Automotive Repair News Today

Braxton Critcher [00:00:05]:
Thanks for downloading this week's episode. A quick 10 minute trip across the automotive repair industry's top stories. Glad to have you along. I'm Braxton Kreutcher. If you haven't subscribed or rated this show on your favorite podcast listening app, I'd appreciate that that'll help more people pay attention to what's going on on this podcast and across the industry. The Federal Trade Commission is working to punish General Motors and company OnStar for collecting, using and selling precise geolocation and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles. The FTC claims that General Motors used a misleading enrollment process for its OnStar and smart driver features, leading many consumers to unknowingly sign up for extensive data collection. This data included instances of hard braking, speeding and late night driving was then sold to third parties impacting insurance rates and credit reports.

Braxton Critcher [00:01:06]:
Under a proposed settlement, GM and OnStar will be banned for five years from disclosing sensitive geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies. They are also required to increase transparency and give consumers more control over their data. This is the FTC's first enforcement action related to connected vehicle data. FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that GM monitored and sold drivers precise data as often as every three seconds, prompting the agency's intervention to protect consumer privacy. The settlement requires GM to obtain clear consent before collecting data, allowing customers to access their data and delete it and give them the option to limit data collection from their vehicles. The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation Humanitarian Award is now accepting nominations for 2025. The award honors individuals, companies, associations or groups making significant contributions to their community. Nominate your candidate by January 31st by completing the nomination form and providing support materials such as social media links and press releases.

Braxton Critcher [00:02:22]:
The winner will be announced this May at The Auto Care Association's Connect 2025 in Phoenix, Ariz. Link to nominate is in the show notes Loyalty in automotive is on the rise LexisNexis Risk Solutions reports that US consumers are close to pre pandemic levels of loyalty for automotive brands. Their Studies showed that 1.8% increase in loyalty was up to 52.6%, compared to 54.2% in 2019. Among the 47 brands analyzed, 11 surpassed the industry average, up from nine in 2023. The report also highlighted a shift in consumer preferences, with hybrid and electric vehicles gaining in popularity as the reliance on internal combustion engines declined from 97% in 2019 to 85 in 2024. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence Registration period is now open for certification testing register by March 31st. You'll then have 90 days to complete your recertification. Choose from three in person testing at Prometric Centers, Remote Proproctor Testing, or the ASC Renewal App for easy recertification.

Braxton Critcher [00:03:50]:
Free study guides are available to help you Prepare too. Visit ASC.com to register or touch the link in the podcast Show Notes Last year, three out of four manufacturers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the special equipment industry reported stable or growing sales and 9 out of 10 expect growth again this year. If you work in one of the aforementioned businesses and have information to share about what you expect in 2025, would you share in a brief survey? Use the CEMA Quick Poll. A five question survey and results will be shared in a couple of weeks. A link to this poll is in the podcast Show Notes Michigan Attorney General Dana Nestle has filed a lawsuit against Opulent Marketing Incorporated for violating the Michigan Consumer protection act. Since 2018, the company marketed extended auto warranties under the name Infinite Auto Protection, claiming they were 100% risk free with a 30 day money back guarantee and a 24. 7 claims process. The lawsuit says that Opulent Marketing denied and ignored valid claims, stopped paying them and misrepresented its Better Business Bureau rating as an A when it actually was an F.

Braxton Critcher [00:05:10]:
Customers were also denied refunds when attempting to cancel their products. Autotrader now offers EV battery health scores on its Used Electric Vehicle listings. Factors like climate, driving habits and charging practices impact battery life with modern EV batteries expected to last 12 to 15 years or 100,000 to 200,000 miles. To extend battery life, avoid rapid acceleration, charge between 20% and 80%, maintain battery temperature and stay updated with software updates. These practices help keep your EV running efficiently for years and years so that when you put yours on the market, EV battery health is as good as it can be. All right, that does it for this week's episode of Automotive Repair News Today. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Braxton and you know I want to hear from you.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:06]:
Let me know what you think of the podcast or let me know if news that you'd like to have me share each week when you email me. Braxtontomotive repair news.com that's braxton@autotive repair news.com.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:25]:
Hey, if you're still here, thank you so much for listening to this episode.

Braxton Critcher [00:06:28]:
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