July 17, 2026

Dear Car Pro Family,

I want to start this week with a heartfelt thank you to all those who reached out to say how much they enjoyed our Road to 250 special 5-hour broadcast July 4th to celebrate America’s birthday. Many of you reached out to tell me they loved my new song “Why Can’t Everybody See It?”. We put a lot of work into the presentation and are just so happy how well received it was.

Today, I don’t think I’ll cause any controversy like last week calling for the GM CEO’s retirement, calling out Dave Ramsey, and continuing on with my distrust of Consumer Reports. We’ll start this week with the most American-Made cars and of that, which are the best buys. We also have the findings of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. This is the one all automakers strive to win. We’ve also learned that Toyota is expanding their assembly plant in San Antonio to build Tacomas.

For this week’s car reviews, I have two very different all-wheel drive SUVs: The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness and the 2026 Acura ADX A-Spec. Amy Plemons brings you a full review of the 2026 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+.

True Story #21 is at the bottom of this publication, and it is called Ordering Cars. I had to order the inventory for a lot of years, and it is a very tough job and as you’ll learn, it’s easy to make mistakes. Kim Komando’s quiz and a bunch of other tech items you can use are here as usual. I’d also recommend you subscribe to her newsletter and I give you a link to do so. In advice this week, I explain what all your VIN can tell you. I’ve also got some great stories for this week’s Quick Shifts, and Suits & Settlements. My closing message today is titled: The Little Things, some lessons I’ve learned in life along the way.

If you haven’t perused my 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.

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:

Watch my Fox 26 Houston TV segment on New Vehicle Prices
The most American-Made cars & the best buys
The big one! J.D. Power Initial Quality Study
Diesel tuners convicted in emission scandal pardoned by President
Meet the 2027 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink Edition
2027 Dodge Charger introduces new Purple Haze for 60^th Anniversary
Toyota announces huge expansion in San Antonio
Power Dollars are back at Dodge
YIKES! Operation Slowdown starts tomorrow
Nobody trusts Gen Z to change a tire
NHTSA to driverless cars: GET OUT OF THE WAY!
The new $15,000 Fiat-Is it an EV or a golf cart?
This week’s Quick Shifts
Suits & Settlements
Kim Komando’s Quiz & Tech Tips!
Car Pro Advice: Everything Your VIN Can Tell You
Car Pro Car Review: 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness
Car Pro Car Review #2: 2026 Acura ADX A-Spec Advance SUV
Car Pro Review by Amy Plemons: 2026 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+
Videos of the week
True Stories from a former car dealer #21: Ordering Cars
Closing message: The Little Things
Plus, all your normal, weekly information!

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:

Jeep Fire Defect Lawsuit Clears Procedural Hurdle
Washington Dealers Sue Scout Over Direct Sales Plan
Judge Tosses Tesla Insurance Class Action
Mitsubishi Wins Early Court Fight Against Former Dealer

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:

Your phone may look calm and innocent sitting there, but inside it’s a tiny tech lasagna. Layers of cameras, chips, sensors, glass, battery bits and teeny tiny screws. Those parts travel farther than most of us do on vacation, bouncing between countries like they’re in a very expensive relay race. So once everything finally arrives at the factory, you’d think assembly would take forever, right?

📲 How long does it take a modern factory to assemble a single smartphone? A) About 30 seconds, B) Around 20 minutes, C) A little over an hour or D) A full eight-hour shift, with snack breaks for the robots?

*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 →

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.

In LA, we invite our long-time listeners to tune in to the Car Pro Show on its new SoCal home, KABC!

Plus, as of Saturday, May 30th, we welcomed listeners in the following markets!

