Special Guest This Saturday!  

This will bring back good memories for many of you:
(Click on the photo below to listen to the song.)

 Guest Columnist: How AI Is Changing Car Dealerships

Not being there every day like I was for decades, it is hard to keep up with current trends on the inside of car dealerships. I was curious about what effect AI was having, if any, and what we could expect in the future. For this, I turned to auto industry expert Trent Cannon and asked if he’d write something I could share with you. He was gracious enough to agree. Hopefully, we can get more updates from him in the future.

Read Trent's Post →.

  Kim Komando Quiz and Special Report  

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: 

Airplane Wi-Fi used to be a scam with a seatbelt sign. You paid real money, got dial-up speeds at 35,000 feet, and prayed your email landed before you did.

It was old satellites, way 22,000 miles up, doing the world’s slowest game of fetch. Now airlines are switching to Starlink, and those satellites are mind-bendingly closer to your plane.

📡 How high up are the Starlink satellites beaming internet to your flight? A) About 340 miles, B) About 6 miles, just above the clouds, C) The same 22,000 miles as the old satellites, only more of them, or D) They’re not using satellites at all, the signal’s bounced off cell towers.

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

🚨Kim's Special Report: Insurance Denial & How To Appeal

This information was a shocker to me and I talked about this extensively on last Saturday’s Car Pro Show. While not necessarily car related, I suspect some auto decisions are made similarly. This newsletter is first and foremost to help you, and sometimes if I think something will be useful to you, I want to bring it. Such is the case with this special report.

Read the Special Report→

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice:
Why You Should Not Trust Third-Party Auto Website Pricing

"Great Deal" badges that appear next to vehicle listings on third-party automotive websites are designed to denote vehicles that are the best values. But how do you know they really are?

Read more → 

  U.S. Auto Market  

Study: Car-Buying Satisfaction Improves

Read more →

  California News

FAQ: This Week's Q&A Spotlight!

Q: What Is The Trade-In Value Of My Car?

• For Jerry's Answer Click Here→

Q: Is It Better To Buy New Or Used Right Now?

For Jerry's Answer Click Here →

  Legal Matters

ChatGPT Plus/CarPro.

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:

• Owners Claim GM Window Defect Lets Water Into Vehicles
• Subaru Sued Over Alleged Phantom Braking Defect
• GM Truck Owners Press for Recall Data in Engine Lawsuit
• Consumers Score Early Win in GM Brake Litigation

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:

• You Can Run, But Not From the Robot Dog
• The Intern Would've Done Better
• When Adrenaline Meets Ice Cream
• When Orange Signs Are Just Suggestions

Read more→

  Weekly Recalls

• • Cadillac **AIR BAG INFLATOR MAY RUPTURE - INJURY OR DEATH**→
  • Chevy/GMC→ 
  • Chrysler **FIRE RISK WARNING/PARK OUTSIDE**→ 
  • Ford **CRASH RISK**→ 
  • Honda/Acura (2)  **CRASH RISK** →
  • Honda →
  • Jeep (2) **FIRE RISK WARNING/PARK OUTSIDE**→
  • Kia →
  • Lucid **CRASH RISK**→
  • Mercedes-Benz →
  • Nissan **CRASH RISK**→
  • Toyota/Lexus **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  

  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 →

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Go to the Newsletter Archive →

  Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

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  Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

  Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle? 

  You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show! 

  Now Airing On KABC +78 New Markets!

  Jerry's Must-Watch Video of the Week! 

  Todd's Video of the Week! 

  True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

This is #17 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 22 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

Today, I tell you a story about a HUGE programmable sign I put up at a Ford dealership I was the General Manager of. It was incredibly challenging due to constraints from the City of Dallas, and very strict rules from Ford Motor Company. I quickly learned that there was more than one way to skin a cat.

You can read #17 here: The Sign→

Click here for the True Stories library →

  Closing Message From Jerry

I Thought Success Looked Different   

When I was a kid working at a Ford dealership after school, I thought I had a pretty good idea what success looked like.

Success was the dealer principal, the owner, the guy whose name was on the building.

He had the office everybody wanted. He drove the nicest cars and could drive anything on the lot. People listened when he talked. He made the big decisions. When he walked through the dealership, everybody knew who he was and everybody suddenly looked alive. To a teenager installing mirrors and hubcaps in the Texas heat, that looked like the ultimate destination.

