Ford truck's unintended acceleration unsafe, says Halifax man

A Halifax man is battling the car company Ford, claiming that his truck is unsafe.

Stephen O'Brien says his vehicle accelerated unexpectedly and that has him worried about his family's safety.

'I pulled out to pass a car, and when I pulled out, I accelerated. I took my foot off the gas and the truck continued to accelerate up Magazine Hill,' he said.

It was a scary experience for O'Brien, who said his leased 2013 Ford F-150 truck reached speeds of between 140 and 150 km/h before he managed to regain control.

When he did, O'Brien said he drove it directly to the dealership where it remains.

A number of car manufacturers have had problems with unexpected acceleration. In fact, Ford is facing a lawsuit in the U.S. for the same problem. However, the lawsuit doesn't include 2013 models like the one O'Brien was driving.

'I've held up my part of the lease,' said O'Brien.

'I've made the monthly payments. I've kept up on maintenance of the truck. In return for that, my expectation was a truck that worked - a fully functioning truck and I haven't received that.'

O'Brien, who has been given a free rental car in the meantime, also experienced transmission problems and what he calls 'a ghost' in the vehicle's electrical system.

'The window would go up and down without command. My radio would turn off and on for no reason,' he said.

But it's the unexpected acceleration that is the real concern.

The dealership has told O'Brien the acceleration problem was caused by the two floor mats on the driver's side that were provided by Ford, saying they got stuck under the gas pedal and were to blame.

'I don't accept that,' said O'Brien. 'I pumped the gas pedal. I looked at the floor mats once I got stopped. It wasn't a floor mat caught on my gas pedal.'

To complicate matters, the lease is not with the dealership but with Ford Canada.

The company has offered O'Brien a new vehicle with a new lease, but it would cost him an additional $80 per month. He doesn't feel he should pay for a problem he didn't create.

'My confidence in Ford is gone and I want out of that truck [lease]. I will never again put my family into that truck, so it will be no good to me,' said O'Brien.

The general manager of the dealership said it can only correct problems they see. The GM said a number of people who have looked at the truck have been unable to identify any acceleration issue other than floor mats.

Ford Canada said a customer service representative will be in touch with O'Brien to discuss his lease.

O'Brien said he plans to file a formal complaint with Transport Canada.

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Tesla Motors Inc. Faces a New Hurdle and Ford Motor Company Reaches an ...

The DJINDICES: Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI ) was trading 113 points higher, or 0.68%, by midafternoon despite a slow day for economic news in the U.S. and after pro-Russian separatists declared victory in Sunday's vote to declare independence from Ukraine. The Ukrainian government referred to the vote in the nation's east as 'illegitimate,' while the U.S. called it illegal.

'The vote seemed like a negative, but the violence that many thought would happen didn't, and at this point, no news is good news when it comes to Ukraine,' said Channing Smith, co-portfolio manager of the Capital Advisors Growth Fund at Capital Advisors, according to Reuters.

With that in mind, here are two U.S. automakers making headlines in the markets today.

NASDAQ: Tesla Motors ( TSLA ) made news for a couple of reasons. First, the company said it would stop supplying battery packs and motors for Toyota's electric RAV4 model. According to Tesla's filing, the electric-vehicle maker generated $15.1 million in revenue in the first quarter from the deal with Toyota. That was slightly more than the $14.4 million generated in last year's first quarter.

This is a small chunk of change compared to Tesla's total first-quarter non-generally accepted accounting principles revenue of $713 million. Tesla's likely made the move as its own electric crossover, the Model X, is coming to the market next year. While there will be a substantial gap in the price points between the electric RAV4 and the Model X, Tesla apparently wants to keep any advantages of producing those battery packs to itself.

Tesla is also faced with a new front in its battle to sell its vehicles directly to consumers. Some 'anti-Tesla' language has been added to state legislation in Missouri that would explicitly require consumers to buy vehicles through franchise dealers, according to Bloomberg.

'This extraordinary final-hour maneuver amounts to a sneak attack to thwart due process and hurt consumer freedom in Missouri,' according to a statement from Tesla, as reported by Bloomberg.

In other automotive news, Ford ( ) released some interesting facts surrounding its very popular line of EcoBoost engines. Ford recently sold its 500,000th EcoBoost-equipped F-150 and claims those engines have saved an estimated 56.8 million gallons of gas on an annual basis.

Since 2010, Ford has accounted for 91% of industry growth in V6 truck sales, and the next generation 2015 F-150 looks to continue that trend.

'We expect those numbers to hold for the rest of the year,' said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager, in a press release. 'It really is amazing when you consider we are doing that with just two V6 engine choices - the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and the 3.5-liter Ti-VCT engine. When we come out with the new 2015 F-150, we will offer three different V6 engines, so there is potential for further growth.'

Fuel economy, even in trucks that are often considered as work tools, is becoming more of a purchasing factor. That's big news because Ford is clearly a step ahead of competition with its EcoBoost engine lineup. If the 2015 F-150 is a major jump forward in fuel economy, as it is intended to be, it could push sales in America's most profitable vehicle segment much higher for Ford -- a big win for the company and its investors.