Anchorage and Fairbanks, AK; Little Rock-Pine Bluff, AR; Phoenix (Prescott), AZ; Reno, NV; Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), AL-FL; Albany, GA; St. Louis and Springfield, MO; Terre Haute and Indianapolis, IN; Lincoln and Hastings-Kearney, NE; Lexington, KY; Washington (Hagerstown), DC-MD; Traverse City-Cadillac, Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, and Lansing, MI; Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg, MO-IL; Jackson, MS; Great Falls, MT; Charlotte, NC; Amarillo, Odessa-Midland, Lubbock, and Abilene-Sweetwater, TX; Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM; Salt Lake City, UT; Syracuse and Buffalo, NY; Knoxville, Jackson, and Tri Cities, TN-VA; Shreveport, LA; Burlington-Plattsburgh, VT-NY; Denver, CO; and Casper-Riverton, WY.

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)→

A GOLF COURSE CAR CHASE!

A Canton man wanted for attempted murder is accused of leading police on a violent, multi-county chase that ended with multiple crashes, serious injuries, and a dramatic escape attempt. Investigators say 39-year-old Julius Edwards fired at an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper, fled into the woods, then allegedly carjacked a minivan to continue running from police. The pursuit crossed into Stow and even raced across Fox Den Golf Course as stunned witnesses watched it unfold. Watch the video to see the chaotic chase and dramatic moments captured on camera.

This is #21 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 19 weeks, we’ll feature one of them, in order for you to enjoy.

Today, I tell you a story about the importance of ordering cars when I was still in the car business. I’ve ordered tens of thousands of cars in my life, and I can tell you that is a huge responsibility. A person who is good at it can give a dealership a competitive edge. The opposite is true, too. As you’ll see from this story, someone who doesn’t know what they are doing can cost a dealership a lot of money.

You can read #21 here: Ordering Cars →

Click here for the True Stories library →

The Little Things

People often ask me what it takes to become successful in the automobile business.

Over the years, I've probably been asked that question a hundred different ways. Young salespeople want to know how to sell more cars. Managers want to know how to build a better team. Dealer principals ask what separated the top performers from everyone else.

Most of them are expecting some complicated answer.

They're usually disappointed.

Because after spending more than forty years in this business, I've become convinced that success rarely comes from doing one big thing. More often than not, it's the result of doing a hundred little things that other people either don't think about or don't believe matter.

Early in my career, I figured out something that stayed with me forever. Customers usually don't remember the numbers on the buyer's order nearly as well as they remember how you made them feel.

They remember whether you respected their time.

They remember whether you returned their phone call.

They remember whether you kept your word.

And they especially remember whether you did something you didn't have to do.

I can still remember running out into a Texas thunderstorm to bring a car around so a customer wouldn't have to get wet walking across the lot. I remember climbing into a car that had been sitting in 110-degree heat, starting the air conditioner, and letting it cool down before asking a family to get inside. I remember grabbing a hose and washing a car myself because make-ready was backed up and I wasn't about to make a customer wait another hour. I remember delivering vehicles on Christmas Eve because that was the only day the customer could take delivery, and I remember more than one night when midnight came and went before we finally finished the paperwork and shook hands.

None of those things appeared anywhere in a job description.

Nobody ever paid me extra for doing them.

But every one of them mattered.

The older I got, the more I realized those little things weren't really about selling cars. They were about showing people they mattered.

Years later, when my son BJ got into the automobile business, we talked about those things often. I never spent much time teaching him clever closing techniques because I honestly didn't think that was what made someone successful. Instead, we talked about treating people the way you'd want your own family treated. Return every phone call. Do what you promise. Never let a customer wonder where they stand. If something needs to be done, don't spend ten minutes looking for someone else to do it. Just take care of it.

BJ understood that better than most people.

That's one of the reasons he led the sales board so many months at Five Star Ford. Customers trusted him because they knew he genuinely cared about them. He wasn't looking for the next deal. He was trying to build the next relationship, and it turned out the deals followed naturally.

I've seen the same principle play out outside the automobile business too. The people I admire most aren't necessarily the smartest or the wealthiest. They're the ones who remember birthdays without Facebook reminding them. They send handwritten thank-you notes. They check on a sick friend. They return calls when they say they will. They show up when someone needs help, even when it's inconvenient.

Those are little things.

Until you're the person on the receiving end.

Then they become very big things.

