-
This thread is just the tip of the iceberg.The people ahead of the curve aren't Googling for answers — they're already in here, having the conversations you haven't found yet. DealerRefresh is free.Get the full picture →
NADA Chairman Gary Gilchrist expressed frustration over Volkswagen-Scout and Honda-Sony's plans to sell vehicles directly to consumers, arguing that the franchise dealer system better serves both customers and automakers despite two years of industry outreach efforts. Responses from dealers showed mixed sentiment: one acknowledged that direct-to-consumer sales might make sense for niche, high-priced EVs that are difficult to move through traditional dealerships, while another commenter pivoted to discussing AI's broader impact on the industry. The thread reflects ongoing tension between legacy automakers entering new vehicle categories and dealers' concerns about preserving their retail role.
Kyle Mountsier from ASOTU | More Than Cars announced the launch of nadaparties.com, a centralized resource for finding after-parties at the NADA Show running Wednesday through Saturday. The site includes a comprehensive party list and allows industry professionals to submit their own events. The community response was positive, with peers recognizing the value of consolidating party information in one convenient location.
Dealers debate the profitability of used EV inventory, with Jon Singo noting that while significant profits are possible, current market conditions show wholesale (MMR) pricing nearly equal to retail, forcing dealers to rely on tax credits to move inventory. The consensus emphasizes that success requires a fast exit strategy due to EV value volatility, and that margin compression from incentives has compressed front-end profits, though some dealers report strong wins in this category. The thread highlights that used EV profitability exists but depends heavily on market timing, tax policy changes, and efficient inventory turnover rather than traditional dealer margins.
J.D. Power and GlobalData forecast November 2024 new-vehicle sales to reach 1,361,200 units (a 6.7% increase from November 2023 on a selling-day adjusted basis), with a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.5 million units. Consumer spending for vehicle purchases is expected to hit its highest level ever for the month of November. The forecast attributes part of the growth to November 2024 having 26 selling days compared to 25 in 2023, with unadjusted sales volume showing an 11% increase year-over-year.
The thread discusses the rising prevalence of 84-month auto loans, which now account for nearly one-fifth of new-vehicle purchases, and debates the implications of increasingly longer loan terms in an industry where vehicles are lasting longer than ever. Contributors raise concerns about negative equity, the psychological pressure of "new car fever," potential mass repossession risks from COVID-era purchases, and whether buyers will eventually become trapped in vehicles for the duration of their loans. The key insight is that longer financing terms may be masking a deeper issue of rolling negative equity and unsustainable purchasing patterns rather than solving affordability.
Dealer Image Pro has partnered with WheelsTV to add video content to dealers' Vehicle Display Pages (VDPs) at no additional cost through year-end, aimed at enhancing the online shopping experience. The announcement prompts discussion about how video content influences customer purchasing decisions before dealership visits. The partnership represents a strategic move to integrate multimedia merchandising tools into standard dealer inventory presentations.
Automotive industry professionals are coordinating meetups at the Digital Dealer 2024 conference in Las Vegas (Oct 8-10), with vendors from NodCards (Booth 227), SpinSmart.ai/EZ360 (Booth 907), and Lectrium (Booth 211) inviting attendees to their booths for product demos. The thread shows vendors using the forum to network with dealers and identify potential collaboration opportunities around social media engagement, AI photo automation, and EV marketing tools.
A dealer shares key criteria for evaluating automotive wholesale distributors, emphasizing the importance of product range (OEM and aftermarket), on-time delivery, competitive pricing, quality customer service, and industry reputation. The post suggests that the best distributor partners should go beyond simply supplying parts to actively assist with problem-solving and support. The thread provides practical guidance for dealers seeking to optimize their supplier relationships and maintain healthy margins.
Maryland's Attorney General has filed charges against Darcars Honda for illegally hiding thousands in fees—specifically a 2% "sales commission" that customers aren't told is optional and that dealership employees never receive. Forum members largely support holding bad actors accountable but worry the negative publicity will harm the entire industry's already-damaged reputation, with one member advising dealers to operate in compliance with proposed legislation like the CARS Act now rather than wait.
A user shared a free daily automotive news newsletter they created to help industry professionals stay informed in five minutes, covering US and AU markets. Community feedback highlighted design improvement suggestions (UI modernization, hero banner, images, better spacing) and clarified that the full articles are linked in the daily email summaries. The thread demonstrates interest in the concept while offering constructive criticism on presentation.
Ford is requiring its nearly 3,000 dealers to certify through one of two expensive EV programs by end of October—costing $500,000 to $1.2 million depending on the tier—or lose the ability to sell Ford EVs starting January 2024. The certification programs mandate infrastructure investments (particularly fast chargers) and eliminate dealer pricing flexibility to compete with Tesla's model. Dealer responses reveal frustration with the high costs relative to equipment value, though Ford frames the move as necessary to standardize the EV buying experience across its dealer network.