Investors would be wise to watch the launch of the 2015 F-150 because this is the first time aluminum has been used on such a massive scale in the automotive industry. If everything doesn't go according to plan it could put a dent in Ford's profitability in the near-term.

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Ford Recalls 695 000 Vehicles for Airbag and Transmission Software Updates

Photo: Ford Motor Co.

Ford Motor Company announced two recalls in the past week that will require the owners of some 695 000 Ford vehicles to visit their local dealerships to receive software updates to their SUVs and trucks. On Friday, Ford announced that it would be recalling 692 500 Ford Escape small SUVs and C-Max gas-electric hybrids from the 2013-2014 model year to fix a problem in what the company calls the vehicles' ' safety canopy' (' an air bag that deploys from the ceiling near the windows to protect an occupant's head in a side impact crash or rollover'), according to a New York Times article. The article notes that, according to Ford, a computer software issue could result in delayed deployment of the safety canopy in certain rollover events.

The Associated Press states that the Escapes in the recall were built from 5 October 2011 through 14 February 2014, while the C-Max vehicles (which make up about 10 percent of the recall) were built from 19 January 2012, through 24 February 2014. Ford stated that no injuries or deaths have been reported related to the issue.

In addition, Reuters News reported last Monday that Ford is also recalling 3976 of its F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty trucks from model year 2015 that are equipped with 6.2-liter gasoline or 6.7-liter diesel engines and 6R140 torque shift transmissions (pdf). According to Reuters, a 'transmission control software error could cause the vehicle to engage 'reverse' for a little over 1 second when the driver believes he or she is shifting from 'park' to 'drive.''

No injuries or deaths have been reported related to this software issue either, Ford reported. Updates for both the Escape and Ford truck software problems should be available at authorized dealers sometime next month, Ford indicated.

By my informal count, some 5.87 million vehicles have been recalled world-wide since the beginning of the year to correct either software or mechanical (including insect-related) problems that a software fix is being used to mitigate. About 2.8 million of the vehicles in that group have been called in to correct improper airbag deployment.

A big question being raised is that, with so many recalls of all types now taking place (there were 581 recalls involving 22 million vehicles in the U.S. alone last year), how many used and rental vehicles, let alone original owner vehicles, are being driven without ever having their software bugs fixed?

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2014 Ford F

Many truck enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating Ford Motor Company's ( ) upcoming 2015 F-150. The newest version of America's best selling pickup will offer a big improvement in fuel economy thanks to its increased usage of lightweight aluminum in the body.

With a potentially revolutionary product coming to market later this year, it would not be all that surprising if demand for the 2014 Ford F-150 were slowing down. That's especially true because most of Ford's competitors -- including top rival General Motors ( ) -- have launched new pickup designs in the last year or two.

However, no demand slowdown has materialized. In fact, Ford has been able to maintain its market share and grow sales while limiting incentives and boosting average transaction prices. Demand is so strong that the company is looking for ways to build more 2014 Ford F-150s -- something that would definitely help the company's earnings this year.

Strong pickup demand continuesThe U.S. auto industry has gotten off to a rocky start in 2014, but the same cannot be said for the pickup segment. At Ford, while total vehicle sales are down 2.1% year to date, F-Series pickup truck sales have risen 3.9%.

General Motors has had more issues in the truck market this year as its attempts to rein in discounts on pickups have driven away some potential Chevy Silverado buyers. Nevertheless, GM's truck sales are about flat this year. Moreover, GM posted strong growth in truck sales last month. Finally, the big standout in 2014 has been Ram, which has reported pickup sales growth of 23% this year.

Fiat Chrysler has rolled out big incentives on Ram trucks this year in order to generate that level of sales growth. However, everybody else has been pulling back on incentives and posting pretty solid sales numbers nonetheless.

For example, Ford reduced incentives on the 2014 Ford F-150 in April, offering lower incentives on average than either GM or Fiat Chrysler. (F-Series incentive spending as a whole was down $380 year over year.) As a result, the average transaction price for F-Series trucks rose about $1,200 to $39,000. Despite the higher pricing, sales increased 7.4% last month.

Building more 2014 Ford F-150s... hopefullyThe looming introduction of Ford's new F-Series trucks later this year means Ford will have to take extra downtime in order to change over its truck plants so they can produce the new models. However, Ford's truck plants are already just about running flat-out producing the 2014 Ford F-150.

Because of the extra plant downtime scheduled for later this year, Ford's truck inventory could be very thin by year-end. Supply constraints for F-Series trucks could potentially disrupt Ford's ability to sell its most profitable vehicles.

On Ford's Q1 earnings call last month, Ford COO (and future CEO) Mark Fields took note of this issue and stated that the company is looking at ways to produce some extra 2014 Ford F-150s.

Ford could potentially run some overtime shifts at one or both of its truck plants to compensate for the downtime coming later this year. However, it needs to coordinate with suppliers -- who also may be retooling plants to support the next-generation F-Series trucks -- to ensure that they can support increased production.

