't trying to build a national radio network. We certainly weren't thinking about hundreds of radio stations, newsletters, websites or any of the other things that eventually grew around the show.

We were trying to answer the next caller's question.

Twenty-five years later, I think that's still the most important thing Todd and I do.

I've been thinking about what all those Saturdays have taught me, and strangely enough, most of the lessons aren't really about cars.

I've learned that when somebody calls a radio show and asks whether he should replace the transmission in his 12-year-old pickup, there's often another question underneath the question. Maybe money is tight. Maybe that truck has to get him to work every morning. Maybe his daughter starts college next month. Maybe he's afraid of making a $6,000 mistake he can't afford.

He doesn't really need somebody to prove how much they know about transmissions.

He needs somebody he trusts to tell him what he would do.

That distinction has shaped this show more than anything else.

I learned early that people don't necessarily want an expert who knows everything. They want somebody who will tell them the truth, including when the truth is, “I don't know.”

I've said those three words on the radio plenty of times.

There was a time in my life when I probably thought admitting you didn't know something made you look weak. Age and 25 years of live radio cured me of that. There's nothing wrong with not knowing an answer. There's something terribly wrong with pretending you do.

Cars have changed beyond anything I could have imagined when we started. We've gone from talking about cassette players and CD changers to discussing over-the-air software updates. Engines got smaller and more powerful. Screens got enormous. Cars learned to watch blind spots, brake themselves, steer between the lines and tell you when the car ahead has driven away while you're sitting at a traffic light looking at your phone.

Through all of that technological change, however, the questions underneath the questions haven't changed very much.

“Can I afford this?”

“Is it reliable?”

“Am I getting a fair deal?”

“Can I trust this dealer?”

“Is this the right car for my family?”

“What would you do?”

That last one has always carried the most weight with me.

When somebody asks what I would do, they're handing me a little bit of their trust. I have never taken that lightly.

I've also learned how quickly life moves when you measure it in Saturdays.

There are only 52 of them in a year. Twenty-five years sounds enormous until you realize it's only about 1,300 Saturdays.

Somewhere among those Saturdays, I sold my dealerships. The radio show that had begun while I was still in the car business became my career. The Internet changed everything about how people shop for cars. The show grew far beyond North Texas and eventually across the country.

And life happened.

People who were part of the show left us. Listeners became friends. Kids who used to ride in the back seat while their parents listened grew up and started calling the show themselves. I've had people tell me they listened with their dad when they were young and now listen with their own children.

There aren't many things anyone gets to do long enough to hear that.

I've also learned that you never really know who's listening.

There have been Saturdays when I finished a show and thought nothing particularly remarkable had happened, only to get an email later from someone telling me that one answer saved them thousands of dollars or kept them from making a terrible mistake.

I've heard from people sitting in hospital rooms, truck drivers crossing the country, families headed to soccer games, people cleaning their garages and people shopping for a car with the radio playing while they drove from dealership to dealership.

Radio is strange that way. I'm sitting in a studio talking into a microphone, but on the other end there may be one person driving alone who feels as though we're having a conversation.

After 25 years, I still think that's pretty remarkable.

I've learned a few things about the automobile business too.

Most dealers are good people trying to run good businesses. Most salespeople want customers to be happy because happy customers come back. There are bad actors, of course, and I've spent 25 years calling them out when they deserved it. I've also spent those years defending good dealers when they deserved that.

Fair is fair.

That's really what “Straight Talk and Honest Answers” has always meant to me.

Not telling people what they want to hear.

Telling them what I believe to be true.

Sometimes that means telling a caller to buy the car he loves. Sometimes it means telling him to walk away. Sometimes it means telling somebody the dealer is wrong. And sometimes—and this doesn't always make me popular—it means telling the caller the dealer isn't the problem.

Twenty-five years behind a microphone has also taught me something I wish I'd understood better when I was younger: careers aren't nearly as predictable as we pretend they are.

For most of my adult life, I thought I would always be a car dealer. I loved the business. I loved the competition, the people, the Saturday rush and the feeling when the dealership was humming.

Then one chapter ended.

Another one was already beginning, although I didn't recognize it yet.

I could never have imagined that after leaving the dealership business I'd still be talking about cars every week, only now to millions of people instead of the customers walking through one showroom.

Life has a funny way of doing that.

And through almost all of those first 23 years was Kevin McCarthy.

You don't spend that many Saturdays sitting beside somebody without becoming part of each other's lives. Kevin helped establish the personality and rhythm of this show, and any honest reflection on these 25 years has to acknowledge how much he meant to it and to me. I'm grateful for those years and for everything we built together.

Today, Todd Chambless sits beside me, and this weekend also marks two years of Todd and me working together. The voices change. Stations change. Cars certainly change.

The mission doesn't.

Help the person on the other end of the phone.

That's what we were doing 25 years ago, and that's what I hope we're still doing 25 years from now, although somebody else will probably have to handle that shift.

This Saturday we'll celebrate at the Sam Pack Car Museum surrounded by some beautiful automobiles, which seems like an appropriate place to mark a milestone for a show about cars.

But when I look back, the cars aren't what I'm most grateful for.

It's the people.

The callers who trusted me with their questions. The listeners who gave us part of their Saturday for year after year. The dealers who supported the show and understood that my first responsibility had to be to the listener. The affiliates that put us on their airwaves. The people behind the scenes whose names you may never hear. Kevin for those first 23 years, Todd today, and everyone who helped get us from that first microphone to this weekend.

And especially those of you reading this.

You've allowed me to spend a quarter-century doing something I genuinely love.

Twenty-five years ago, I thought I was starting a radio show about cars.

Looking back now, I think I misunderstood what we were starting.

The cars were simply what brought us together.

The trust is what kept us together.

And after 25 years, I can't think of anything I value more.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

💡Kim's Quiz Answer

The answer: D) All of the above. A modern high-end car runs on somewhere north of 100 million lines of code. An F-35 runs on a small fraction of that.

This is why a fender bender costs $4,000, your dealer talks about “software updates” and the guy who fixed your Buick in 1988 can’t touch it. You bought a data center on wheels that gets 28 miles per gallon.