Shop Owner Staff

Javier Magallanes, a Federated/ACDelco TSS member from Richmond, CA, is a grand prize winner in the 2010 Federated “Surf or Turf Sweepstakes.” As the sweepstakes winner, Magallanes will receive his choice of a Triton boat or a Chevy Colorado pickup truck as his prize.

Tom Horne doesn’t become Arizona’s new attorney general until January, but he has already announced that he will be conducting undercover “sting” operations at automotive repair shops. According to one news article, “Classic rip-off schemes include working without proper certification, charging too much for repairs and convincing customers to pay for repairs they don’t need.” Horne will also be searching for shops that give lowball estimates.

In the closest contest in NASCAR “Race for the Chase” history, Jimmie Johnson became the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year, driving his Bosch-powered Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Federal-Mogul has added coverage for several late-model foreign nameplate and domestic passenger vehicles to its line of Wagner ThermoQuiet brakes. Among the new products are what the company says are the aftermarket’s first replacement front brake pads for 2011 Hyundai Sonata models.

According to Affinia, Raybestos brand police brake pads took the lead in the outcome of test results.

During National Tire Safety Week, retailers nationwide will work to educate motorists about proper tire care and maintenance. RMA provides tire retailers, auto dealers and automotive repair shops with free “Be Tire Smart” brochures and other materials.

Federated Car Care Center member Dave Cook, owner of Dave’s Towing in West Middlesex, PA, received an early holiday present when he was named the grand prize winner of the Federated “Surf or Turf Sweepstakes.” Cook will receive his choice of a Triton boat or a Chevy Colorado pickup truck as his grand prize.

The average length of ownership of new vehicles continues to increase, according to a recent analysis from Polk. Consumers are now holding on to a new vehicle, on average, for 63.9 months based on second quarter 2010 data, up 4.5 months from the same time last year, according to Polk.

As part of an initiative to better connect General Motors’ brands with customers, the automaker has announced that Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac will each receive its own Certified Service brand.

Affinia said during the past six years it has taken control of its global supply chain with an innovative approach to global commerce. The World Smart direction assures consistent product quality regardless of where a product is manufactured globally.

In a letter to the U.S. EPA earlier this year, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) expressed concern with the substitution of HFO-1234yf because it poses some risk to those persons handling the product, particularly non-professionals or do-it-yourself (DIY) consumers.

As a business owner, feedback is generally accepted as a way to make improvements to your shop or services, and is even a helpful method to short-term and long-term business decisions. For most shop owners and repair businesses, customer feedback is often immediate, allowing you to act upon it quickly.