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How a Texas Hyundai dealer became the Chevy SSR king

The SSR isn't one of the most appreciated vehicles in Chevy's long history. With a style amalgamating the look of a vintage hotrod, convertible and a pickup, it's really serving a niche market right from the start. However, a Hyundai dealer in Texas has turned selling the cult models into a booming business and has become the de facto king of the quirky truck. According to Automotive News, Paul Peebles runs North Freeway Hyundai in Spring, TX, but he's better known in the Chevy SSR community the premiere seller of the weird model through his used car network. The odd venture started in 2010 when Peebles wanted to boost his pre-owned business and bought several sporty vehicles. Among them were five SSRs, and he threw a cookout for owners to get the word out. Things just ballooned from there. Since then, Peebles' used car dealer has had a hand in 447 SSR transactions, and some of those are the same truck coming back to sell again. With just over 24,000 of them out there, that works about to two percent of the model's production moving through just one business. The dealership also sponsors an SSR owners' forum online. Being a major broker for a niche model also means that Peebles often gets rare examples of the SSR, including some of the Indianapolis 500 pace car versions, according to Automotive News. We even saw a bizarre one last year when the business put this shark-inspired truck on eBay Motors. The whole thing also works out well for Peebles' Hyundai business. Specializing in SSRs brings other performance models in as trade-ins, and they can draw folks to the lot to check out the collection. Then, maybe visitors can take a look at a Sonata, too.

GM recalls nearly 340,000 large SUVs to fix daytime running lights

General Motors has initiated a recall campaign for more than 338,000 of its large SUVs to address a potential defect in the onboard computer software that controls the daytime running lights. In some cases, the DRLs may remain on even when the headlights are enabled, which creates additional glare for oncoming drivers at night and fails to comply with federal regulations for headlight performance.  "GM determined that the body control module (BCM) software in these vehicles, under a combination of certain pre-conditions, may fail to deactivate the DRLs when the headlamps are on," GM's recall report said. "A regulatory assessment was conducted to evaluate whether the condition presented a potential noncompliance with the DRL activation requirements in S7.10.5, Table I-a. of FMVSS 108. On October 27, 2022, GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority (SFADA) decided to conduct a recall for potential noncompliance with this standard." GM says the recall covers the 2021 model year GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and 2021 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. The company says all models produced within that operating window include the improperly programmed body control module, meaning all vehicles within the recall population may exhibit the problem. The issue was discovered by a GM engineer during validation testing in August, prompting a deeper investigation and eventually leading to the recall itself.   The module's software can be updated by GM dealers, so it should be a quick fix for customers. Notifications will be mailed to owners in December.  Related video: Recalls Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Ownership Safety SUV Luxury

2015 Chevrolet SS Review [w/video]

The Chevrolet SS is one of the best cars no one's buying. It's a Bowtie-badged version of the Australian Holden Commodore with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 under the hood. It's got a six-speed manual transmission, General Motors' sophisticated Magnetic Ride Control suspension, and rear-wheel drive. It's a fullsize sedan that comes with every possible amenity you could want. And it's less than $50,000. Chevrolet sold 2,479 SS sedans in 2014. That means it was outsold by every other vehicle the automaker offers, even the police fleet-only Caprice. (I'm only talking about cars that were on sale for the full 2014 calendar year, of course.) The aforementioned manual transmission and MRC suspension were added for 2015, but it's not clear if that's helping. The SS is down 7.7 percent through June of this year, compared to 2014's numbers. But hey, at least it's finally outselling the Caprice. What a damn shame. Granted, GM only planned to sell a few thousand of these each year, but as enthusiasts, this a car we should be gobbling up. It's the closest we'll get to a four-door Corvette, and with the 2015 model year updates, that statement is more true than ever. People often mistook the SS for a Malibu. "Is that a rental car?" Yikes. Aside from the manual gearbox and magnetorheological suspension, the SS is largely unchanged through its year and a half of sales. But that's no bad thing – we were thoroughly impressed with the SS when we first tested it at the end of 2013. Outside, the SS looks the same, which is a bummer. It is not an attractive car, and the chrome brightwork on the side vents and wheels doesn't help. That said, the sedate styling puts it under the radar – more so than competitors like a Dodge Charger 392, anyway. But maybe it's too under the radar. Even in the new, "Some Like It Hot Red" color (yes, really), photographer Drew Phillips reports that people often mistook the SS for a Malibu. "Is that a rental car?" Yikes. Exterior styling is our only gripe with the SS. Moving inside, there's a lot to like. This is easily one of Chevy's nicest, well thought-out interiors (thanks, Holden), with premium materials and tons of equipment. The Chevy MyLink infotainment system carries over, and now features 4G LTE and wifi connectivity. The touchscreen is a bit slow to respond, but otherwise, it's bright, well organized, and packed with functionality. This is easily one of Chevy's nicest, well thought-out interiors.