Foolish bottom lineWhile Ford will be introducing a much-improved F-150 for the 2015 model year, plenty of buyers are eager to get their hands on a 2014 Ford F-150. This is helping Ford to post consistent pickup sales growth without offering big incentives, despite having the oldest full-size pickup of any major automaker.

This strong pickup demand environment bodes well for the launch of the 2015 Ford F-150. If General Motors maintains its discipline on incentives, Ford should be able to charge more for the new F-150 next year without jeopardizing its sales volume. This -- along with Ford's other major product launches this year -- will drive strong profit growth for Ford in 2015.

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2016 Ford F

Ford's off-road beast survives the aluminum apocalypse.

What It Is: Time to let out a rebel yell and a 'hells yes!' because Ford's macho-awesome, off-roading-optimized F-150 SVT Raptor appears to have survived the regular F-150's transition into aluminum-ness. What you see here is a test mule wearing a mashup of 2015 F-150 and outgoing SVT Raptor parts out for a lovely day of testing.

Why It Matters: Are you kidding? This prototype proves Ford has committed to keeping its impressive, Special Vehicle Team-tuned beast around for a second generation. This is a relief, given how, at this year's Detroit auto show, Ford's truck marketing manager revealed the Raptor wouldn't be on the automaker's 2015 roster. This made us sad, and threw the model's future into question. These spy photos snap that future back in line, and have returned our zeal for life. After all, a world without enormous, fuel-sucking trucks with suspensions capable of bombing across the Baja at 80 mph isn't a world worth living in.





Platform: Like the plain-Jane 2015 F-150, expect the Raptor version to once again ride on a steel ladder-frame chassis with more high-strength steel than before and feature at least some aluminum body pieces.The prototype pictured here wears the 2015 F-150's aluminum crew cab, but marries that part with the current-generation Raptor's front clip and (presumably steel) pickup bed. Of course, the pieces could merely be stand-ins to accommodate the truck's wider track and beefy tires.

Despite insisting an aluminum-bodied pickup suffers no strength or durability deficiencies compared a steel-bodied rig-witness its running of an aluminum-bodied F-150 race truck in secret at the 2013 Baja 1000-Ford's probably going to need to keep up the effort long after the F-150 goes on sale. That's the price of being first through the breach with a new technology in a segment filled with traditionalist buyers. But it's also a great opportunity for the Raptor. If Ford can show the SVT truck is capable of taking a beating in spite of its aluminum mix-and perhaps even link the truck's assumed weight loss with enhanced performance-it could have quite the marketing coup. Plus, it would probably be more trouble than it's worth to tool up steel body components for just one F-150 trim level. Material choice aside, look for the Raptor to continue packing a raised suspension, unique shocks, big tires, and a general bad-ass vibe.

Powertrain: Today, the SVT Raptor model comes only with Ford's burly 6.2-liter V-8 engine, which served as the top-dog gasoline offering in the non-SVT F-150. With the next-generation F-150 seemingly topping out with a 5.0-liter V-8, we're not sure what to expect from the Raptor. If the 5.0-liter becomes Raptor kit, we'd hope Ford uses aluminum as much as possible in order to keep weight down and performance nice and sweet, and forced-induction is of course a possibility. We suppose Ford's EcoBoost V-6s could make the grade, but really, when you've got this much footprint, this much tire, and cojones this big, you gotta have a V-8 rumble.





Competition: Ram 1500 with Mopar Ram Runner Package, Toyota Tundra TRD Pro Series.

Estimated Arrival and Price: Since Ford's already confirmed the 2015 F-150 lineup will be SVT Raptor-free, we'd wager on the high-performance off-road truck to arrive for 2016. Pricing could creep up from today's value-laden $45,900 starting figure; doing so might allow Ford to incrementally mitigate possible profit drops from selling regular-grade aluminum F-150s at competitive prices. View Photo Gallery Other Stories You Might Like

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Auto Sales Warm Up in April on Truck, SUV Demand

Auto sales picked up the pace in April, as drivers returned to showrooms looking for new trucks and sport-utility vehicles after a rough winter.

The auto industry has benefited from a rebound in the housing and energy sectors, in addition to low interest rates. Sales raced higher in 2013 but got off to a slow start this year amid record snowfall in many parts of the country.

Analysts expected the industry as a whole to report stronger sales for the latest month, given pent-up demand from consumers who put off buying a car until the spring. Car information provider Kelley Blue Book also said transaction prices for new vehicles ticked 1.2% higher to an average of $32,141.

According to Autodata, the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for sales of light vehicles hit 16.04 million in April compared to 15.19 million a year earlier.

However, Ford ( F) revealed a slight drop in April sales amid weaker demand for passenger cars. The nation's No. 2 automaker sold 211,126 vehicles last month, down 0.7% compared to the same month a year earlier.

Kelley Blue Book was looking for a 0.9% decline in Ford sales. Edmunds.com anticipated a 4.6% increase.

John Felice, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, said the company saw considerable strength in F-series pickup trucks and its Explorer SUV.

