CLOSE Royal Oak resident Ryan Karczewski discusses problems with his 2014 Ford Focus. Detroit Free Press Ford Motor Co. has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit with nearly 2 million owners and former owners of Focus and Fiesta vehicles with bad dual-clutch transmissions known as the DPS6, according to court documents filed late Friday. A lawyer who… Continue reading Ford to pay millions to Focus, Fiesta owners in transmission settlement
Author: Detroit Free Press Online
Fired salesman from Macomb Twp. disrupts car-buying industry with word-of-mouth business
CLOSE Brian Carroll had never been fired or let go from a job. Never. A year ago, he was dumped, very simply, because his boss needed to trim costs. No warning. No dip in performance. Just a handshake goodbye on that Monday morning in late January because the car dealership that employed him for eight… Continue reading Fired salesman from Macomb Twp. disrupts car-buying industry with word-of-mouth business
GM bids to buy land for a new battery factory in Lordstown
CLOSE A banner depicting the Chevrolet Cruze model vehicle is displayed at the General Motors’ Lordstown plant Nov. 27, 2018, in Lordstown, Ohio. (Photo: John Minchillo/Associated Press) General Motors wants to build a new battery factory in Lordstown, Ohio, right next door to its former car assembly plant that it shuttered and sold last year. The automaker said it has… Continue reading GM bids to buy land for a new battery factory in Lordstown
GM parts shortage: UAW workers want a day off, customers wait on parts
CLOSE From left, day shift workers Erik Brzezinski of Westland, Mike Martin of Farmington Hills, Jason Gravenmier of Westland, Bill Bagwell of Westland, Todd Canterbury of White Lake and Nolan Kerr of Allen Park pose for a photo outside of General Motors’ Customer Care and Aftersales (CCA) plant in Ypsilanti, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. (Photo:… Continue reading GM parts shortage: UAW workers want a day off, customers wait on parts
Hundreds of GM temp workers were just made permanent
CLOSE General Motors worker Adarrey “Ace” Humphrey was blindsided Sunday. That’s when his life changed. Humphrey, 27, has been a part-time temporary worker at GM’s Flint Assembly for the last three years. Sunday morning, he and about 250 of his co-workers crowded into UAW Local 598’s union hall. Most thought they were there for a routine meeting. But when the local’s president stepped to… Continue reading Hundreds of GM temp workers were just made permanent
Out of Gear: Follow the full Ford investigation
In April 2019, Ford Motor Co., in the last paragraph of a 70-page filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, disclosed that it could face significant liability in lawsuits over the transmission used in Focus and Fiesta cars for nearly a decade. Detroit Free Press Ford reporter Phoebe Wall Howard wrote about the disclosure and… Continue reading Out of Gear: Follow the full Ford investigation
Ford dealership gets 40 orders for Mustang Mach-E in one night
CLOSE Imagine getting 40 customers in one night for a vehicle that starts at $43,895 and reaches $60,500. Steve Fuentes did. “And we’re up to 100 reservations now,” he said. “The Mustang Mach-E has had a tremendous positive response. This is one of the biggest game changers we’ve ever had.” Ford Motor Co. has been inundated with orders for… Continue reading Ford dealership gets 40 orders for Mustang Mach-E in one night
Fiat Chrysler’s grand plans for Alfa Romeo have dimmed. Here’s why
CLOSE Autoplay Show Thumbnails Show Captions Last SlideNext Slide When Carlos Tavares was talking about the way brands carry passion after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the maker of Peugeot moved closer to a merger on Wednesday, he could have been talking about Alfa Romeo. The FCA brand with the racing heritage, heart-pounding driving experience and… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler’s grand plans for Alfa Romeo have dimmed. Here’s why
Next Jeep redesign could happen more quickly
CLOSE The 2018 Jeep Wrangler, a new version of the off-road classic, was revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2017. The vehicle was big news at the time because it had been many years since a new Wrangler had been revealed. Fiat Chrysler hopes a streamlined product development process helps it bring new… Continue reading Next Jeep redesign could happen more quickly
Supercar maker McLaren to skip electric vehicles. Here’s why — and what it will build instead.
CLOSE Prices for the McLaren 720S Spider start at $315,000. This one cost about $411,000. (Photo: Mark Phelan) Brands from Ford to Porsche are all-in on electric vehicles, but don’t expect a battery-powered model from exotic sports car maker McLaren Automotive anytime soon. “Technology doesn’t allow for a great EV sports car today, largely because… Continue reading Supercar maker McLaren to skip electric vehicles. Here’s why — and what it will build instead.