Braking News

 A busy service lane does not automatically mean a profitable one. That is one of the biggest takeaways from a recent CBT News discussion with Christopher Singleton, Managing Partner of Mike Terry Chevrolet of Refugio, who shared some of the fixed ops metrics his team watches most closely. For Singleton, vehicle count alone does not tell the whole story. Instead, his team focuses on metrics like hours per repair order, technician proficiency, additional service recommendations, and the percentage of repair orders that include photos or videos from multi-point inspections . That last one is especially important. Photos and videos should not just be something a dealership offers because the software makes it possible. They should be part of the process. At Mike Terry Chevrolet, management tracks how consistently technicians and advisors include visual documentation with repair orders. That gives leadership a measurable way to reinforce good habits instead of treating digital inspecti...

 Modern vehicles are getting more complicated, but the number of skilled technicians available to service them is not keeping pace. That makes technician development one of the biggest long-term fixed-ops challenges facing dealerships. A new report from Car Dealership Guy highlighted how Ricart Automotive in Columbus, Ohio, is tackling that problem by developing technicians from within. According to President and CEO Jared Ricart, about 75% of the group’s Ford technicians have been developed internally through a program built with organizations including ASE and Columbus State Community College. That approach matters because today’s automotive technician is doing much more than traditional mechanical work. Modern vehicles combine electrical systems, software, advanced driver assistance technology, HVAC, networking, diagnostics, and increasingly complex electronic components. Technicians are becoming part mechanic, part electrician, part IT specialist, and part diagnostician. At th...

 Volkswagen is recalling more than 208,000 vehicles in the United States over a defect involving a steering rack bolt that could potentially break and lead to a loss of steering control. According to NHTSA and Reuters reporting, the recall affects 208,724 vehicles . Because the issue involves a steering component, this is the kind of recall that immediately becomes more than a technical concern. It becomes a customer confidence issue. When drivers hear the words “possible loss of steering,” they do not want a complicated explanation buried in engineering terminology. They want to know: Is my vehicle affected? Is it safe to drive? How quickly can I get it inspected? What is the repair? How long will it take? And is the dealership ready to help me? That is where the service department becomes incredibly important. The OEM may issue the recall, but the dealership owns much of the customer experience around it. Customers will call the store. They will schedule through the store. They ...

 Car shoppers do not stop shopping when the showroom closes. That sounds obvious, but many dealership websites still operate as if the customer’s job is to browse inventory, submit a lead, and then wait until someone gets back to them the next day. A new CBT News story shows what can happen when dealers remove that waiting period. Carhub Automotive Group says it sold more than 60 vehicles online in four months , generating about $2.9 million in incremental revenue , using a digital retail platform that allowed customers to continue structuring and completing deals even after the showroom was closed. The bigger takeaway is not about one specific platform. It is about customer expectations. People are used to doing business whenever it is convenient for them. They shop online late at night. They apply for financing from the couch. They compare vehicles during lunch. They research trade values while watching television. If the customer is ready to move forward at 10:30 at night, telli...

 Dealership service departments are facing a bigger retention problem than simply getting customers to come back for their next oil change. More customers are starting to view chain service centers as their primary place for automotive maintenance and repair. According to data from Ducker Carlisle’s latest Consumer Sentiment Survey, the share of customers who identified a chain service center as their primary service provider grew from 20% in 2020 to 42% in 2025 . Over that same period, dealership share fell from 54% to 36% . That is a major shift. Chains are no longer just picking up the occasional oil change or tire rotation. For a growing number of drivers, they are becoming the default place to take the vehicle whenever something needs attention. And once a customer builds that habit somewhere else, the dealership is no longer competing for one repair order. It is competing to win back the entire relationship. Why are customers moving? Price perception certainly plays a role. M...

 Dealership service scheduling is getting better across the industry, but a new study shows there is still plenty of room for improvement. According to Pied Piper’s 2026 Service Scheduling Effectiveness Auto Industry Study, every automotive brand measured improved its overall service scheduling performance this year. The study evaluated more than 6,500 service requests placed by phone and online across 33 U.S. automotive brands and four independent service chains. The industry average improved by seven points compared with last year, with online scheduling making the biggest jump. That is the good news. The less encouraging news is that 16% of callers still could not successfully book a service appointment , and at some brands that number climbed above 25%. Customers encountered familiar problems: long hold times, complicated phone trees, voicemail, and AI systems that could handle basic requests but struggled when the conversation needed to be transferred to a real person. In fact...

 Stellantis is recalling more than 200,000 Jeep vehicles in the United States because of a software issue tied to the tire pressure monitoring system. According to recent reporting, the recall affects 201,976 Jeep vehicles . The issue may prevent the tire pressure monitoring system from detecting low tire pressure or illuminating the warning light when needed. That creates a safety concern because low tire pressure can affect handling, braking, tire wear, fuel economy, and overall vehicle control. At first glance, this may sound like a simple tire pressure warning issue. But for dealerships, the bigger story is this: software is now tied directly to safety, service, and customer confidence. A tire pressure monitoring system is one of those features many drivers do not think about until it matters. When it works, it quietly protects the customer in the background. When it does not work, the driver may not know there is a problem until the vehicle is already harder to control, the t...