Main page | May 10, 2007 »

Backseat Driver: Research reports offer limited info

For anyone who has actually ordered a copy of his or her credit report and seen the kind of shambles of wrong dates, addresses, figures etc listed there, the news that Carfax, which sells histories of used cars, is facing court judgement can hardly be a surprise.
A class-action suit claims Carfax deceived customers by concealing the limits on the information it collects about crash damage. An Ohio judge will decide on Friday whether to approve a settlement.
Carfax is a great idea. With the wealth of computerized information available, it is smart to download it to prepare reports on almost anything. However, as with credit reports, there are limits.
I signed up with Carfax to do research on a used Volvo and on a story about buying used cars. I found the service moderately useful, but limited. In some cases meticulous lists of services followed each other like a definition of reponsible consumership. Then the vehicle was apparently sold and great blanks appeared in the record.
Meanwhile, grand assurances were made about the overall condition of the car - that it had not been flooded, in an accident, etc. But as the car's driver's door was of a different shade of silver than the rest of the body, it seemed to me that some work had been done on it that was serious enough to warrant a paint job.
And then there was the stange experience of the standard one-month account being terminated after only a few days because of some fear I was putting it to commercial use. I never found out what the worry was but suspect it was because I opened the account from my office. It was hard to get through to a human being and in the end my service was reinstated following a tart exchange of emails.
I bought the car anyway and so far so good - apart from a nasty knock when I put it into reverse. Certainly, it's a vast improvement over my old car.
Point is, these reports purport to show the whole picture and all too often that is not the case. But reading down a list of approved items can provide a peace of mind which is quite valid - so long as it is treated as merely a piece of the puzzle.

Posted by   at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

GM joins green group

General Motors yesterday became the first automaker to join the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, a group whose goals include reducing greenhouse gases by at least 60% by 2050 and creating economic opportunity for its member organizations, according to The Detroit Free Press.
GM was one of 14 organizations that joined the 3-month-old partnership, known as USCAP, this week. Others included Midland-based Dow Chemical Co., Johnson & Johnson and Shell.

Posted by   at 10:48 AM to Alternative fuels , Companies , Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Carfax in showdown over completeness of reports

AN Ohio judge will decide on Friday whether to approve the settlement of a class-action suit against Carfax in which consumers could receive coupons worth about $20 and the lawyers representing them $566,000, according to The New York Times.
The suit claims that Carfax, which sells vehicle histories to consumers worried about buying used cars, deceived customers by concealing the limits on the information it collects about crash damage.
Some consumer groups oppose the settlement, saying consumers get no meaningful compensation and Carfax is not being forced to make clear in what way its information is limited.

Posted by   at 10:41 AM to Consumer rights | Permalink | Comments 0

Senate Committee Approves 35-MPG CAFE

A proposal raising fuel-efficiency standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 was approved by a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, according to thecarconnection.com. The measure, which included the biggest change to federal fuel economy standards in more than 30 years, would increase the nationwide fleet fuel economy average by about 40 percent from current levels of 25 mpg for cars and trucks.

Posted by   at 10:29 AM to Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota enjoys profit rise, 7th straight year of record sales

Toyota Motors' first-quarter profit quarter climbed 9% as the automaker marked its seventh straight fiscal year of record sales amid robust demand for its Corolla, Camry and Lexus models, according to USA Today.
Toyota, which topped General Motors in worldwide vehicle production and sales in the first quarter for the first time ever, reported a quarterly group profit of $3.67 billion.

Posted by   at 10:23 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas prices seen holding at around $3 a gallon

The average U.S. gasoline price will hover near the $3 mark this summer and will set a record for the season, according to USA Today citing the Energy Department.
The average U.S. price for a gallon of regular gasoline will be $2.95 this summer, up 11 cents from the average last year and 14 cents higher than the price predicted a month ago, the Energy Information Administration, the Energy Department's statistical arm, said in a monthly report.
Unanticipated refinery closings heading into the busy summer driving season along with strong demand for gasoline worldwide led to the higher price forecast, the EIA analysts said.

Posted by   at 10:21 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Natural-gas powered car in the doldrums

The natural-gas powered car is a paradox, writes Chris Woodyard in USA Today.
The fuel is readily available, North American-produced and virtually pollution-free. Many motorists could even fill up in their own garages every night just like they would power-up with one of the gas-electric plug-in hybrids still under development.
But no one seems to care. Not government officials. Not auto executives. Not consumers. Not even some environmentalists.
Most major automakers offered them in the 1990s, primarily for government and corporate fleets, but today, when natural gas offers a common-sense, immediate and ecological relief valve to the nation's dependence on foreign oil, only one major automaker still makes a production model — and sales stink.

Posted by   at 10:13 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0