Tag Archives: bad credit loans

CONSUMER ALERT: Recalls for 2013 Ford Focus, C-Max, and Escape

Edmunds is reporting a new recall on the 2013 Ford Focus, C-Max, and Escape, starting March 25.

Some of these new Ford vehicles have a faulty child lock mechanism installed on the left door of the backseat. Child locks are supposed to automatically lock the backseat doors from the inside while the engine is turned on so that children in the back seat cannot accidentally open the door.

Ford will replace the locks on all affected vehicles, and until then, it is recommended that any small children be seated in the middle or on the right side of the backseat. Fortunately, there have not been any reported injuries related to the faulty child locks, and with the recall, Ford hopes to keep it that way.

Keep up with the latest auto news, recalls, and other consumer alerts by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube! Are you ready to get into a new car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here.

Auto Sales Per Franchise Get Boost, Chrysler and VW Lead

In 2012 and so far in 2013, the auto industry has posted incredibly strong numbers, steadily building from one month to the next. As auto sales have risen, auto makers have held steady with the number of franchises with very few dropping stores and a few adding stores. This raises the question of whether there is enough demand to support all of these franchises. Fortunately, for now the answer is yes.

Last year, sales per store were on average up 15 percent. Chrysler and VW led the pack with 36 percent and 32 percent increases respectively. New vehicle sales have gone up 13 percent overall, and the average number of new-vehicle sales per franchise has gone up as well.

Chrysler was one of the bolder automakers in 2012. They were confident enough to add 55 franchises that year, even if it meant the number of sales per franchise was lower than the overall industry average. So far, it looks like their gamble might pay off with their sales per franchise is still growing, and they will be pulling in amazing numbers if all of their dealerships start matching the overall industry average.

The time is NOW to get that new or used car! Are you ready? Good credit, bad credit, no credit, Approved Loan Store wants to get you in the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Volvo Updates City Safety for Bicyclists, Pedestrians

Auto safety has improved leaps and bounds in the past few years, not only for drivers and passengers but for pedestrians as well. Volvo has been a leader in this regard, presenting pedestrian air bags at the Geneva Motor Show last year, and this week, they unveiled another stunner. New Volvos will be able to sense pedestrians and bicyclists on the road and help drivers avoid a collision.

The new technology is an update to Volvo’s three-year-old City Safety system which reduces distracted driving accidents and accidents caused by human error. City Safety alerts the driver if the car is on course for a collision and applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to the warning. The original system could detect and monitor other vehicles, but the update expands its detection system to include bicyclists and pedestrians. This system does not give drivers the ability to drive without watching the road but rather serves as a safeguard in high-stress driving scenarios.

Doug Speck, Volvo’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service, was optimistic about the new system and what it means for the future of Volvo, stating, “By covering more and more objects and situations, we reinforce our world-leading position within automotive safety. We keep moving towards our long-term vision to design cars that do not crash.”

The new system will be available May 2013 in the V40, S60, V60, XC60, V70, XC70, and S80, and pricing has not yet been announced. Volvo owners can also expect additional updates in the next few years that cover large animals such as deer or small animals like dogs or cats.

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto new and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

The Geneva Auto Show and the Industry’s “Green” Problem

The Geneva Auto Show wraps up this Sunday, and auto journalists are already asking what the show says about the future of cars, specifically “green” vehicles. Is the auto industry making progress in hybrids and electric cars, and will people buy them when they hit the market?

There is an odd disconnect between what people involved with the show and the auto industry are saying and the reality at the auto show. In a piece for the New York Times, writer Christopher F. Schuetze highlights the dissonance at the show, pointing out that only 10 percent of the cars at the show are eco-friendly and then quoting politicians and the president of the Geneva Auto Show who praise the auto industry’s integration of green technology. 10 percent is hardly complete integration, especially at an auto show meant to show the best and latest in automotive technology.

Unfortunately, there is a good reason why the auto industry is praising green technology while quietly relegating electric car technology to the concepts. The truth is that the auto industry still relies too much on big car sales, cars that scream “real man” in their advertising. The auto industry will never move past gas-guzzlers to electric and hybrid cars until they wean themselves off of this outdated idea of a manly car and learn how to properly market green cars.

No matter what kind of car you might be looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! From hybrid compacts to trucks and minivans, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Fuel Efficiency Off-Set by Poor Driving Habits

Vehicles are more fuel efficient than ever. The average fuel economy of the US light-duty fleet has seen a 40 percent improvement in forty years, and every year, automakers are making ambitious goals of cutting vehicle weight or pushing their hybrid and electric models. These efforts might be undercut, however, by poor driving habits.

According to a study by the Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, American drivers are driving more and tend to have fewer passengers in their vehicle. The car might be getting better fuel economy, but there is a higher amount of fuel used per person on average. In order to get the most out of these more fuel-efficient cars, people need to carpool a little more and consider walking or biking instead of taking the car everywhere.

The decrease in passengers per car, however, could also be attributed to the rise in compact cars. More people are opting for smaller vehicles with less room for additional passengers, ironically enough because many automakers tout their compact cars as being fuel efficient.

