Auto Events

DETROIT, MI - Chrysler is recalling 469,000 Jeep SUVs worldwide because they can shift into neutral without warning on startup.

The recall affects 2005 to 2010 Grand Cherokees and 2006 to 2010 Commanders.

U.S. safety regulators say cracks in a circuit board can cause a faulty signal as the SUVs are being started. If the vehicles shift into neutral they can roll away.

Chrysler says the problem has caused 26 crashes and two injuries.

Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will update software to take care of the problem. Chrysler found cracks in a circuit board that turns the four-wheel-drive system on and off.

Repairs will be made at no cost to owners.

The recall covers 295,000 vehicles in the U.S., 28,500 in Canada, and 4,200 in Mexico. The remaining 141,000 are outside North America.

The company says in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Administration that it began looking into the problem after a customer complained that an SUV rolled away in January of 2012 after being started remotely.

There are only a few days between now and Mother’s Day, which is usually the time I start scrambling to figure out a gift. I can’t be the only one who does this, so I’m sure many of you are in the same boat. It’s always tough to figure out the right gift. Do I go for some kitchenware, a cookbook, or perhaps a perfume I know she likes? These are the usual choices that float in my mind and they usually work. 

However, the same gifts do get stale after a while and it’s nice to be original and shake things up.  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit with the people at Canadian Tire who shared with me a new exciting idea for Mother’s Day – clean her car inside and out! What a thought!

It’s something so simple, yet so nice and most likely needed. It’s hard to make the automotive and Mother’s Day connection, but it’s a service that can include the whole family and be much appreciated and definitely remembered (hopefully not expected every year).

In order to show me what products to buy and explain how easy it was to clean a vehicle, the folks at Canadian Tire gave me a demonstration at one of their local stores. You can call it the one-and-only Mother’s Day gift I will ever receive and I loved it. Now if I loved it – what would your mother say when the whole family puts in the effort on Sunday morning?

I pulled my Mazda3 into their garage area and they went to work on it. Unfortunately, I was so busy writing notes and taking pictures I couldn’t possibly assist. 

The first thing they spotted was some bird droppings on the hood and excitingly ran up to showcase Autoglym’s Bird Dropping Wipes ($6.99). They resemble a large wet-nap that most importantly doesn’t bleed through causing no mess or residue. It was quick, painless and left no bird droppings on my hands and that to me is a formula for success. 

After the bird dropping demonstration, they started out with a power wash using a cap-full of Simoniz Wash & Wax ($12.99) mixed in with a regular bucket of water. Once that was complete, the next step was to spray the entire exterior with Autoglym’s Aqua Wax. The Autoglym Aqua Wax Kit ($21.99) comes with the wax spray and two microfiber cloths. This waxing was so simple even your laziest child can figure it out. It’s just a simple spray, followed by using one of the cloths to spread the wax evenly around and the other cloth to buff off the wax. 

The exterior is never complete without paying attention to your wheels and tires and that’s where Simoniz Tire Foam ($8.99) comes in. After covering the entire tire with a few sprays – I said good-bye to all that dirt, mud and grime. Best part of this product is that after you spray it, there’s no more work to be done, it comes off on its own. As for the wheels, Autoglym’s Custom Wheel Cleaner ($12.99) was used to dissolve brake dust, corrosion and traffic film while providing a nice shine after some scrubbing with Simoniz’s Wheel & Fender Brush ($8.99).

Unfortunately, my interior was in pretty good shape, so I gave the Canadian Tire people a bit of a break. As I sipped a coffee on the side I had one request, if they could do something with my endless array of extinct pennies. Within seconds a solution was found as they were all collected and stored along with many old receipts in a vintage MotoMaster tin jar – I guess there’s everything for everyone somewhere in Canadian Tire.

Now back to the job at hand… 

The first thing they did was remove all of the mats and loose items and got straight to vacuuming. For this job, the Bissell AutoCare Hand Vacuum ($49.99) did the trick. I must say a very handy tool for the car and the home. It’s a compact and lightweight vacuum that’s deceptively powerful and can get into those hard-to-reach places. Within seconds it sucked up loose hair, scraps of paper and the many leftover bagel crumbs.

When it came to cleaning my dashboard and other plastics there were many different products that could be used. I had the chance to see both the versatile Tub O' Towels ($9.99) and the Armor All Cleaning Wipes ($4.99) in action. They both did a great job in cleaning the dash, getting rid of the dust and making it shine. It just shows you the many different options out there – it’s just your job to decide which is best for you.

It might seem like a lot of products and a lot of work, but I can tell you first-hand everything was fairly easy and quick to use. I went to check out their spring display in the store and all of these products are easy to find and were showcased front and center. A little help can go a long way and if your mother’s vehicle can use a little makeover – Canadian Tire has all the products and tools you need. 