"Overall, industry sales continued the rebound from January and February and are on a path of steady growth," he added.

Ford sold a total of 63,387 F-series trucks last month, marking their best April since 2006. Truck demand and a 17% increase in Explorer sales helped offset weakness in car sales, as the namesake Ford brand recorded just a slight drop year-over-year.

The company's Lincoln luxury brand posted a sales drop of 11%, with Ford citing a strong year-ago comparison. Lincoln sales are up 21% through the first fourth months of the year.

While Ford truck sales grew 8% overall, car sales fell 9.1% on weaker demand for the Fiesta, Focus and Fusion.

That trend was seen across much of the industry last month. Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said American automakers have made significant inroads to improve their car portfolios, but a winter full of snowstorms likely made trucks and SUVs "look a lot more appealing" to buyers.

Ford said retail sales, or vehicles sold to consumers, checked in at 141,950 units, off about 1% versus April 2013. The latest month had 26 selling days, one more than last year.

Also on Thursday, Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford announced chief operating officer Mark Fields will succeed Alan Mulally, who plans to retire on July 1, as president and CEO. The transition will occur earlier than expected. Mulally previously said he would remain in his current roles until at least the end of 2014.

Shares of Ford fell 1.4% to $15.93 in recent trading.

General Motors ( GM), the largest of the Big Three automakers, reported a 6.9% increase in its April sales on strong demand for the company's new pickup trucks.

GM sold 254,076 new vehicles in April, beating estimates from both Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds. Chevrolet sales rose 5.3%, while GMC was up 13%. Sales grew 12% and 5.1% for Buick and Cadillac, respectively.

The redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra performed well during the month, and GM stressed that transaction prices held steady. The company has said it will continue to control incentives for its new trucks, sacrificing higher sales figures in exchange for wider margins.

Sales of the Silverado jumped 8.5% to 42,755. GM delivered 17,246 Sierra pickups, a 21.4% gain.

GM also said it expects to gain between two and three points of retail market share in the large pickup segment compared to March 2014.

The company's overall retail sales improved 8%, while fleet sales were up 5%.

"Retail demand was steady in April, and truck sales and transaction prices were especially strong," said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president of sales operations at GM. "As we expected, the economy continues to strengthen."

GM's results seemingly indicate that consumers are unfazed by its ignition-switch recall and several others this year. The company has come under scrutiny for a years-long delay in recalling about 2.6 million vehicles worldwide to fix defective ignition switches, a problem that has been linked to 13 deaths.

Nerad said the sales figures and Kelley Blue Book's market research indicates the recall isn't affecting car shoppers.

"We thought that from the beginning. We didn't think this would have the impact that Toyota's sudden-acceleration problems had on its sales," Nerad said, noting how the cars included in GM's ignition-switch recall are all defunct models.

GM shares raced 1.3% higher to $34.94 on the April sales report.

Chrysler Group outpaced its U.S. rivals with a 14% increase in April sales, as the automaker continues to benefit from sales of Ram trucks and the recently launched Jeep Cherokee.

The company recorded sales of 178,652 vehicles, thanks to truck sales that soared 34%. Car sales tumbled 26%.

Chrysler topped a projection from Edmunds for 12.3% growth year-over-year. Kelley Blue Book anticipated a higher gain of 18.1%.

Strong demand for Jeep and Ram vehicles again lifted Chrysler's monthly sales report. The Jeep brand posted a 52% increase in sales, with sales of the Cherokee hitting 15,007 units. The SUV's launch was delayed last year but began arriving at dealers in late October.

The Ram Truck brand saw sales climb 22%. Chrysler said 36,674 pickups were delivered last month. The namesake Chrysler brand suffered a 21% decline in sales, while Dodge sales were flat. The company also saw a 10% increase in Fiat sales.

Chrysler is in the process of completing its merger with Italian automaker Fiat. The combination into Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is expected to be done by the end of the year. CEO Sergio Marchionne said the new company could begin trading in New York by Oct. 1.

Toyota's ( TM) April sales jumped 13.3% to 199,660 vehicles, as sales of the Tundra pickup truck jumped 24%. Lexus saw a 23.1% improvement in April sales volume, while the Toyota division recorded 11.7% growth.

U.S. shares of Toyota rallied 1.4% to $109.80.

Honda ( HMC) reported sales of 132,456 units, or 1.1% more than the year-ago month. The Acura luxury brand outpaced Honda with a gain of 1.6% on strong demand for light trucks. The company's namesake vehicles posted a 1.1% sales increase.

"After a few truly chilling winter months, it's great to see the warmer spring weather begin to liberate our customers and spark record sales of CR-V and solid sales results across the lineup," said Jeff Conrad, the Honda division's senior vice president and general manager.

Honda shares were up 1.2% at $33.69 on Thursday afternoon.

Nissan Group, which includes the Infiniti luxury brand, said its monthly sales flew 18.3% higher to 103,934.

Fellow Japanese manufacturer Hyundai Motor sold 119,783 vehicles in the U.S., up 8% year-over-year, amid a 12.9% increase in sales for its Kia brand. The results beat estimates.

