August 21, 2026

Dear Car Pro Family,

Let’s call this our affordability issue. Affordability is the hot buzz word right now it seems, so we’ll look at cars. I wish it was good news, but overall, it really isn’t. Still, it is what it is and people are still buying cars in big numbers. We’ll start with looking at the shocking prices of used cars today, a report that new car prices were up slightly last month, and we’ll look at new vehicle inventory, which will ultimately determine near-future factory incentives.

On the plus side, some vehicle insurance premiums have gone down, and I tell you which ones. Also, the people who are re-financing their cars have found a way to save money. The option people demand the most on new cars? HEATED SEATS. This is hard to imagine right now with the temps in DFW, but that’s what they say!

In advice this week, I pose the question: Is your car trying to tell you something? Then at the very bottom of the newsletter, my closing message is: Things I Was Sure About At 30. I want to take a moment and thank all those who reached out about last week’s closing message. I was clear I touched a lot of people with that one. If by chance you missed it, you can click here.

For this week’s car reviews, I have two more SUVs for you. The 2026 Ford Expedition Max King Ranch, and the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek. Our Amy Plemons brings you a full review of the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT. True Story #26 is called Memories of Radio, a recollection of using radio as my #1 medium of advertising when I owned dealerships, and how it once backfired on me. As usual we have Kim Komando’s quiz and a bunch of other tech items you can use. I’d also recommend you subscribe to her newsletter, and I give you a link to do so. I’ve also got some great stories for this week’s Quick Shifts, and lots of action in the legal roundup: Suits & Settlements.

If you haven’t perused my REVAMPED FAQ page, please do. There are likely multiple articles you can use, every one of them written by me, AND NEW ONES being added every week, 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, the radio stations we are on, 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, stay safe, and we’ll see you on the radio!

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

The shocking cost of used cars today
FTC fines Nissan dealer $4 MILLION
KBB: New car prices up slightly in July
People refinancing car loans are saving money
#1 most wanted car option: Heated seats
Reminder: Beware the flood-damaged car
New vehicle inventories tighten up
Cars with the biggest drops in insurance premiums
This week’s Quick Shifts
Suits & Settlements
Kim Komando’s Quiz & Tech Tips!
Car Pro Car Review: 2026 Ford Expedition Max King Ranch
Car Pro Car Review #2: 2026 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek
Car Pro Review by Amy Plemons: 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT AWD
Videos of the week
True Stories from a former car dealer #26: Radio Memories
Closing message: Things I was Sure About At 30
Plus, all your normal, weekly information!

We're excited to announce the launch of 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! →

suits and settlements chat gpt plus jerry reynolds

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:

First-Time EV Driver Sues Tesla Over Model Y Crash
Subaru Asks Judge to Toss Pre-Collision Braking Claims
Polestar Dealer Seeks $25 Million Over U.S. Exit
Mercedes-AMG Drivers Sue Over Alleged Seat-Badge Burns

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:

Researcher Gloria Mark has spent 20 years timing our screen-hopping habits, which is both fascinating and mildly rude.

Back in 2004, people stayed focused on one screen for about 2.5 minutes. Today? Let’s just say our attention spans have packed a tiny suitcase. Mine's so short I just switched screens twice writing this sentence.

💻 How long does the average person stay on one screen before switching? A) Four minutes, B) Two minutes, C) 75 seconds or D) 47 seconds?

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

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 →

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 1966 Aston Martin DB6 that sold for $209.000 at Mecum Monterey last Saturday, August 15th! 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.

Don't forget we invite our long-time listeners to tune in to the Car Pro Show on its new SoCal home, KABC!

We also recently added more stations, bringing the total number of markets we air in to 180!

