Airbag control unit (ACU) defect that causes the safety devices to fail affects airbags also supplied to numerous other vehicle manufacturers, including Toyota/Acura, Honda, FiatChrysler/Dodge/Jeep, and Mitsubishi

On April 29, 2019, Lieff Cabraser and Baron & Budd filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in California on behalf of consumers across the U.S. against Hyundai Motor America, Kia Motor America, and ZF-TRW Automotive Holding Corp. over defective vehicle airbags that fail to operate during crashes due to electrical overstress (“EOS”). As detailed in the Complaint, a defect in the application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) built into the airbags causes a failure in the Airbag Control Unit that prevents the airbags and the seat belt pretensioners, both vital to maximizing safety in a vehicle crash, from deploying. As the Complaint further alleges, ZF-TRW, Hyundai, and Kia became aware of the ACU defect as early as 2011, but did nothing to protect consumers or warn of the product dangers until 2018.

As the Complaint states, “From 2011 through 2015, ZF-TRW, Hyundai, and Kia investigated airbag non-deployments in several Kia and Hyundai vehicles but failed to inform NHTSA that there was an issue until the end of 2015. Even after advising NHTSA in 2015, each of these companies downplayed the severity and frequency of these non-deployment crashes. It was not until February and June of 2018 that Hyundai and Kia, respectively, issued product recalls as to a small segment of their vehicles.”

Throughout this nearly decade-long period, unsuspecting U.S. consumers purchased vehicles with defective ACUs which create a dangerous condition that gives rise to a clear, substantial, and unreasonable danger of personal injury, indisputably posing a grave and wholly unnecessary safety risk.

As the Complaint notes, “ZF-TRW, Hyundai, and Kia put profits ahead of safety by continuing to equip vehicles with ACUs year after year, even though they knew or should have known those ACUs were defective. Despite the number of airbag failures, injuries, and deaths caused by the ASIC Defect, ZF-TRW, Hyundai, and Kia were slow to fully investigate the problem and slow to report the danger to drivers and passengers of all ACU equipped vehicles. Only after several deaths, injuries, and investigations did Hyundai and Kia choose to recall a fraction of their vehicles equipped with the ASIC Defect.”

“This is not just fraud but also an astonishing breach of the public trust,” notes Lieff Cabraser partner David Stellings, one of the lawyers who filed the class action lawsuit. “Airbags and seat belts exist for only one reason: to protect passengers from being hurt in a crash.  The defective ZF-TRW airbag and seatbelt system Hyundai and Kia installed in their cars do exactly the opposite – they stop working when the car crashes.  Millions of drivers and passengers are at risk of being injured or killed.”

The Complaint notes that as a result of this misconduct, Plaintiffs and members of the proposed Classes were harmed and suffered actual damages; they did not receive the benefit of their bargain, and instead purchased or leased vehicles that are of a lesser standard, grade, and quality than represented, and did not receive vehicles that met ordinary and reasonable consumer expectations regarding safe and reliable operation. Purchasers or lessees of the affected vehicles paid more, either through a higher purchase price or higher lease payments, than they would have had the ASIC defect been disclosed. Plaintiffs and the Classes were deprived of having a safe, defect-free airbag installed in their vehicles, and ZF-TRW, Hyundai, and Kia unjustly benefited from their unconscionable delay in recalling its defective products, as they avoided incurring the costs associated with recalls and installing replacement parts for years.

Vehicles in the Lawsuit

“Class Vehicles” refers to the Kia Forte 2013; Kia Forte Koup 2013; Kia Optima 2013-2019; Kia Optima Hybrid 2012-2016; Kia Sedona 2014; Hyundai Sonata 2013-2019; and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2013-2019. (The defective ZF-TRW airbags were also supplied to other vehicle manufacturers, including Toyota/Acura, Honda, FiatChrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep, and Mitsubishi.)

The class action lawsuit states claims that include fraud, fraudulent concealment, violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”), violation of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, unjust enrichment, violation of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act for Breach of Implied Warranty of Merchantability, and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law. The lawsuit seeks class certification as well as remedies in the form of an order enjoining  Hyundai and Kia from further deceptive distribution, sales, and lease practices with respect to the affected vehicles, an award to plaintiffs and the class members of compensatory, exemplary, and punitive damages, and an award for the return of the purchase price of the affected vehicles.