I suppose that's one of the reasons I've enjoyed doing the radio show for so many years. Every Saturday I have an opportunity to do one more little thing. Sometimes it's answering a question that saves someone a few thousand dollars. Sometimes it's helping a widow understand the buying process. Sometimes it's steering a young couple away from a mistake they'll never have to make. Those may seem like small moments in the course of a five-hour show, but I've learned that small moments have a way of becoming lasting memories.

Looking back over my career, I honestly don't remember every big sale, every sales contest, or every award. Those accomplishments were certainly meaningful at the time, but they aren't what stay with me now.

What I remember are the people.

The customer who hugged me after I found the right vehicle for her family. The employee who needed someone to believe in him. The guy I hired who had a criminal record when nobody else would. The funeral I paid for when a police officer was killed in the line of duty, The listener who wrote to tell me we saved them from making an expensive mistake. The listeners who have gotten money because I told them about diminished value, or how to fight an insurance company. Those are the memories that have lasted, and every one of them started with something that probably seemed pretty small at the time.

Life has a funny way of working like that.

The little things don't seem very important while you're doing them. It's only years later that you realize they weren't little at all.

They were everything.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

Kim Komando's Quiz Answer:

A). About 30 seconds. Well, sort of! A single phone spends 15 to 20 minutes traveling down the line to be stitched together across hundreds of steps. But because mega-factories use a highly synchronized dance of automated robots and thousands of workers, the output speed is staggering: a brand-new, completely finished smartphone rolls off the end of a single conveyor belt every 30 seconds.

Think about that: a half-minute miracle dropping a finished piece of peak global tech, faster than it takes to make a piece of toast. The months you spend waiting for a new model aren’t about assembly at all. Those factory robots build a whole new one before you’d even find yours in the couch cushions.

Top Story

The Most American-Made Vehicles & Best BuysThe Jeep Gladiator makes the Top 10 on Cars.com's 2026 American-Made Index.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: Everything Your VIN Can Tell You Your car's VIN can tell you a lot and all of it is important.

U.S. Auto Market

The Big One! J.D. Power 2026 Initial Quality StudyRead more→

NHTSA To Driverless Cars: Get Out Of The Way!Read more→

Toyota Announces Huge Expansion In San AntonioRead more→

Diesel Tuners Convicted In Emissions Cases Pardoned By President

Fox 26 Houston Segment On New-Vehicle Prices

You Ask, CarPro Answers

Q: Will Car Prices Go Down In 2026 & Should You Buy Now Or Wait?

Q: What Is APR On A Car Loan & What Is A Good Rate Right Now?

Yikes! Operation Slowdown Starts Tomorrow In TX

Legal Matters

ChatGPT Plus/CarPro.

On The Road: Test Drives

2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness

Surprisingly upscale while still keeping its personality and the capability Subaru fans love.

2026 Acura ADX A-Spec Advance

Acura's smallest SUV is a well-equipped, right-sized, easy-to-live-with crossover.

2026 Lexus GX 550 Luxury+

The stylish and capable 2026 Lexus GX 550 is a commanding presence that will impress your neighbors and the valet.

Quick Shifts

ChatGPT Plus/CarPro.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

The New $15,000 Fiat Heads To U.S.

Is It An EV or Golf Cart?

2027 Purple Haze 60th Anniversary Charger

Meet The 2027 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy Black Ink Edition

Dodge Power Dollars Are Back!

Nobody Trusts Gen Z To Change A Tire

Weekly Recalls

Incentives Guide

Kim Komando's Quiz & Tech Tips

💡Kim’s Quiz:

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!

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

Closing Message From Jerry

The Little Things

The Most American-Made Vehicles & Best Buys
The Jeep Gladiator makes the Top 10 on Cars.com's 2026 American-Made Index.

CarPro Advice:
Everything Your VIN Can Tell You
Your car's VIN can tell you a lot and all of it is important.

The Big One! J.D. Power 2026 Initial Quality Study
Read more→

NHTSA To Driverless Cars: Get Out Of The Way!
Read more→

Toyota Announces Huge Expansion In San Antonio
Read more→