"Cash for Clunkers": Contact Congress
from Automotive Service Association
ASA urges all members of the automotive industry to contact their congressional representatives to support a repair option if a "Cash for Clunkers" provision is included in the upcoming Economic Stimulus Package. Click More

U.S. Auto Sales Drop in 2008, Recovery Unclear
from The Associated Press
After a year in which U.S. auto sales tumbled 18 percent and GM had its worst year in nearly a half-century amid slack demand fueled by a terrible economic outlook and growing job worries, automakers are reluctant to predict when a recovery might occur. An even sharper sales decline in December alone means that record high rebates and low-interest financing deals will stick around until at least February. More

Electrical 101
from ABRN
Diagnosing electrical system faults seems to pose one of the biggest headaches for many technicians. But more and more vehicle systems are going electronic, and the ability to handle these types of repairs is going to have a direct impact on your wallet. Maybe it's because you can't see it, maybe it's because you don't quite understand it. More

UAW Members Headed to Detroit to Discuss Revising Auto Contracts

UAW negotiators from factories across America began arriving in Detroit this week to begin preparing for negotiations with Detroit's automakers, which are under pressure from Congress to bring their labor costs in line with those of foreign automakers in return for federal aid. The preparations among the UAW leadership from GM, Ford and Chrysler facilities nationwide are expected to last at least three days. More

Running Steady
from Las Vegas Review-Journal
Some people don't have the option of buying a replacement vehicle. They're forced to make repairs rather than take on a big monthly payment. That makes automotive repair shops a little more recession-proof than the 20,000 car and truck dealerships in America. "Business has been a little better than the last two years," said John Sain, owner of National Auto Service Center, an ASA member in Las Vegas. "People still have to get their cars fixed. They can't buy (new) because their credit is shot and they don't want to create more payments and insurance is high." More

Carmakers Plan for Disruptions in Parts Supply
from ABRN
Toyota and Honda, Japan's two largest carmakers, might modify their "just-in-time" manufacturing system to avoid disruptions in production caused by possible supplier bankruptcies. General Motors and Chrysler are battling to restructure after they were given $13.4 billion in emergency federal loans to keep them operating through March. Detroit's woes could lead to a "supplier shock," crippling U.S. production at Japanese and other foreign carmakers, according to the Center for Automotive Research. More

Steel Industry, in Slump, Looks to Federal Stimulus
from The New York Times
The steel industry, having entered the recession in the best of health, is emerging as a leading indicator of what lies ahead. As steel production goes — and it is now in collapse — so will go the national economy. That maxim once applied to Detroit’s Big Three car companies, when they dominated American manufacturing. Now they are losing ground in good times and bad, and steel has replaced autos as the industry to watch for an early sign that a severe recession is beginning to lift. More

More Women’s Career Choice a 'Wrenching' One
from The Associated Press via Worcester Telegram
Roxanne Amiot wanted to study fashion design, so she decided to go to Bullard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport, Conn. But after completing the exploratory program, where she was able to take classes in any of the trades offered at the Bridgeport school, she discovered she liked the automotive field much better. Women comprise 25 percent or less of workers in male-dominated occupations such as auto service or auto repair. More

Dashboard Devices Bows Car Computer
from TWICE
Market newcomer Dashboard Devices will unveil a $2,700 in-dash double-DIN computer for the car at the 2009 International CES that reads aloud the users’ email and has other advanced features. The computer series, called the ENV, is slated for spring production and will be sold initially through computer resellers and then to CE car audio retailers, said the company. More

Japanese Auto Sales Sank to 34-year Low
from The Wall Street Journal
Japan's domestic auto sales fell last year to their lowest level since the mid-1970s as recession squashed already weak consumer demand during the last few months of the year. Sales of new cars, trucks and buses slid to 3.212 million vehicles last year, down 6.5 percent from 2007, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association. That marked the fifth straight year of decline, taking sales to their lowest level since 3.133 million vehicles were recorded in 1974. More