About Lieff Cabraser

Recognized as “one of the nation’s premier plaintiffs’ firms” by The American Lawyer, Lieff Cabraser is a national plaintiffs’ law firm with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Nashville. We have successfully prosecuted scores of product defect class action lawsuits against many of the largest U.S. manufacturers and corporations. Working with co-counsel, we have achieved judgments and settlements in these cases in excess of $19 billion for consumers. Learn more at lieffcabraser.com.

About Baron & Budd

Established more than four decades ago to fight for workers injured by asbestos, Baron & Budd has expanded to confront not only the asbestos industry but also other societal threats such as water contamination, unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and devices, financial industry fraud, and automobile recalls. Baron & Budd has been named repeatedly to “The Plaintiffs’ Hot List” of exemplary plaintiffs’ firms in the United States by The National Law Journal. Legal 500 has repeatedly honored Baron & Budd for being one of the top two law firms in the U.S. for toxic tort claims.

Source/Contact

Nimish Desai
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
ndesai@lchb.com
415 956-1000

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – April 30, 2019 – CDK Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDK), a leading retail automotive technology company, today announced that Mahesh Shah, 43, has joined the Company as executive vice president, chief product and technology officer (CPTO). Mahesh officially began this role on Monday, April 22, and will be based in the organization’s new San Jose office.

”Bringing more than 20 years of technology industry experience, I am thrilled to welcome Mahesh to CDK,” said Brian Krzanich, president and CEO, CDK Global. “I am confident that he has the talent, expertise and fresh perspective necessary to lead our innovation and R&D roadmap as we continue to pursue a growth strategy and modernize the industry’s core technologies.” 

As CPTO, Mahesh will accelerate innovation, research and development, and building and testing for our product portfolio. Mahesh joins CDK from DXC Technology, where he most recently served as senior vice president and general manager of applications and global business process services.

“CDK is in a unique position to bring innovative technology that will solve the evolving automotive industry’s broad challenges, as well as the distinct obstacles facing our customers,” said Shah. “I have a great deal of trust in and respect for Brian Krzanich, and I am honored and eager to work under his leadership to develop technology that enables CDK to create great experiences for our dealer partners, OEMs and their customers.”

Prior to DXC Technology, Mahesh spent 16 years, in various roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) including building a consulting organization focused on M&A, serving as chief information officer, vice president, Product R&D and IT, and executive director, Security Product Management and Development, to name a few. 

Early in his career, Mahesh was also a senior consultant for IBM Global Services, where he managed large-scale technology projects for many Fortune 100 companies. Mahesh earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree, specializing in management information systems from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, and his Masters of Business Administration degree from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. He has served on the board of advisors for several technology startups.

####

About CDK Global
With more than $2 billion in revenues, CDK Global (Nasdaq: CDK) is a leading global provider of integrated information technology and digital marketing solutions to the automotive retail and adjacent industries. Focused on enabling end-to-end automotive commerce, CDK Global provides solutions to dealers in more than 100 countries around the world, serving approximately 30,000 retail locations and most automotive manufacturers. CDK solutions automate and integrate all parts of the dealership and buying process from targeted digital advertising and marketing campaigns to the sale, financing, insuring, parts supply, repair, and maintenance of vehicles. Visit cdkglobal.com.

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Roxanne Pipitone

847.485.4423

Roxanne.pipitone@cdk.com

Investor Relations Contact: 
Katie Coleman

847.485.4650

katherine.coleman@cdk.com

One of the main reasons DrivingSales exists is to optimize a dealership’s greatest asset: it’s people.  We really enjoy it when we hear of individuals growing in their careers and improving their dealerships.

At DrivingSales Presidents Club 2019 we presented our first Automotive Excellence Award.  This award is designed to recognize an employee that is advancing not only their career, but their dealership as a whole.  We had three criteria. First, we wanted to find someone that is creating measurable impact and change. Second, leadership only matters if you bring along a team.  This individual must impact people around them. Finally, impact on one’s self. We owe it to the people we work with to improve ourselves.

Our winner?

James Cornelison, General Manager at Jack Burford Chevrolet in Richmond, Kentucky.