Sales of Volkswagen and Audi vehicles fell about 0.7% to a combined 46,484, missing expectations. Follow Matthew Rocco on Twitter @MatthewRocco

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GM Defies Recall Taint as U.S. Rebound Spurs Truck Demand

General Motors Co. (GM) is shrugging off the impact of a 2.59 million small-car recall with new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups that are luring buyers into dealerships as the weather warms and the U.S. economy rebounds.

GM sales rose 6.9 percent in April, beating the average of industry analysts surveyed by Bloomberg that projected a 5.7 percent gain. Sales of GM's redesigned full-size pickups gained 12 percent while large sport-utility vehicle deliveries increased 22 percent, the Detroit-based company said.

The year-over-year "trend in GM's total and retail sales has only improved since news of its ignition-switch recall affecting older-model cars became widely reported upon in the media -- we believe furthering our thesis that GM market share will not be materially impacted as a consequence of the issue," Ryan Brinkman, an industry analyst with JPMorgan Chase & Co., said yesterday in a note to investors.

GM's sales gain, after better than projected earnings reported last week, are a bright spot for Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra, grappling with the recalls for faulty ignition switches. Federal safety regulators, Congress and the Justice Department are investigating why it took the company more than a decade to address the defective parts.

While GM beat sales estimates in April, Ford Motor Co. (F) and Chrysler Group LLC missed analysts' estimates as industrywide sales rose 8.1 percent to 1.39 million cars and lights trucks, according to researcher Autodata Corp. The annual sales rate, adjusted for seasonal trends, climbed to 16 million from 15.2 million a year ago. That missed analysts' projections for a 16.2 million pace. Stock Gain

GM rose 1.2 percent to $34.90 yesterday, paring losses for the year to 15 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index, little changed yesterday, has gained 1.9 percent this year.





Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg say GM will reach $42.50 a share in 12 months to create a 22 percent return from yesterday. This is the 26th highest projected return among S&P 500 companies, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Among the 100 largest global auto companies, GM has the fourth lowest price-to-cash flow ratio, fifth lowest price-to-sales ratio and 35th lowest price-to-earnings ratio.

GM joined Ford, Chrysler and Toyota (7203) Motor Corp. in boosting sales of trucks in the U.S. last month. Ford, Chrysler

Ford, as it named Mark Fields its new CEO, said pickup sales gained 8 percent, while cars fell 9.1 percent. Ford's total light-vehicle deliveries fell 0.8 percent. Analysts had projected a 3.1 percent increase. Chrysler's 17 percent jump in Ram pickups and 52 percent surge in Jeep brand sport-utility vehicles weren't enough to top estimates for a 16 percent gain. A 14 percent gain at Chrysler produced its best April since 2007.

Pickup sales were helped by pent-up demand coming out of January and February when bad winter weather kept buyers away from showrooms, suggesting contractors are feeling more confident about housing starts, Mark Wakefield, leader of AlixPartners LLP's automotive practices in the Americas, said yesterday in a telephone interview.

"The cold snap recovery has quite a bit to do with it," he said. "I don't think we're seeing a mass return to the urban cowboy that we had before." Toyota's Rise

Toyota sales rose 13 percent to 199,660, matching analysts' estimates. The automaker, based in Toyota City, Japan, saw U.S. truck and car deliveries advance 17 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Sales of the full-size Tundra pickup jumped 23 percent.

"For Toyota, truck sales continue to soar," Bill Fay, Toyota division group vice president and general manager, said in a statement.

Nissan Motor Co. (7201) sales increased 18 percent, exceeding the 14 percent average of analysts' estimates. The company's car sales bucked the declining trend with a 24 percent gain as Nissan Versa deliveries jumped 46 percent. The Yokohama-based company reported mixed results on pickups: The compact Frontier was up 11 percent while the full-size Titan slid 7.9 percent.

Honda Motor Co.'s sales of Honda and Acura brand autos rose 1.1 percent last month to 132,456, the company said in separate Twitter posts. That was below an expected 3.3 percent increase.

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., affiliated South Korean automakers, reported a combined sales gain of 8 percent, topping an estimated 5.9 percent increase. Hyundai's sales grew 4.4 percent to 66,107, while Kia's jumped 13 percent to 53,676, the Seoul-based companies said in separate statements. Strategic Incentives

GM, the nation's largest automaker, reported sales of 254,076 in April. Deliveries of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup rose 8.5 percent while those of GMC Sierra trucks increased 21 percent. Both trucks were redesigned and began arriving in showrooms last year. Sales of GM's large sport-utility vehicles, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, gained 22 percent, the company said in an e-mailed statement. Deliveries of GM's Chevy Cruze small car slid 1.3 percent and the mid-size Malibu dropped 8.2 percent.

With GM's recent introduction of heavy duty and full-sized SUVs, "we believe sales of these vehicles are finally hitting their stride and we project continued sales strength and market share gains," Joseph Amaturo, an analyst with Buckingham Research Group, said in a note yesterday to investors.

