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Hey everyone,
Fresh episode of the Industry Spotlight podcast just went live.
In it, host Sam D’Arc sits down with Paul LeBlanc, service director at Longo Toyota, and Derek Simonds, EVP of Automotive at Numa to talk AI’s financial impact, the best strategies for hiring techs, and more.
Used car prices are reversing course, and fast:
After two years of slow declines, the average list price for a 1- to 5-year-old vehicle jumped over $1,000 in just three months, hitting $32,437 in June.
And it’s pushing late-model used cars priced under $20K to the edge of extinction.
The signal: We’re entering a new phase of upward pressure.
(Data source: iseecars.com)
How Ed Roberts built a mobile vehicle service empire at Bozard Ford
At Bozard Ford Lincoln, COO Ed Roberts is treating mobile service as a full-blown operation, not a side hustle.
With 46 mobile units and 13,000 ROs a month, Roberts is scaling what most dealers treat as an afterthought.
His reasoning: If service comes to the customer, loyalty follows.
“There is not a customer that wakes up in the morning that's excited to go into a car dealer. They take half a day off. They do whatever," Roberts said. “If I can eliminate those things for our customers and go to them while they're at work or home, and not take any time from them, we eliminate the friction of ownership.”
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Former Tesla insider joins DTC debate: Let the best model win
Yesterday, former Tesla insider Farzad Mesbahi joined Daily Dealer Live to chime in on the direct-to-consumer debate.
His stance: Let both models (direct and franchise) compete, and back whichever delivers.
Mesbahi knows the Tesla system firsthand and says when the manufacturer owns the service bill, there's real pressure to build a better product.
“If there's a company out there that just does it better, does that automatically mean we shouldn't have that? No. That's crazy. That's anti-capitalist.”
Big picture: It’s a pro-consumer pitch. Not an anti-dealer one. Because in his mind, if a brand can execute well in both community and process, they’ve earned the customer, and their place in the market, regardless of the model.
Ford recalls 694,000 vehicles as fuel injector risk grows
Ford just issued its 90th recall of the year—this time covering nearly 700K Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs over a fuel injector fire risk.
The fix could cost $570M and pushes Ford past GM’s record of 77 recalls in a single year (set back in 2014), with several months still to go in the year.
Bottom line: Sales may be climbing, but Ford’s mounting safety issues could start to strain trust, dealer relationships, and regulatory patience.
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
Presented by: Mia
@Farzyness on DTC cars, Bozard on mobile service ROI, OPENLANE on used market
Featured guests:
Ed Roberts, COO of Bozard Ford Lincoln
Justin Zane, SVP at OPENLANE
Farzad Mesbahi, Content Creator, Ex-Tesla
Tariffs force Volvo to pull several models from U.S. market
Volvo Cars has dramatically scaled back its U.S. model lineup this year, becoming one of the first major automakers to halt certain vehicle shipments as President Trump's tariffs make it harder to sell a broad range of cars profitably.
Reed Auto Group expands in the midwest with recent Ford store acquisition
Mark Muller and Bob Jacaway sold the store to Randy Reed and his sons Trevin and Tyler, who already run four other dealerships across Missouri and Kansas, deal advisor Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions announced July 2.
Dealers are getting more online reviews than ever—and turning replies into repeat buys
Online reviews aren’t gospel. But they’re not just noise either. They’re one of the few places customers speak without a filter, especially once the deal’s closed and the follow-up emails stop.
