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Honda and Acura expand CPO offerings to include 10-year-old cars

With valuations having gone ballistic, buyers are spending more than ever to purchase used cars at the same time cars with 100,000 miles or more are now considered just mildly used. Effectively, the market is full of folks splashing what was new-car money not long ago on a vehicle that would have been considered all used up. Nevertheless, used car sales, especially manufacturer Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programs, are booming. Anything that can help a shopper with peace-of-mind about what they're getting would be a boon to the process, which is why Honda and Acura have revamped their CPO program to include a wider range of used cars.  At the bottom, the new HondaTrue Used tier now accepts vehicles up to ten years old, with no mileage limit. This wasn't the case before. The entire vehicle is covered for 100 days or 5,000 miles after purchase, whichever comes first. Used buyers at this tier also benefit from common CPO perks such as roadside assistance, trip interruption reimbursement (if your new-to-you used car breaks down far from home), and one complimentary oil change within the first year or 12,000 miles. As with the other two tiers, this one offers an exchange policy for another Honda CPO vehicle within three days or 300 miles. Above that, HondaTrue Certified accepts Hondas up to five years old. The entire vehicle is covered for one year or 12,000 miles after the original new vehicle warranty expires, and the powertrain-only warranty runs for seven years from the vehicle’s model year or 100,000 miles on the odometer. This one offers a second free oil change within the first year as well. HondaTrue Certified+ is only for vehicles purchased within their new vehicle warranty coverage period — so, under four years old and with less than 48,000 miles. It provides the same powertrain coverage as HondaTrue. Acura says its CPO division has posted five straight years of growth and had a record-breaking 2021, allowing it to take over Audi's spot at #4 for luxury CPO sales. Its Acura Precision CPO now offers an Acura Precision Used tier for its vehicles up to ten years old, with no limit on miles. After purchase, each Acura Precision Used vehicle gets complete and powertrain coverages for up to six months or 7,500 miles.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico

2015 Honda Fit recalled over ignition coils

Honda is issuing a recall for 17,800 units of the 2015 Fit in the US because they have faulty ignition coils. According to the automaker, the parts can degrade over time, potentially leading to the engine stalling. The company discovered the issue from warranty claims outside of the US. Currently, there are no reported crashes or injuries related to this problem. Owners will start receiving official notification of the recall on October 6. As usual, the repair will be done at no charge for affected owners. Related Video: Statement by American Honda Regarding Plug Top Ignition Coil Recall: 2015 Honda Fit Sep 2, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Honda will voluntarily recall approximately 17,800 model-year 2015 Fit vehicles in the United States to replace the plug top ignition coils, free of charge. The original plug top ignition coils may degrade over time, which, in the worst case, could cause the vehicle's engine to stall, potentially increasing the risk of a crash. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue, which was discovered through the warranty claim process outside of the United States. Honda is announcing this recall to encourage each owner of an affected vehicle to take it to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers will begin October 6, 2015. Additionally, owners of these vehicles can determine if their vehicles require repair now by going to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (888) 234-2138.