Stellantis sues Iowa dealership, Toyota eyes $8.3B chipmaker acquisition, Art Moehn Auto expands used-car playbook

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Welcome to The Weekly, a roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week.

Earlier this week, Charlie Spradlin, sales director at Art Moehn Auto Group, joined us on Daily Dealer Live to talk about how his team is rethinking used-car acquisitions in a tighter, more expensive market.

In the episode, he explained how he stopped letting his F&I team use cheap cars as an excuse, a mindset shift alone that pushed PVR past $2,000 across a store retailing everything from $1,000 beaters to $110,000 trucks.

Looking ahead: He's focused on building a dedicated acquisition department targeting 100 to 200 units a month outside of trade-ins, with its own manager and specialists separate from the sales floor.

(Go deeper: 4 min. read)

Also this week, a California judge cleared the way for the CNCDA's lawsuit against American Honda and Sony Honda Mobility to move forward, rejecting the automakers' motion to dismiss.

The court found that even a $200 reservation deposit qualifies as a step toward purchase, and that Sony Honda is sufficiently affiliated with American Honda for the case to proceed under California's franchise law.

Now: With Sony Honda already opening a delivery hub in Fremont and planning to put Afeela vehicles in consumers' hands by the second half of 2026, the CNCDA says it's racing to get a resolution before that happens.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

In other OEM news, Toyota is looking to acquire Japanese chipmaker Rohm through its supplier, Denso, in an $8.3 billion deal aimed at securing its semiconductor supply for EVs.

The move comes as China warns of another global chip shortage tied to the escalating Nexperia dispute, where Beijing's semiconductor unit and its Dutch parent are now in open conflict over control of the company.

Bottom line: Dealers lived through what a chip shortage does to inventory and pricing once before, and Toyota is clearly working to insulate itself in the event it happens again.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

Transport fraud is showing up in the shipping pipeline, and most dealers don't know they're exposed until a vehicle is already gone.

Frank Zombo, VP of sales at Auto Hauler Exchange, joined Daily Dealer Live to break down how fraudsters are exploiting the traditional broker model, and says the fix starts before anything ships.

His advice: Verify the driver's name, truck number, and insurance credentials directly with the carrier, because this fraud “is everywhere,” and without the right checks and balances, dealers will inevitably face losses.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

And finally, on Thursday (March 12), we covered the fact that Stellantis is suing an Iowa dealership over an alleged $12 million "double flooring" scheme.

Looking ahead: Stellantis is seeking a March 20 court approval to seize more than $20 million in vehicles, parts, and equipment.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

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