In an extremely competitive market, James has transformed his dealership culture.  The store has changed so much so that people who have left the organization are asking to come back.  They sense the difference. This transformation has resulted in increased sales, but that’s only part of it.  James has got his Dealer Principal re-energized and excited to be in the car business again.

“James has become my right and left arm” said John Burford, Dealer Principal, “and has taken us to a different level.  I have customers tell me the difference in your store from a year and a half ago to today; it’s an entirely different store. It’s fun. I went from thinking I don’t want to work today to getting up early.”

“You can be in the best market in the world,” James continued, “but if you don’t have the right attitudes and the right people, and if your management team is not doing the things it takes every single day, it’s not going to work long-term.”

In Seth Godin’s book Linchpin, he talks about how to become someone that is vital and essential to an organization.  He wrote, “Perhaps you need to get in touch with what it means to feel passionate. People with passion look for ways to make things happen…The combination of passion and art is what makes someone a linchpin…”

It’s refreshing that in the mature industry of automotive retail, we can still find individuals that make this kind of an impact.  Congratulations James Cornelison!

WHITE MARSH, MARYLAND (February 14, 2019) – Sheehy Nissan of White Marsh, 5361 Nottingridge Road, recently celebrated its grand opening with a party and a special performance by Lawrence Gowan from Styx.

More than 300 guests enjoyed a buffet dinner and private concert, where Gowan performed a collection of Styx’s greatest hits such as Come Sail Away, Rocking the Paradise, Mr. Robotoand Lady, as well as some of his solo classics, A Criminal Mind, Strange Animal, Moonlight Desires and Dancing on My Own Ground. 

The new, $14 million 32,000 square-foot dealership features a state-of-the-art service department with 20 service bays and four Nissan master technicians; a customer lounge with a quieter lounge for those who enjoy reading or a more low-key environment; several interactive product displays along with multiple work stations; and product information tablets through the showroom.

The dealership raffled an autographed Lawrence Gowan guitar, 4K HD TV and other memorabilia, with all proceeds ($550) donated to TSA agents working at BWI airport via $25 gift cards.

Here’s a link to photos of the new dealership:  https://spaces.hightail.com/space/C96Y6Ex3U7

For more information, visit https://www.sheehynissanofwhitemarsh.com/ or call (443) 327-3203.

Company grows team by 20 percent to better serve dealers

CHICAGO — January 24, 2019  — MAXDigital, a premium end-to-end software provider for automotive dealers, is proud to announce its growth with a 20 percent increase in its employee base, new practice areas, and Path to Purchase software.

MAXDigital has added experienced talent across a diverse set of disciplines including Performance Management, Field Operations, Product Designers, Engineers, and Data Specialists.

The company moved away from having separate Account Executives and Sales Managers towards a District Performance Management model which allows for more personalized service for dealers.

“We listened to our dealers, analyzed our business and decided to cut the number of dealers per employee by more than in half,” said MAXDigital Executive Vice President Mike Cavanaugh. “We wanted less points of contact for the dealer and more personal ownership of the dealer’s success with each employee.”

As new Executive Vice President, Cavanaugh is overseeing all field operations. Cavanaugh joined MAXDigital as Head of Strategic Partnerships in April 2018 after serving as Chief Operating Officer at CARite.

The company has also added nearly a dozen new staff to support product innovation and new software development.

“We’re designing apps for dealers that provide customers the experience they want during the car buying process, whether they’re at home or in the showroom,” said Ryan Walker, VP of Product and Engineering. “We’re continuing to staff up as we move forward, bringing on more people to keep up with demand and to continue improving our data and services.”

MAXDigital also expanded its Strategic Accounts team which focuses on large dealer groups. This greatly increases the support large dealer groups will receive and the company’s overall enterprise capability.

“Not only do we want to be known for having great technology that helps dealers make more gross profit, we want to be known for having the best service in the industry,” said Cavanaugh. “We want to truly be viewed as a partner that is vested in dealers’ long term success and growth. This new model helps us ensure every dealer we do business with feels this way.”

The company’s latest software offering, Path to Purchase, is an expansion into the trade-in process. It makes the appraisal process more collaborative in-store allowing dealers to acquire better inventory with a better margin, while improving CSI. MAXDigital piloted Path to Purchase at dealerships across the country throughout 2018. After months of testing, gathering feedback and making enhancements, the tool is being introduced to the masses at the 2019 NADA show in San Francisco, CA.

