Ourisman Auto cuts $100/unit in ad spend, buyer reviews quiet on tariffs, Ford recalls 1M+ over camera glitch

Hey everyone. New CDG Podcast just went live with Graham Anderson, Co-Founder of KENECT.

We’re talking the #1 fixed ops bottleneck, when to hit send on that text, and why Gen Z is flipping the dealer script.

Now streaming on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

— CDG

Welcome to the Daily Dealer a concise rundown of the most important automotive industry headlines that matter to car dealers, automakers, and industry insiders.

The loudest colors are leaving the quietest impact on resale value:

After 3 years, yellow cars lose just 21.7% of their value and orange cars lose 25%.

Meanwhile, white and black cars might move fast on the lot, but they fall even faster on the books—dropping over 31%.

The likely reason: oversaturation driving used prices down.

Bottom line: Every region’s different, but the lesson is the same, depreciation is baked into the paint.

(Data source: Iseecars)

But as one reader pointed out, it’s also the kind of cars wearing the color, not just the color itself…

1. How Ourisman Auto cuts ad spend by $100 per unit and unlocks $2.5M in profit

Ourisman Auto Group is proving that a marketing strategy doesn’t need to be complex to be effective.

In fact, under CMO Jeff Ramsey, the group cut ad spend by about $100 per-unit, which unlocked $2.5M in profit.

But how? By capping vendor fees at flat rates, tracking which vendors perform best in each market, and adjusting ad budgets based on real-time inventory.

Bottom line: It's a system that mirrors how cars actually sell today—store by store, market by market. And, it’s built to flex with the data.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

Courtesy transportation is no longer a nice-to-have.

It’s a need-to-have.

That’s why 80% of dealership respondents agree that providing courtesy rides with Uber has helped retain customers, based on Uber’s survey of 79 organizations in 2023.

With Central, you can request an Uber ride on behalf of your customers, even if they don’t have the Uber app. Car dealerships love using Uber because it’s a simple way to offer white-glove customer service, supplement loaner cars or shuttles, and manage parts pickup and delivery.

• Dealers can request one-way or round-trip rides, add multiple riders and locations, set spend caps, and even monitor trips in real time.

• Plus, you'll get monthly reports to keep track of everything.

If you’re ready to reduce the costs associated with maintaining shuttles and limit the liability of loaner vehicles, it's time to partner with Uber for Business.

Visit t.uber.com/CDGauto today to learn more.

2. Just 450 of 1.4M online dealership reviews mentioned tariffs in Q1

Google Reviews for dealerships are up 33% year over year—and with over 750 stores now pulling 100+ reviews a month, the volume is starting to reveal real signals.

WideWail’s latest report shows staff still leads the way on positive feedback, communication praise is up 5%, and EV complaints are down 28%.

But tariffs? They barely registered, with just 450 out of 1.4M reviews mentioning them.

Big picture: Even with pricing pressure, most buyers focused on how they were treated, not what they paid.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?

Stellantis names new CEO, Ford Batterygate, and more.

This episode is brought to you by: Lotlinx

Featuring:

• Jeff Ramsey, CMO, Ourisman Automotive Group

• Mike Kelly, GM, Bourne's Auto Center

And special appearance by:

• Kerri Wise, CMO, Lotlinx

3. Ford recalls 1M+ vehicles over software glitch in rear cameras

Ford’s recall streak continues, only this time, over 1 million vehicles are affected by a rearview camera glitch.

The issue spans 2021–2025 Ford and Lincoln models, from F-150s and Broncos to Mustangs and Navigators.

The fix? An OTA software update, no dealership visit required.

The concern: Software-related recalls are rising fast, making up nearly a quarter of all U.S. recalls in 2023. And Ford led the pack in Q1, accounting for almost one in three…

(Go deeper: 2 min. read)

Thanks for reading everyone.

— CDG

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