GM said it used "strategic" discounts to boost sales of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, aiming incentives on double-cabs and V-6 models where the company felt it was losing share to price competition. Incentives as a percentage of average transaction prices rose to 12.4 percent in April from 10.2 percent in the first quarter, GM said, citing data from J.D. Power & Associates. The company noted that its incentives on large SUVs and heavy duty trucks declined. Truck Prices

Higher prices on those new trucks helped GM offset losses in the first quarter from the cost of recalling 7 million vehicles, including the 2.59 million with potentially faulty ignition switches that allowed the key to slip out of the "on" position, shutting off the engine and disabling air bags. First-quarter profit fell to $213 million from $1.18 billion a year ago. North American adjusted earnings before interest and taxes fell to $557 million from $1.4 billion.

Ford reported U.S. light-vehicle sales of 210,355 last month, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said in a statement. Deliveries of the Ford Focus dropped 15 percent while F-Series pickups gained 7.4 percent. Ford said it trimmed discounts on its F-Series in April by $380 from a year earlier to $3,700 a truck. Jeep SUVs

Deliveries of Chrysler's outgoing 200 sedan plunged 66 percent, as the company's car sales dropped 26 percent. Chrysler's results were hurt by a 26 percent drop for the compact Dart. Ram pickup sales totaled 36,674.

"Strong consumer demand for our Jeep sport-utility vehicles and Ram pickup trucks continued in April," Reid Bigland, Chrysler's U.S. sales chief, said in the statement.

Dodge brand added 50 sales to 53,463 in April as gains by the Grand Caravan minivan and Journey SUV made up for declines for the Dart and outgoing Avenger. Fiat brand sales increased 10 percent to 4,298 deliveries.

The latest consumer confidence survey, which rose in April to a nine-month high, showed Americans are growing more upbeat about the economy as the labor market gains traction. Consumers were more optimistic about current conditions than at any time since July 2007 as smaller ranks of the unemployed, near-record stock prices and higher property values help bolster household finances.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of sentiment increased to 84.1 from a four-month low of 80 in March. The median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 83 after a preliminary April reading of 82.6.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Clothier in Southfield, Michigan, at mclothier@bloomberg.net; Tim Higgins in Southfield, Michigan, at thiggins21@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jamie Butters at jbutters@bloomberg.net Niamh Ring

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General Motors Pickup Truck Sales Climb 12 Percent, Market Share Climbs 3 ...

General Motors sales in April proved unaffected by the negative press surrounding the company's widely publicized safety recall after the company saw sales of both the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra rise significantly throughout the month.

According to Automotive News, Chevrolet delivered 42,755 units in April, an increase of about 9 percent from March and about 6,000 more units than Ram sold. In March, Ram sales surpassed monthly Silverado sales for the first time in 15 years. GMC Sierra sales rose 21 percent to 17,246 units, while sales of Ford's outgoing F-150 model rose 7 percent.

GM sales have remained mostly stagnant throughout the year, currently sitting at 903,713 units. Weak sales of pickups and SUVs have been a major contributing factor, which are still off by 5 percent despite the healthy jump in April.

"Retail demand was steady in April, and truck sales and transaction prices were especially strong," said Kurt McNeil, GM's U.S. vice president of sales operations.

Average industry truck incentives fell $680 for the month, reports. Incentives on GM trucks rose 16% for the month, while Ram incentives dropped 22% and Ford truck incentives fell 9%.

GM said it gained more than 3 percentage points of retail market share in the full-sized pickup truck segment in April, bringing its share to 35 percent.



- Sam McEachern

Sam is GM Authority's staff writer providing coverage of General Motors news.

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Chrysler, GM, Toyota sales jump, Ford falls 1%

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Chrysler Group said it sold 178,652 units vehicles in the U.S. in April, a 14% increase compared with sales in April 2013 , and the group's best April sales since 2007.

Jeep again powered the increase. The small Patriot and Compass had strong increases, and the new Cherokee sales nearly matched those of the brand's best-seller, Wrangler.

The new-design Chrysler 200 sedan won't be in showrooms until summer, but already is winning awards and Chrysler expects it to keep the sales increases healthy.

By brand:

Fiat, up 10.2%

Chrysler, down 21.1% despite a jump by Town & Country minivan.

Jeep, up 51.6%.

Dodge, unchanged as Dart, Avenger losses wiped out gains from Journey and Caravan.

General Motors and Ford Motor will weigh in this morning. Find New & Used Cars Searching for a car? Start here USA NOW

Floods tear through Florida | USA NOW

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Here Are The April 2014 'Big 8' US Auto Sales Numbers: GM, Ford, Chrysler ...

Angelo Young is a general assignment business reporter who joined IBTimes in April 2012. Much of his career has been behind the scenes as a copy editor, assignment editor and... Continue Reading

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'American Pickers' Trades Its Mercedes for a Ford Transit

Posted by Mark Williams | April 30, 2014



The History Channel's ultimate hidden treasure show, "American Pickers," has traded in its full-size Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van for a new 2015 Ford Transit.