JAMAICA – Nissan has delivered a special GT-R, bathed in exclusive gold paint, to Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt in appreciation for his contributions as a Nissan brand ambassador for GT-R. Bolt, known as "the world's fastest man," has been promoting the company's brand awareness in association with the Nissan Global Brand Campaign, which kicked off in April 2012 and has been running in markets around the world ever since.

It was love at first sight for Bolt, already a GT-R owner, when the one-of-a-kind "Bolt Gold" GT-R was unveiled as the top prize in an online global charity auction held in late 2012. The proceeds of the auction went to the Usain Bolt Foundation.

The special Gold GT-R that Nissan presented to Bolt is based on the 2014 model year Nissan GT-R. It has been customized to suit Bolt's driving style, based on the data Nissan engineers recorded during his test drive of the GT-R line-up when he visited the company headquarters in October 2012.

The uniquely gold-painted Nissan GT-R features a flamboyant white interior, BOSE® audio system and 10-spoke RAYS® aluminum-alloy forged wheels. These specially fitted, hyper-titanium color-coated wheels add extra flair to an already bold exterior that is highlighted by an exclusive "Spec Bolt" emblem. The visual specs of the car, including exterior color, interior color and wheels, were selected by Bolt himself.

The handover event took place on May 5, 2013, at Bolt's home training facility in Jamaica that overlooks the mountains of his home country. Jose Román, vice president of Nissan Latin America and the Caribbean, who attended on behalf of Nissan, handed over the keys to the Gold GT-R to Bolt. Bolt then become the owner of one of only two Gold GT-Rs in existence, the other belonging to the charity auction winner who will take delivery of his special car before the summer of 2013.

TORONTO – Canadians shopping for a new truck helped drive auto sales up nearly nine per cent last month, according to sales figures compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants on Wednesday.

Sales of light vehicles in Canada totalled 171,807 for April, up 8.9 per cent from 157,777 a year ago, breaking a four-month streak of lower year-over-year sales.

The bulk of the gain came from a 16.3 per cent increase in light truck sales which totalled 94,701 for the month, up from 81,409 in April 2012.

“The Canadian light vehicle market surged forward last month, thawing out after a slow winter,” DesRosiers said in an analysis that pointed out that the year-to-date sales were now ahead of 2012 for the first time.

The automotive consulting firm noted the big U.S. and Japanese brands enjoyed sales growth last month, while the Korean automakers and some prominent luxury brands failed to capitalize on the strong market.

“Both Korean brands have now lost roughly half a point of market share apiece on a year-to-date basis, bleeding some of the gains won from Japanese manufacturers over the last five years,” DesRosiers said.

Sales of its F-Series pickup trucks helped Ford Motor Co. of Canada claim the top spot for the month and the year-to date.

Ford says it sold 27,907 vehicles last month, up from 24,171 a year ago.

The gain came as the company’s overall truck sales gained 21 per cent to total 20,809, up from 17,267 from a year ago, and sales of its F-Series truck shot up 38 per cent. Ford car sales were up three per cent from a year ago.

“We’re pleased to see long-term growth across varied markets, from the Fusion to the F-150, which has resulted in sales leadership year-to-date through April,” Ford Canada president and chief executive Dianne Craig said.

Meanwhile, Chrysler Canada reported sales of 25,745, up from 24,540 in April 2012, also helped by truck sales.

Chrysler said Ram truck sales gained 31 per cent to total 8,020, up from 6,129, while overall truck sales increased 3.2 per cent to 19,865 vehicles. Passenger car sales gained 11 per cent to total 5,880, up from 5,283.

General Motors Canada joined Ford in reporting a double-digit increase in April sales, although it still came in third among the Detroit Three automakers.

GM Canada said the overall number of vehicles delivered by dealers rose 19 per cent to 25,071, its best April performance since 2009.

“We experienced strong sales in virtually all of our vehicle segments in April,” said Marc Comeau, GM of Canada’s vice-president of sales, service and marketing.

“We’re optimistic for the remainder of 2013 as we continue with our aggressive launch plans.”

Toyota Canada, helped by its truck sales, led the way among the Japanese automakers as it said it sold 20,087 vehicles in April, up 7.2 per cent from a year ago, including its Lexus and Scion brands.

Toyota sales totalled 18,008 for the month, a gain of six per cent as truck sales grew 20.3 per cent to 8,171 for the month. Lexus sold 1,520 vehicles, up 13.6 per cent form a year ago, including 848 sport-utility vehicles which were up 20.9 per cent. Scion sales were up 40 per cent at 561.

Meanwhile, Honda sales gained 17 per cent to finish the month at 13,257, up from 11,303 a year ago, while its Acura nameplate gained 39 per cent for 2,06 sales in the month, up from 1,497.

Mazda sales slipped to 6,682 from 7,049 in April 2012, while Nissan sales flew to 7,416 from 6,307.

Hyundai sales slipped to 13,517 from 14,301, while Kia sales fell to 7,581 from 8,010.