A Tesla Cybertruck with only 69 miles sold at auction for $244,000—more than double its $102,235 new price—sparking dealer discussion about whether early models might appreciate or serve other purposes like attracting showroom traffic. Commenters note both skepticism (including a humorous jab about needing a Ford pickup for snow) and genuine enthusiasm for the vehicle's engineering, with one user praising its steer-by-wire capability, acceleration (0-60 in 2.6s), and premium ride quality despite concerns about overall value at that price point.
Dealers debate whether the used car market bubble has popped or is gradually softening, with mixed January sales results: some experienced declines in traffic and volume while others maintained strong grosses, and data points to consumer hesitation (higher browsing but lower conversion rates, extended research cycles). Key indicators of market turning include rising interest rates, increased new car production, growing inventory days supply, and slower repo rates, though opinions vary on whether this represents a sharp pop or gradual softening with pent-up demand still present.
Stellantis dealers across RAM, Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler brands are experiencing significant challenges including declining OEM leads, excess inventory of slow-moving vehicles (Challengers, Chargers, and 4XE Wranglers with discounts up to 23%), and poor sales on the company's push product, the Hornet, which many dealers barely stock. Forum participants—including Google Ads specialists and dealership managers—attribute these struggles to misaligned product strategy, poor corporate communication, and a fundamental mismatch between what consumers want and what Stellantis is manufacturing and promoting.
Ford CEO Jim Farley is pivoting investor focus away from Tesla to Ford's "Pro" commercial fleet business, which combines traditional fleet operations with emerging telematics and logistics services for business customers. The Pro unit is projected to generate $8-9 billion in pre-tax earnings, positioning it as Ford's primary growth engine rather than competing directly with Tesla's consumer EV model. The thread centers on Ford's strategic argument that its established commercial relationships and services infrastructure represent a more viable competitive advantage than chasing Tesla's consumer electric vehicle dominance.
A DealerRefresh community member organized a "roll call" for attendees of NADA 2024, and numerous industry professionals responded with their attendance dates, booth locations, and plans to meet up for meals and happy hours throughout the show. The thread evolved into a practical coordination hub where attendees shared specific meetup details (including Foureyes booth #5000w with an afternoon bar), event links, and real-time updates from the show floor. The thread demonstrates strong community engagement and the value DealerRefresh members place on in-person networking at major industry events.
Vroom announced on January 22, 2024, that it is shutting down its e-commerce and used vehicle dealership operations, though its subsidiary companies United Auto Credit Corporation and CarStory will continue operating. The forum members express limited surprise at the closure and note that CarStory's continuation will be discussed further in an upcoming RefreshFriday presentation.
- Locked
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a deceptive trade practices lawsuit against Vroom Automotive over 5,000+ complaints since 2018, primarily involving vehicle condition mismatches and poor customer service. The thread reveals that despite initial discussion about how online auto retailers like Vroom were reshaping dealer competition, Vroom announced on January 22, 2024, that it was halting all vehicle purchases and sales and winding down its e-commerce operations entirely.
The thread discusses the declining presence of sedans in the U.S. top 20 best-selling vehicles, with only 5 sedans appearing in 2018 compared to previous years, suggesting a shift in consumer preference toward trucks and SUVs over fuel-efficient cars. The original poster speculates that sedans may be nearly extinct from the top 20 by 2019, reflecting broader market trends away from traditional passenger cars. While one commenter acknowledges the interesting market shift, the thread offers limited substantive discussion of the causes or implications of this trend.
The FTC has launched the CARS (Combating Auto Retail Scams) Rule, effective July 30, 2024, which mandates dealers clearly disclose full vehicle prices, total payments, and obtain explicit consent before charging for add-on products or services—measures projected to save U.S. consumers $3.4 billion annually. The thread emphasizes that small independent dealers in particular need to understand and comply with these new transparency requirements to avoid deceptive practice violations.
After Brian Pasch retired the Automotive Website Awards after 14 years, DealerRefresh members debated what a credible replacement awards program should look like, with concerns that most industry awards are essentially "pay-to-play" marketing schemes benefiting vendors and organizers rather than serving dealers. The consensus view favored awards judged by a trusted committee of dealers or industry experts rather than vendor-driven voting systems, though participants acknowledged the difficulty of finding a truly trustworthy model given the financial incentives involved. A potential solution discussed was forming a DealerRefresh committee to evaluate and award vendors by category based on genuine product expertise and dealer feedback.
DealerOn has acquired FusionZONE Automotive (FZA), a move that Jeff Kershner broke as news in the forum. The thread is minimal, with only a congratulatory response from someone with prior ties to FZA, suggesting the acquisition was generally well-received within the automotive community.