Readers, we want to hear from you! Are you happy with the fuel efficiency of your car? Have you made any changes to your lifestyle to pay less at the pump? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will help you get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2014 Chevy Camaro Will Debut at New York Auto Show

Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels Concept

The New York Auto Show is coming up at the end of the month, and all the major automakers are starting to drop hints and leak pictures of the vehicles that will be making their debuts. Pictures of the new 2014 Chevy Camaro have already hit the web, but now Chevrolet has announced that the public will get a full look at the new Camaro at the New York Auto Show.

In a press release, Chevrolet promised that the 2014 Camaro “advances the design and performance attributes that have made it the most popular sports car under $50,000 for three consecutive years.” While the leaked pictures don’t show off the interior, the new Camaro has some changes to the exterior look, and it is rumored that the new model might be coming with a LS7 engine.

The official opening day for the New York Auto Show is March 30th, but there will be a press preview March 27th and 28th and a public sneak preview on the 29th. If you are in the New York City area, stop by the show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on 11th Avenue between 34th and 40th Streets.

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, connect with Approved Loan Store on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

Kia Hits 18 Consecutive Years of Market Gains

For a long time, Kia has been considered a scrappy underdog in the U.S. auto market. The brand is known for value rather than flashy designs, and looking over the top selling cars of the past few years, it would seem that flash is winning out. Kia didn’t break the top 10 best-selling cars for 2010, 2011, or 2012, and while Kia won a decent number of design awards in 2012, it isn’t a brand that typically makes headlines.

So why can’t the Kia leadership stop smiling?

Last week, Kia announced that the end of 2012 marked 18 consecutive years of market share growth in the United States. In 1994, Kia started selling in the United States, and they only sold 692 cars that year. Like the tortoise in the classic fable, though, Kia has slowly and steadily built their sales year after year. 100,000 units were sold in 1999, and by 2007, they had tripled that number. They shot past the 500,000 mark in 2012 with sales of 557,599, 15 percent higher sales than the year before.

Though Kia’s sales are impressive, they are still years away from competing with the big dogs. The Ford F-Series, the top selling vehicle of 2012, sold 645,316 units, more than Kia sold overall. Still, other automakers should take lessons from Kia such as their “flexible factories” and model redesigns that sparked a new interest in the brand. Hopefully Kia’s success will push other auto makers to step up their game and produce better and more affordable cars.

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

TransUnion: One-Third of Approved Auto Loans Are Subprime

With almost a third of all auto loans going to subprime buyers, it has never been easier to get an auto loan.

Figures from Experian and TransUnion, two of the 3 big credit bureaus, show that more people are getting approved for auto loans, and 32 percent of those auto loans are going to subprime borrowers. All these approvals for subprime borrowers have surprisingly not had an effect on the number of buyers who are delinquent 60 days or more on their payments. If anything, the rate has actually gone down from .94 percent in 2009 to .74 percent in 2012.

Industry insiders are attributing the low rate of delinquencies to consumers making their auto payments a higher priority. For many of these subprime borrowers, this is more than just buying a car. This is also a chance to rebuild their credit history and improve their credit score.

At Approved Loan Store, we work with customers every day who have a wide variety of credit standings. Some have stellar credit while others never established a credit history or they are struggling with subprime credit. We work with them to get a great car at terms they can afford, and we can do the same for you too!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Get started by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Toyota Offers Major Discounts to New York Drivers

In an effort to match their 2012 sales, Toyota is offering massive discounts and refunds on the 2012 Prius plug-in including some deep price cuts for Manhattan-area drivers.

While these discounts will vary by region and dealership, New Yorkers can get approximately $6,500 off on a 2012 Prius plug-in or $4,650 off a 2013 Prius plug-in. They are hoping that the discounts will make car buyers take another look at Prius instead of going with other popular hybrid and electric models such as the 2013 Ford C-Max, the 2013 Nissan Leaf, or the 2013 Chevy Volt.

In an interview with Wards Auto, Toyota Div. Group Vice President Bill Fay acknowledged that the price cuts would make the Prius more competitive, but their main focus is making the car more affordable for the average driver. “I think we have to be cognizant of the world those shoppers are operating in…and we have to be sure we offer the same kind of value when they go to buy the vehicle.” This isn’t a bad idea considering that hybrids and electric cars have been relatively expensive in the past. Perhaps Toyota’s discounts will push more drivers to make the switch to a more environmentally-conscious car.

No matter what kind of car you are looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU get it! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Chrysler Announces $374 Million Investment in Indiana Factories

At the end of January, GM announced that they would be investing $600 million into their Fairfax Assembly and Stamping Plant, their largest investment into a single plant to date. GM isn’t the only automaker putting funds back into their factories, though, as Chrysler announced late last week that they would be investing over $300 million into two of their factories.

The two factories, located in Indiana, will receive a total of $374 million in upgrades and approximately 1,250 new jobs. These factories were on the chopping block back in 2009 after Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, and it is fantastic that now in 2013, they are receiving such a major investment from Chrysler. Upgrades to the factories will address current safety risks and get them ready to produce 8-speed and 9-speed transmission.

In a press release, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne praised the Indiana workers, calling the investment a “tribute to the character of the men and women of Chrysler” and crediting Chrysler’s success with its workers’ “ability and…willingness to think in unconventional ways in order to exceed expectations.”

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!