Clearly, carmakers are paying attention to the needs of their consumers as many companies are earmarking more of their budgets towards the cost of materials for the interiors of the vehicles they are making.  Take time today to stop by your local Jeep Dealer and see the vast array of beautiful new cars with high-class interiors.

The power liftgates were designed to stop during automatic closing if they detect resistance. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states the recalled vehicles could malfunction, and “may close on an appendage.” Owners are advised to keep their arms and legs safely inside the vehicle. Notifications are expected to be mailed from Chrysler to owners later this month. Dealers will be fixing affected vehicles free of charge.

The press release, announced this week states, “CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 TOWN AND COUNTRY AND DODGE GRAND CARAVAN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 9, 2012 THROUGH MARCH 12, 2012. SOME VEHICLES MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A RIGHT SIDE LIFTGATE PINCH SENSOR THAT DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. AS A RESULT, INCREASED FORCE MAY BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO STOP THE POWER LIFTGATE DURING FINAL CLOSING STAGES.”

NHTSA believes the consequence to the faulty material may cause the liftgate to close on an appendage which greatly increases the risk of injury to a consumer.  The press release notifies owners of the action Chrysler will take by stating, “CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE RIGHT SIDE LIFTGATE PINCH SENSORS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN MAY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER”.

This is great news for the corporation who previously faced financial woes requiring a government bailout under the Bush and Obama administrations. The press release included the reason for the up rise in due to items such as: Worldwide vehicle shipments were 607,000 in the quarter, up 25 percent from 485,000 a year ago. It also stated, “Worldwide vehicle sales for the first quarter totaled 523,000, up 33 percent from a year ago.”

Chrysler also announced that U.S. market share increased to 11.2 percent for the first quarter, up from 9.2 percent a year ago, driven 
primarily by a 40 percent increase in U.S. retail sales. For the first time in its history, Chrysler was the 
quarterly market leader in Canada with a share of 15.0 percent.

Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and CEO of Chrysler said in the statement, “We continue to deliver on the targets in our five-year plan and are now focused on successfully launching the Dodge Dart, a car that is a true melding of Chrysler’s and Fiat’s engineering and styling strengths.”

This latest news is good news for Chrysler. Allstar Dodge Dealer is proud to be a part of the Chrysler Corporation and is pleased to share in the successes of our company.  Stop in today to see what makes us top in class of customer satisfaction.

Jeep Dealer serving St. Louis

Sergio did have some harsh words for the Canadian Auto Workers union for striking at a supplier causing a mini-van production plant to be shut down in Ontario.  The Chrysler representative was quoted as saying, “”If that’s the basis on which we’re going to move forward I think we’re going to have a very difficult round of (union) negotiations. This is not the way to build a car company.”

For more information on this article, please continue reading our blog for part 2 of this 2 part article.

Riders of the event walk away have gained a new perspective on many things such as training, mileage, fundraising, friendship, support, and goodwill.  The Dodge Million Dollar Challenge is described on the website as, “The 620 mile journey down the California Coastline from San Francisco to San Diego is a week filled with iconic scenery, epic mileage, and friendship. Every year, this journey delivers a life-changing experience for all participants. This event is unique in the world of cycling, it builds a community of riders with a deep and lasting appreciation for life- and for those who overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges to live life to the fullest. Helping to raise $1 Million dollars to help challenged athletes is deeply satisfying. But it is the journey that will change your life forever.”

Allstar Dodge dealer is proud of all those participating in this years event. We tip our hats to the riders, volunteers, and athletes affected by this amazing event and wish you all the best of luck.