Like a lot of people, I spent years believing success was something you achieved. A place you arrived. A mountain you climbed. If I could just get to the next position, I’d be successful. First, it was becoming a salesperson. Then a sales manager. Then a general manager. Then at 29, the opening of my first dealership. I will never forget my name going up on the GM sign on Highway 183 in Irving, TX. I was the youngest Buick dealer in America. It was a failure and I had to sell it before closing it. It was a valuable lesson that has stuck with me since. It made me a better man and a better businessperson.

So, at 32 years of age, I was back where I was when I was 19. Broke and selling cars on a showroom floor, only this time it was a Cadillac dealership. Was I embarrassed to go from being the guy on the sign to selling cars? Damn right I was.

By 39, I was “the guy” again at a Ford dealership. I rose from sales manager to the top in a little over seven years. It took a lot of work and determination, and long hours but it paid off. The lessons I learned from failure ten years earlier were invaluable to get me there.

Looking back, I was fortunate. After a setback, I had a career in the automobile business that exceeded every dream I had when I was a kid washing cars and cleaning up service bays. I got to own five dealerships, work with tremendous people, provide opportunities for others, and build a life I could never have imagined when I first started.

For a long time, I measured success the same way many people do. Sales numbers. Growth. Awards. Recognition. Titles. Income. Those things aren't bad, and I’m proud of what I accomplished. But there was something I didn’t understand when I was younger.

Every time I reached one of those goals, there was another one waiting. The bigger office eventually became normal. The nicer car eventually became normal. The next accomplishment felt great for a little while, and then it was time to chase the next one.

Looking back, I realize now that success and purpose are not the same thing.

Twenty years ago, when I sold my last dealership and walked away from the retail automobile business, I honestly thought the most important chapter of my professional life was behind me. I was grateful for everything the industry had given me, but I never imagined that helping consumers through a microphone would become more rewarding than helping customers across a desk.

What I discovered was something much more meaningful than I expected.

I discovered how much I enjoyed helping people.

Every Saturday, listeners call the show with questions about buying cars, selling cars, repairing cars, insuring cars, and avoiding expensive mistakes. Some are buying their first vehicle. Some are buying what they know will probably be their last. Some are worried about a repair bill they can't afford. Some are trying to help a son, daughter, spouse, or parent make a smart decision.

A few weeks ago, Vernon called after receiving a terminal diagnosis. He was trying to get his affairs in order and make sure his family would be okay after he was gone. The following week, Sherman called. Nearly 90 years old, after serving our country in the military and later serving with the Dallas Police Department, he had one wish left: he wanted one final new truck. I was able to arrange for one of my dealers to deliver that truck right to his house.

Those aren't car stories.

They're people stories.

And after all these years, I've come to believe that people stories are the only ones that really matter.

Last week was one of the biggest weeks in the history of The Car Pro Show. We added 78 new radio stations across America, bringing our total to 141 affiliates nationwide. At the same time, my daily automotive advice features expanded to 396 radio stations that now carry them Monday through Friday.

Twenty-five-year-old Jerry would have looked at those numbers and thought he had won the lottery.

The funny thing is, the numbers themselves aren't what excite me.

What excites me is what those numbers represent.

Every one of those stations means more people have somewhere to turn when they're confused about a car purchase. More people have someone looking out for them when they're facing a costly repair. More widows, retirees, young families, and first-time buyers have a place to get honest answers without an agenda.

Somewhere along the way, success stopped being about how many people know my name and became about how many people I can help.

That realization sneaked up on me. I didn't see it coming. If you had asked me forty years ago what success looked like, I would have described a dealership, a title, an office, or maybe a balance sheet.

Today, my answer would be very different.

Success is waking up excited about what you do.

Success is knowing your work still matters.

Success is having a purpose bigger than yourself.

And success is ending the day knowing you helped somebody who needed it.

I've been blessed beyond measure. I had a wonderful career in the car business, and I still get to do something I genuinely love every single week. The older I get, the more grateful I become for that.

Because it turns out success looked a lot different than I thought it would when I was young.

And thankfully, it turned out to be much better. 

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

 💡Kim Komando Answer: 

A). About 340 miles up. Old-school airplane Wi-Fi relied on geostationary satellites sitting about 22,000 miles above Earth. Your signal had to take a truly absurd round trip to space and back before your meme, email or “running 10 mins late” text could move an inch.

Starlink’s satellites orbit much lower, which slashes latency from roughly 600 milliseconds to under 30. Yes, the miracle of modern aviation is that you can stream a show, send Slack messages and pretend to be “touching base” while zooming through the sky in seat 24B. The signal improved. The legroom did not. Such is life.