"Pickers" features collectors Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel around the country hunting for buried treasure in backyards, backrooms, sheds and old garages. Moving from rustic location to rustic location, the pair search for collectible pieces of art and Americana that they can repurpose or resell.

The dynamic duo has teamed up with Ford in the form of a high-roof Transit with a 3.2-liter inline-five-cylinder Power Stroke engine; the van has almost 500 cubic feet of cargo capacity. To celebrate the start of the show's new season, they've hidden 10 scale models of the Ford Transit in 10 antique shops around the country (which includes Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, and San Francisco). If you find one of them, you'll get to use a real, full-scale Transit for two weeks doing anything you want.

The promotion ends July 1. Click here for all the details. To read the full press release, click . Manufacturer image

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Brawny and muscular, but lacking cojones: 2014 Ford F

Jeffrey Jablansky / New York Daily News

In the early 1990s, when fuel was cheap and the mullet hairdo was falling out of fashion, Ford decided, quite authoritatively, that the world needed a pickup truck with the heart of a sports car -delivered straight from the factory to the drag strip.

Thus the F-150 Lightning was born, powered by a V-8 engine that happily gulped down gasoline and returned blistering straight-line performance for the short-cab, long-bed pickup. The model proved so successful that it carried on into several, subsequent model years. A supercharged Lightning followed, also equipped with a big V-8, and lasted until 2004.

A decade later, Ford has chosen to bring back the Lightning, but this time, it's called "Tremor."The short-cab, long-bed formula remains the same -unlike other F-150s, which are available to configure in seemingly endless permutations-but it's undergone a complete heart transplant.

The F-150 Tremor is a conversation piece before you even get behind the wheel. A stick-on graphics package (T-R-E-M-O-R, pasted onto the side of the bed) is the only exterior differentiating factor between Tremor package F-150s and lesser trucks. Keen eyes will note the Tremor's set of large wheels and tires, and its short cab, long bed configuration. It immediately appears perfect for the Sunbelt and southern California, where hauling needs can be frequent but the asphalt is almost always warm and dry.

Inside, Alcantara and black leather cover bucket seats with color-matched piping. A three-person bench seat is not available, and neither is a second row of seats, owing to the F-150 Tremor's lack of rear doors. The interior trimmings are as basic as is possible, offering niceties at a level more appropriate of a pickup truck for sale several years ago. A navigation system and MyFordTouch, Ford's proprietary system combining entertainment and guidance features, were the two major options fitted in the cabin.

At the F-150 Tremor's heart is a 365-horsepower V-6 engine that Ford calls "EcoBoost,"designed to displace a thirstier V-8, maximizing efficiency at scant compromise to performance. Rear-wheel drive is standard, as on the model tested, and four-wheel drive is available. The turbocharged unit is second only to the F-150's optional V-8 that makes 411 horsepower, but stands to return significantly better fuel economy -if a 5-mpg overall gain (13 vs. 17 combined mpg) is something to write home about.

But the thrill of driving an F-150 Tremor is not in bragging about its efficiency to neighbors and iPod-less straphangers. No -even in times of sub-$5 gasoline, power and road presence trump frugality and time spent at the pump. The F-150 Tremor is best experienced in a straight line, preferably far from busy city traffic. With a confident driver's foot planted firmly on the gas pedal, the traction control works diligently to keep up with the amount of power routed (in our case) through the rear wheels.

The obvious upside to the F-150 Tremor's V-6 is its sheer ability to send the Spartan truck flying. A bonus is the mighty, audible whoosh from the air-hungry engine, emitted each time the turbo spools up to produce more power. It's a tingling sensation that tickles the brain. There's something giggle-inducing about an unmodified pickup that can embarrass a pony car.



Jeffrey Jablansky / New York Daily News

On the other side of the ledger, the F-150 Tremor falls dynamically short of its competition, in terms of over-boosted steering, weak-feeling brakes, and ride comfort that erred on the side of "too firm."By comparison, the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 have more refined movements that simultaneously offer better control and feel. The F-150 feels floaty on city streets and on the highway, with ultralight steering that moves its wide body. This combination, compounded by slick tires and the lack of four-wheel drive, offered unfortunately little assurance during a recent April snowstorm.

Enthusiasts seeking a more adventurous F-150 that also offers peace of mind for motoring, on-road and off, have a solution within the model lineup: the F-150 Raptor, a rambunctious options package for the F-150 that turns mere pickups into dune-ready cavorters.

Ultimately, this realization caught on at Ford, too. The F-150 Raptor package will no longer be offered beyond the 2014 model year. As pickup enthusiasts gear up for the arrival of the slimmer, more advanced 2015 F-150, this move offers Ford a chance to re-evaluate the needs, wants, and desires of its potential shoppers.

Until then, warm-weather dwellers nostalgic for the 90s should get on line. The F-150 Tremor may not be for everyone, but it's a hoot for those who have the chance to get behind the wheel.