Green cars, typically speaking, are cars that are green for the environment.  They typically get the best gas mileage and therefore use less gasoline. Less consumption of oil is better for the environment.  Some car companies have even turned back to the electric car option.  Although these vehicles cannot travel long distances on a single charge, most will cover the average commuters distance to and from work.  These vehicles will typically last on a battery charge and extremely small amounts of gasoline.  However, most of them are designed as futuristic looking vehicles and often are not pleasing to the average consumers taste pallet.  If you are looking for a downside to the green cars, the obvious is that the market is not flooded with a plethora of options.   The cars use advanced technology and are more expensive to make.  The costs are passed on to the consumer in some cases and most consumers don’t want to pay the expensive options.

The good news is that there are plenty of less expensive greener options available to consumers.  Allstar Dodge has a number of hybrid cars, and vehicles that get great gas mileage. Stop in today to check out our inventory.  Give them a test drive and if you see something you like, one of our friendly staff can help get you on your way in a new car in no time at all.

The bailout the First Lady is speaking of was a series of controversial bailouts totaling $80 billion that began under former President George W. Bush and continued under President Obama.

Many analysts feel that with the supposed Republican candidate Mitt Romney will challenge the President on many issues and his campaign is counting on using this topic as a means to show the Presidents accomplishments over the last 4 years or so.

The bailouts did not come without many critics and Romney’s camp is sure to focus on those issues.  Many believe the United States will unlikely recover the bailout money.

Automotive industry numbers show the industry is a growing entity and bailouts do not appear to be anywhere in the near future.

Those wishing to attend the Auto Finance Risk Summit will receive “a deeper understanding of risk management that fosters prudent growth and higher-quality financial returns.” The summit will delve into the ins and outs of credit scoring models. Auto finance experts need to have an in depth understanding of credit scoring, so they can fully and completely understand the potential risk associated with the credit scores of their consumers.  Attendees will participate in learning sessions that include Underwriting, Fraud Prevention Programs (including the proper assessment of it’s limitations) and Risk Management.  The Auto Finance Risk Summit web page states, “risk is a tangible element to be held up to the light and analyzed. By doing so, we reinforce the role of risk in credit, and the benefits of doing so are practically endless.  Each facet of risk management is explored, from underwriting risk to dealer risk to credit risk to operational risk.  We investigate real-world challenges in organic case studies wherein executives share their responses to risk challenges in the moment. And, most importantly, the Auto Finance Risk Summit brings together an engaging group of industry executives who share experiences and insights”.

Auto Finance Risk Assessment is a crucial part of the serious industry executive looking to gain knowledge for his or her customers. Allstar Dodge is committed to providing our customers with the latest financial information to help create an enjoyable and stress free shopping experience with our dealership.  Make an appointment with one of our credit experts today to see how we can help you get into that new Ford vehicle.

Dodge Ram Truck in MO,

In 2011 when a massive earthquake rocked Japan, it disabled many Japanese parts makers sending a shutter through the auto industry.  Then in March, Evonik Industries based out of Marl, Germany, suffered a devastating explosion at their plant where a key chemical, CDT, is produced. The explosion stopped production of the chemical that is used in coatings and applications for vehicle fuel handling and brake systems.  Knowing these types of shut downs could be devastating to the industry as a whole, automakers decided it was time to make some changes and they began scrambling for ways to find alternatives to the key resin also known as nylon-12 or PA-12. Neil De Koker, head of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association recently stated, “Everyone feels pretty good that in such a short time we’ve been able to develop alternate testing processes.  My predication personally is that we will get through this without significant shutdowns in the industry.”

Recently, a Texas plant owned by Invista made its way into the spotlight when it was reveals the plant had previously supplied automakers with small amounts of CDT.

Invista Communications Manager, Jodie Stutsman stated “the excess capacity we have there for the CDT market as a whole is limited.  We have a set of customers we are committed to supply. We of course will honor those commitments, and for the remaining product we will do what we can do to meet the needs of the overall CDT market.”

Allstar Dodge Dealer wants to assure its customers it has not been affected by the shortage in CDT. Our lot is stocked with an abundance of inventory and we are here to serve our customers driving needs. Stop in today and take a look at our inventory.