Headlines for Wednesday, December 26, 2012

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Ford hit with lawsuit over mpg claims for C-Max, Fusion hybrids

Ford faces a federal lawsuit that contends the new C-Max and Fusion hybrids fail to deliver promised fuel economy claims. Ford's 2013 C-Max Hybrid and Fusion Hybrid mid-sized sedan are EPA rated at 47 mpg city/47 highway/47 combined. But the lawsuit seeking class-action status, filed Dec. Read More »

Toyota to settle U.S. unintended acceleration claims for at least $1.1 billion

Toyota is setting aside $1.1 billion to settle various lawsuits and other claims in the United States stemming from reports of unintended acceleration that plagued the automaker in 2009-2010. Read More »

JIM HENRY:

The upside to fewer home-equity loans

Home values seem to have hit bottom and started to recover. But analysts say home-equity loans are still down as a way to finance a car or truck purchase. Read More »

Customer Incentives

This is data compiled by the Automotive News Data Center and requires a Data Center subscription to access. Read More »

Q&A:

Volvo's new captive launches retail lending, broadens programs

Volvo's new captive finance arm, Volvo Cars Financial Services U.S., completed its launch goals this year with the start of retail lending services Dec. 1. The captive began commercial lending in May. U.S. Bank has been Volvo's preferred lender in the United States since late 2009. Read More »

Preloading products boosts per-car F&I sales

Besides protecting their inventory, many dealers say that preloading products on vehicles brings in thousands of additional finance and insurance dollars monthly. But there are pitfalls. The practice can make a dealer trade for a non-preloaded vehicle difficult. Read More »

GM races with VW for 2013 China crown as Toyota struggles

Volkswagen AG will vie with General Motors for the sales crown among foreign automakers in China next year, gaining share as Japanese carmakers led by Toyota struggle to recover amid a territorial dispute. Read More »

5 trends we watched in 2012. How'd they do?

In January, we identified five trends that experts said were likely to affect your finance and insurance business this year. Most held up well. The last one -- new regulations from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- didn't pan out. But it still has potential for 2013. Read More »

Product tips, Gen Y, Ally were hot topics in 2012

The 10 most-read finance and insurance stories in Automotive News this year were heavy with practical information for frontline F&I managers. Read More »

Toyota forecasts record 2013 sales on overseas auto demand

Toyota, poised to regain its title as the world's biggest carmaker this year, said its vehicle sales may rise 2 percent next year to a record, led by demand from overseas markets. Read More »

Product caps grow amid ethics concerns

More dealerships are capping the markup allowed on aftermarket products in the finance-and-insurance office. One retailer's explanation for the trend? "Large pigs go to slaughter." It's another way to say the extra money isn't worth the risk. Read More »