Vital Stats: 2014 Ford F-150 Tremor 4x2

Base price: $37,260 (includes $1,195destination charge) Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive, 3.5-liter, 365-horsepower V-6, 6-speedautomatic transmission EPA fuel economy: 16 city / 22 highway mpg Major competitors: Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan, Ram 1500 Also consider: The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor ($45,900) offers more performance and a more audacious driving experience for a similar base price.

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Toughening the Lighter 2015 Ford F

The first aluminum pickup truck faces some PR challenges, so Ford is doing what it can to replace the image of an aluminum beer can being easily crushed on the forehead of John Belushi's iconic "Animal House" character John "Bluto" Blutarsky with more robust imagery. Toward that end, Ford organized another tech forum to shed some light on the toughening measures the company applied to its #1 Bestseller, and the 10-million-mile durability regimen to which it subjected the new truck. That number represents a 2-million-mile extension of the 2009 F-150's test regimen, and essentially doubles the testing mileage accrued by its predecessor. And it's probably accurate, because Ford is releasing it after Chevy claimed 12.5 million test-miles for its Silverado. (Ram claimed 7.5 million miles for its 2013 truck.) Read the 2015 Ford F-150 First Look HERE Let's start with a deeper dive into improvements made to the still mostly steel frame, which is designed to meet 130 performance targets. The final design evolved from more than 500 computer-aided engineering analyses each of 38 different original designs. The result is a stronger frame that weighs as much as 60 pounds less.Smarter, not harder. Corners provide a lot of rigidity, so instead of just four of them, the front ends of the frame rails, where the bumpers mount, now include 12 corners. Instead of looking like a simple box, it's more of a big, fat cross, allowing the metal gauge thickness to be reduced slightly. Thick-n-thin. Sections of the rail that used to be hydroformed revert to closed-section welded boxes. Hydroforming provides the strength of a continuous tube but requires a uniform material thickness, whereas strength optimization can suggest different thicknesses for the inner and outer halves of the frame. Some sections boast thickness variations along the length of the part, using tailored blanks. When the steel is rolled out, the thickness (in this case) varies from 1.8-2.8mm to replace a part that was uniformly 2.6mm thick, saving 5.8 pounds. Alloyed forces. High-strength/low-alloy steel in two grades now comprises 77 percent of the chassis. And one aluminum crossmember under the engine replaces a steel part. More is more. Parts of the frame have a larger section height for more strength, and an eighth steel frame rail is added.



New 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6. This all-new workhorse is designed to meet the toughest truck duty, with a compacted graphite iron cylinder block like that in the 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel. Other features:Cracked Caps. The main-bearing caps are formed integrally with the engine, machined, then fracture-split. This is common practice for connecting rod big-ends, but rarer for engine-block main bearings. It ensures perfect dimensional accuracy. A die-cast lower ladder structural oil pan further strengthens the block. Variable Oiling. A two-mode oil pump features two pressure levels and provides the appropriate volume to support the pressure needs under low and high loads. Start-Stop. Fuel-saving auto start-stop comes standard, but is disabled when towing or operating in four-wheel-drive mode. Engine torture tests. A random sampling of the myriad abusive tests new Ford truck engines get subjected to include: 400 hours alternating between the as-yet-unannounced power and torque peaks. (We observed peak torque of 350 lb-ft from 2600-4500 rpm on the dyno monitors.) 300 cycles of freezing the engine to -20 degrees (F), starting it and running it to its power peak until fully hot, then shocking the cooling system with -20-degree coolant to shock the gaskets. 700 cycles from ambient temperature to 230 degrees and back.

And as for that aluminum body and box? Ford subjected the cab and box to all sorts of tortuous shaking and bending stresses in the laboratory, and built 11 prototypes stamped with the previous generation's styling to discretely carry out real-world testing, which included a run in the What about where steel meets aluminum? You may have heard that

aluminum and steel don't like to touch. The aluminum sacrifices itself to the steel in a process called galvanic corrosion. All the aluminum and steel frame and body parts are electrocoated with primer, then a proprietary insulating material is bonded to the aluminum prior to painting in areas where it will contact the steel. The steel fasteners get coatings and are typically isolated further by a coated aluminum washer when connecting to the box or cab. All of this is extensively tested in acid baths, high humidity, and salty environments. Still, customers will need to consider galvanic corrosion before screwing or bolting anything directly to the bodywork or box, and future restoration folks will need to find correct factory-spec fasteners, not hardware-store matches. But for now, nobody needs to worry about the aluminum F-150 folding up like Bluto's beer can in the line of even severe duty. Baja 1000 off-road rally. One of those trucks incurred a dent and deep scratch two years ago that still looks like it happened backing into the building this morning. In addition, the company placed 11 aluminum boxes in service with known severe-duty customers including Burrick Mining, Duke Electric. These customers reportedly never figured out the beds were aluminum after two years of service. And meaningful revisions to the final design were gleaned from these experiences that ensure the aluminum box outperforms its steel predecessor, including an increase in the gauge thickness of the box floor from 0.95 to 1.4mm, and a redesign of an access panel in the tailgate that was curling up at the edges. (It was made more underflush and its edges hemmed over.)



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