‘Spring bounce’ in the used car market, automakers prep supply chains for tariffs, Ford loses court case

Hey, everyone. Earlier this week, I spoke with Vinay Shahani, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for Nissan and Infiniti USA, on the CDG Podcast.

And his no-nonsense insights and transparent responses really hit home for dealers.

Some even texted me about wanting to own a Nissan store (automakers take note...)

Catch it over the weekend—tune in on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

— CDG

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Welcome to The Weekly, your go-to roundup of the top five auto industry headlines of the week. Let’s dive in.

1. Used car prices poised for spring spike amid tight supply

Tax refunds are hitting consumer wallets—fueling one of the largest seasonal sales surge in years.

The details: Refunds averaging $3,453 (7% higher than a year ago) pushed used sales up 16% from January to February, per Cox Automotive data.

That said—used supply is dwindling, and dealers started March with just 42 days' worth of used inventory. That’s down 8 days from January.

The bottom line: These two forces (tax-driven demand and tight supply) signal the potential for another round of rising used car prices in spring 2025.

And some CDG followers are already seeing it…

(Go deeper: 2 min. read)

But with the April 2 tariff deadline inching closer—all eyes are on the new car market…

2. Stellantis working with suppliers and dealers to mitigate tariff impact

Stellantis is moving swiftly to mitigate the short-term impact of tariffs—and its latest efforts are directed at its parts supply chain and dealer vehicle order process.

According to CFO Doug Ostermann:

The supply chain strategy includes pulling parts from Mexico and shifting production to U.S. plants.

Meanwhile, the dealer-focused strategy involves working with retailers to speed up deliveries and gather potentially affected orders.

What we know: In addition to the mitigation efforts, Stellantis has also been engaged in ongoing discussions with the Trump Administration at various levels. How long tariffs last will determine whether Stellantis’ strategy holds—or if price hikes become unavoidable.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

But Stellantis isn’t the only automaker prepping for tariffs…

3. Honda to source hybrid car batteries from U.S. Toyota plant

Honda is taking a head-on approach to tariffs by reworking its battery sourcing strategy.

The timeline: Beginning in April, the Japanese automaker will source hybrid batteries for nearly 400,000 vehicles from Toyota’s $14B North Carolina plant. Honda currently sources the batteries from Japan and China.

This shift comes as the industry anticipates President Donald Trump imposing a 25% on auto imports from Japan from the current 2.5%.

Big picture: Honda’s decision to ditch the wait-and-see method does two things—protects hybrid sales and shields against tariffs.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

However—Honda also found itself in hot water this week…

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4. Honda to revise data practices after settling with California regulators for $632,000

Honda is facing a “hefty” $632,500 fine issued by the California Protection Agency (CPPA) for mishandling consumer data.

As described by the CPPA—

• Honda allegedly asked for too much personal information when consumers tried to opt out of data sales.

• It also made it harder to use authorized agents for privacy requests and designed its cookie settings to make opting in easier than opting out.

• And when regulators asked for contracts showing how Honda shares data with advertisers—they didn’t get them.

Why this matters: About $382,500 of the fine was linked to just 153 cases—and the message is clear: privacy violations won’t be ignored, no matter the scale.

(Go deeper: 3 min. read)

While Honda settles with California regulators—Ford lost its own legal battle against an Arkansas dealer group…

5. Dealer group wins $18M judgment against Ford over blocked dealership sale

Auto Dealership Partners (ADP)—co-owned by Larry Crain Jr. and Heath Campbell, has won a major legal victory against Ford Motor Company.

The issue: According to an Arkansas judge, Ford misused its right of first refusal to block ADP’s purchase of a Ford dealership and then rerouted the deal to another buyer.

And now—ADP has been awarded $18 million in damages, including $16 million in punitive damages.

The takeaway: ADP’s Larry Crain Jr. referred to the verdict as a win for fairness in the industry—while Ford plans to appeal.

(Go deeper: 2 min. read)

Three opportunities hitting the CDG Job Board right now:

• Hudson Automotive Group: Automotive Sales Consultant (South Carolina)

• Mercedes-Benz of Northern Arizona: General Manager (Arizona)

• AutoAlert: Account Manager (New York)

Looking to hire? Add your roles today—it’s 100% free.

• The AV push is stronger than ever—and big players are making moves

• Mazda cuts $3.3B from electric vehicle plans

• BYD unveils ‘five-minute’ EV charging platform

• Stellantis pushes for faster decision-making in bid to rebuild momentum

• GM turns to Nvidia for AI-driven manufacturing and automation

That’s a wrap for now – make sure you’re following along on X, LinkedIn and IG for more real-time updates.

Thanks for reading. Hit reply and let me know if you found this The Weekly valuable or have any feedback. I’ll see you next weekend.

— CDG

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