Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice:
Aged Inventory On Dealer Lots Means Bargains

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\ Commentary: The FTC Is Cleaning House - But Only Halfway

Some, not all, car dealers engage in deceptive advertising and should be punished by the FTC. But what about businesses that do the same thing? My thoughts:

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 Commentary: Stellantis Hits Reset- And It Feels Right

Only one of the Detroit 3 automakers was up in sales in the first quarter of the year. Coincidence? Or is Stellantis actually getting it right? My thoughts:

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   U.S. Auto Market

Q1 U.S. Auto Sales: All Automakers Reporting

We gave you most of the Q1 sales numbers last week, but some of the automakers are slow pokes. I gave you my analysis of the first quarter, and if you missed it, you can catch up. Click below for that and ALL the sales numbers from every automaker that sells cars in the United States.

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Proposed Vehicle Tax Raises Fairness Questions

A major shift in how Americans pay for roads could be coming—and it may hit some drivers a lot harder than others.

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Kia Says It's Bringing A Pickup To The U.S.  

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VW Ends ID.4 Production To Build New Atlas

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  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:

• This Is Not How Any of This Works
• “I’m Just a Girl” Isn’t a Legal Defense
• Six Months Later, Surprise—We Had Your Car!
• Because LA Traffic Waits for No One

  Weekly Recalls

• Audi→
• Chevrolet **CRASH RISK** →
• Ford (2) **CRASH RISK** →
• Honda→
• Hyundai/Genesis→
• Lucid **CRASH RISK**→
• Mercedes-Benz *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 →

  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: 

If time is money, is an ATM a time machine? Back in 1967, the inventor of the ATM had a very sensible idea: Make PINs six digits long. More numbers, more security, very grown-up stuff. But then, eureka, someone else weighed in, shrinking the combo to four.

🏧 Can you guess why the ATM PIN shrank from six digits to four? A) Banks wanted faster transactions, B) Early keypads jammed after four presses, C) His wife could only remember four digits or D) They tested six digits but kept locking out their own engineers.

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

💡Kim’s Tips: 

Each week, I comb Kim's newsletters and curate a list of her tips and advice that I think you'll find relevant and interesting. Here's what I have for you this week! →

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

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  Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

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  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

This is #9 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 34 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

This is a bizarre story from my days as the Ford National Dealer Council Chairman. Some of you will recall that Ford Explorers were rolling over and killing and injuring hundreds of people. It was a holy mess and I found myself right in the big middle of it. There was much I didn’t understand about the situation until several years later. Be sure to go to the end, and like me, you’ll understand it much better.

You can read #9 here: Firestone →

Click here for the True Stories library →

  Closing Message From Jerry

The One Thing AI Can't Do 

There’s a lot of talk these days about artificial intelligence.

Seems like every time you turn around, there’s a new story about what AI can do—help with homework, answer questions, even help people make big decisions. And I’ll be the first to admit, it’s impressive. In a lot of ways, it can make life easier.

But the more I see it, the more I’m reminded of something it can’t do.

It can’t replace people.

Not the kind of people who really make a difference.

I spent decades in the car business, and I can tell you firsthand—what made a dealership successful wasn’t the inventory, the location, or even the prices. Those things mattered, sure. But they weren’t the reason customers kept coming back.

It was the relationships.

It was knowing your customers by name. Remembering what they drove, what they liked, what their kids were up to. It was sitting across the desk from someone who was nervous about making a big purchase and taking the time to walk them through it, step by step, until they felt comfortable.

That’s not something you automate.

That’s something you earn.

And it’s the same thing I’ve tried to do on the radio all these years.

When someone calls in, they’re not just looking for specs or numbers—they can get that anywhere. What they want is reassurance. They want someone to listen, to understand their situation, and to help them make the right decision for them.

Not the fastest answer.

The right answer.

AI can give you information. In fact, it can give you more information than you could ever possibly use.

But it can’t look you in the eye—figuratively speaking—and say, “I’ve been where you are, and here’s what I’d do.”

It can’t pick up on the hesitation in your voice. It can’t ask that one follow-up question that changes everything. It can’t care whether you made a good decision or not.

And that’s the difference.

Because at the end of the day, buying a car isn’t just a transaction. It’s a big moment for most people. It’s money, it’s trust, it’s sometimes even a little stress.

And in those moments, what people really need isn’t more data.

They need someone who cares.

I’ve always believed that the best dealerships aren’t the ones that sell the most cars—they’re the ones that take the best care of people. The same goes for this show. It’s never been about being the loudest voice or the fastest answer.

It’s about being the one you can trust.

Technology will keep changing. AI will keep getting better. There’s no stopping that.

But there will always be a place—there has to be—for real people who take the time to help other people.

Because no matter how advanced things get, there are some things you just can’t replace.

Trust is one of them.

And so is a conversation with someone who genuinely wants to help.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

 💡Kim Komando Answer:

C) His wife could only remember four digits. Yep. John Shepherd-Barron tested the six-digit PIN on himself first. No problem. Then he tested it on his wife, Caroline.

🍀 She kept stumbling over six digits and told him four was the most she could reliably remember. So, he changed it to four. And that was that. No bank summit, no committee meeting with matching gray suits.

There are roughly 3.5 million ATMs worldwide, all running on a decision one woman made about her own memory over dinner. I guess you could say Caroline really left her PIN on the world.