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: KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 1pm to 2pm Central Dallas Show Airs LIVE and 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)→

SO many mistakes were made in this 3-minute video from Arkansas. Couple runs out of gas on the Interstate, but instead of coasting to the side of the road, they park in the fast lane. They finally get out of the SUV, and presumably the Husband runs across the highway which could have been a disaster itself. Then a distracted driver plows into the first car. It doesn’t appear there were any fatalities, but this was SO avoidable! Get off the road when you have car trouble, and second pay attention to the road ahead folks!

This is #26 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 13 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

Today, I tell you about my marketing plan when I owned dealerships. For the most part, it was a good strategy that brought me a lot of success. Along the way, I was associated with some great radio talents, which may well have been what got me into radio myself. Just when you think you have it all figured out, something goes sideways like when I purchased a large dealership in Edmund, OK.

You can read #26 here: Radio Memories→

Click here for the True Stories library →

Things I Was Sure About At 30

When I was 29 years old, I became the youngest Buick dealer in America. My name was on the GM brand sign on Highway 183 in Irving, Texas, I had achieved something I'd dreamed about since I was a kid working around dealerships, and if you had asked me then whether I knew what I was doing, I'm pretty sure I would have told you I absolutely did.

That's one of the wonderful things about being young. You can possess an incredible amount of confidence without being burdened by an equal amount of experience.

I had already accomplished quite a bit in the car business. I'd started at the bottom, worked my way through different jobs, sold cars, managed people, and become a general manager. I had worked hard, learned quickly, and enjoyed success at a young age. When the opportunity came to become a Buick dealer, I believed I was ready, and in fairness to 29-year-old Jerry, there were good reasons for me to believe that.

What I didn't know was how much I didn't know.

The Buick dealership ultimately failed. By 1992, I was out, and a couple of years later I found myself 33 years old, going through a nightmare divorce, having been fired from another dealership that couldn't afford my salary, and needing to make money. I had previously been a dealership owner and a general manager twice, but none of those titles mattered much at that particular moment. I went to see a friend who was the general manager of Lone Star Cadillac in Dallas and asked him for a job.

He told me he didn't have any management openings.

I told him I didn't want one. I wanted to sell cars.

He looked shocked, gave me a hug, and said, "Welcome to Lone Star Cadillac."

Looking back, that may have been one of the most important moments of my career, although I certainly didn't recognize it as such at the time. I had gone from having my name on the sign to standing on somebody else's showroom floor waiting for an "up." If you'd told 29-year-old Jerry that was where he'd be a few years later, I'm not sure he would have believed you. More importantly, I'm not sure he would have understood how valuable the experience was going to be.

Failure has an amazing ability to teach lessons that success somehow overlooks.

At 29, I thought being successful meant you had figured things out. Today, I know success often means being willing to admit you haven't.

At 29, I thought the title was important. Dealer. General manager. Owner. Those words meant something to me, and I'll admit there was pride attached to them. When you've worked your way up from washing cars and cleaning service bays, seeing your name on a dealership sign is a pretty powerful experience.

At 33, I learned the title doesn't sell the car.

The person does.

I learned that there was absolutely no shame in starting over, although I can assure you it didn't feel that way initially. There is a tremendous difference between understanding something intellectually and having to live it. I knew there was nothing wrong with selling cars for a living; I'd done it before and respected the people who did it well. But going back to the showroom after having been the guy whose name was on the building required me to swallow a pretty healthy dose of pride.

It turned out to be good medicine.

I worked hard at Lone Star Cadillac, made decent money, enjoyed the people, and for the first time in a long while, I wasn't carrying the weight of an entire dealership on my shoulders. I thought I might stay there for years. Then, out of nowhere, I received a phone call from a man who had bought a struggling Ford dealership in Garland. Some of my former employees had gone to work there and told him he needed to talk to me.

After several conversations and several job offers I turned down, I finally accepted a position as sales manager. The dealership was dead last in Dallas-Fort Worth in sales volume when I arrived in the summer of 1990. A little more than two years later, we passed the longtime No. 1 Ford dealer in DFW, and eventually that dealership became No. 1 in Texas. In April 2002, we even outsold Galpin Ford in California and became the No. 1 Ford dealership in the country for that month.

None of that happens in my life without the failure that came first.

That's the part 29-year-old Jerry could never have understood.

If I could sit down with him today, I wouldn't tell him not to buy the Buick dealership. I wouldn't warn him that it was going to fail or tell him how to avoid the pain that followed. I'd be tempted, certainly, but I don't think I'd do it. That failure knocked some things out of me that probably needed knocking out, and it put some things into me that I would need for the rest of my career.

It taught me humility. It taught me that yesterday's success doesn't guarantee anything tomorrow. It taught me that you can make a bad decision without being a failure, and that starting over doesn't erase what you've learned along the way. Most importantly, it taught me that there is a huge difference between being confident in yourself and believing you have all the answers.

I carried those lessons into every dealership I operated afterward. When things were going incredibly well, I never completely forgot what it felt like when they weren't. Years later, when I had hundreds of employees and we were selling thousands of vehicles, I knew how quickly circumstances could change because I'd already watched them change once. When an employee stumbled, I was probably more willing to give him or her another chance because somebody had once given me one. When a young manager was absolutely certain he had everything figured out, I could smile because I recognized the guy.

I'd seen him in the mirror.

Those lessons follow me onto the radio today. After more than 50 years around automobiles, I'm certainly confident in what I know, but I'm also comfortable saying, "I don't know." If a caller asks me something and I don't know the answer, I'll find out. That's a much easier sentence for me to say today than it probably would have been when I was 30.

Age does that to you if you're paying attention.

There are a lot of things I was absolutely sure about when I was 30. I thought I knew what success looked like, how my career would unfold, which decisions would work, and probably quite a few things about life that I had no business being certain about. Some of those beliefs were right, some were spectacularly wrong, and a few probably make me laugh today.

I'm sure there are things I believe just as strongly today that life may still prove wrong. I hope I'm wise enough to recognize that possibility, because one thing I've learned is that life has a way of grading the test long after you've turned it in.

I wouldn't trade the confidence I had at 29. You need a certain amount of it to take risks, build businesses, and chase things other people tell you are impossible. I just wish I could have given that young man a little of the humility he was about to earn the hard way.

Then again, he probably wouldn't have listened.

He was absolutely sure he already knew.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

U.S. Auto Market

The Shocking Cost Of Used Cars Today

New-Vehicle Inventories Tighten Up

KBB: New Car Prices UpIn July

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

Nissan Dealer Fined $4M For Deceptive Practices

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: Is Your Car Trying To Tell You Something

When something suddenly sounds, smells or feels different, pay attention. Your car may be trying to tell you something.

U.S. Auto Financing

People Refinancing Car Loans Are Saving Money

Dealers Tell Lenders: Make Financing Easier

You Ask, CarPro Answers

Q: Is Now A Good Time To Buy An Electric Vehicle?

Q: What Should You Look For Before Buying A Used Hybrid Car?

Reminder: Beware The Flood-Damaged Vehicle

On The Road: Test Drives

2026 Ford Expedition MAX King Ranch

A luxury SUV served up Texas-size!

2026 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek AWD

Not your typical three-row family crossover!

2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 XRT AWD

Rugged looks. light off-road capability, and quick on its feet!

Legal Matters

ChatGPT Plus/CarPro.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

#1 Most-Wanted Car Option: Heated Seats

Cars With The Biggest Drop In Insurance Premiums

Weekly Recalls

Quick Shifts

ChatGPT Plus/CarPro.

Incentives Guide

Kim Komando's Quiz & Tech Tips

Sell Or Consign Your Car For Top Dollar!

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!

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

Things I Was Sure About At 30

KBB: New Car Prices Up
In July

CarPro Advice:
Is Your Car Trying To Tell
You Something

Dealers Tell Lenders:
Make Financing Easier