“Trade-ins are the new frontier in gross profit and MAX Path to Purchase helps us capture that additional gross that we were not capturing before,” said Johnny DeArmond, GM, Price LeBlanc Toyota. “It helps us speed up the sales process from beginning to end. Since the customer is part of the trade-in process they understand we are being transparent, which lessens the amount of negotiation.”

For more information visit www.maxdigital.com.

About MAXDigital

MAXDigital provides cloud-based software and mobile applications to the automotive industry. As the industry’s premium end-to-end software solution for automotive dealers, MAXDigital empowers thousands of dealerships across the U.S. to manage inventory, increase gross profits and sell more cars through digital retailing. Founded in 2011, the MAXDigital suite of products includes FirstLook, an inventory management platform, MAX Ad®, a best-in-class content generation and distribution system, MAX for Website®, a vehicle value and content creator for dealer websites, MAX Digital Showroom®, a real-time sales tool for desktop and mobile that builds trust and transparency with customers, and MAX Path to Purchase™, an innovative software that removes hassle for customers and provides a streamlined car shopping process. For more information visit MAXDigital.com.

Maintaining Its Leading Spot, Galpin Ford Was Named The Number One Ford Dealer in the World For an Unprecedented 29 Years in a Row

NORTH HILLS, CA (January 31, 2019) – While some dealership groups have only one shining star in their franchise, Southern California’s Galpin Motors today announced that each one of their Galpin dealers reached a coveted top ten spot Nationally in sales for 2018. Galpin Ford led the pack, remaining the highest selling Ford dealership in the world for the 29th consecutive year.

“It is truly an honor to have each one of our Galpin dealerships finish the year so strongly in sales,” said Galpin President Beau Boeckmann. “Our Galpin Family still has the same strong beliefs in customer service and hard work as we did when the dealership opened in 1946. Through the dedication of our team and the support of the community, all of our Galpin brands continue to achieve such success. We also couldn’t be more grateful to our customers – without them, none of our achievements would be possible.”

With 30 days and 200 cars to go to keep their top spot, the Galpin team rallied together with the community to make a historic comeback. In total, Galpin Ford sold 8,128 new Ford’s, retaining its position as the number one volume Ford dealership in the world for a record 29th consecutive year, according to Ford Motor Company sales data. The dealership proved why they continue to be number one, persevering to hit their goal by end of year and pulling off an exciting victory at the last minute.

While Galpin Ford continues to break records, Galpin’s success extends to all of their franchises, making them one of the most successful dealership groups in the world. In 2018, Galpin Mazda was named the No. 1 Mazda dealership in the US for the third year in a row. Galpin Volkswagen, Galpin Jaguar and Galpin Lincoln were all named the No. 1 dealerships on the West Coast. Nationally Galpin Honda was ranked the No. 2 Honda dealership, while Galpin Jaguar reached No.3, Aston Martin No. 5, Volvo No.7 and Lincoln No.8 in each brand’s dealership rankings.

The good news didn’t end there; even Galpin’s restaurant, The Horseless Carriage, was named best breakfast in the Los Angeles Valley by the Daily News.

About Galpin Motors

Galpin Motors, home to the largest Ford volume dealership in the world, was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Galpin is comprised of a family of quality automobile brands that include Ford, Lincoln, Honda, Mazda, Volkswagen, Volvo, Jaguar, Lotus and Aston Martin. For additional information on Galpin Motors and Galpin Auto Sports, contact Jeff Skobin, CMO & Vice President of Business Operations at 818-778-2255 / jeff@galpin.com,  visit the dealer at 15505 Roscoe Blvd., North Hills, Calif. 91343, like on Facebook atFacebook.com/GalpinMotors or visit www.galpin.com.

 About Galpin Auto Sports

Galpin Auto Sports, located at 15600 Roscoe Blvd. in Van Nuys offers customizing and personalizing services on all new and preowned vehicles including collector and classic cars. For more information on Galpin Auto Sports’ unique products and services, please email the GAS team at Gas@galpin.com, call (877)-GO-GAS-GO or visit the website at www.galpinautosports.com.

45 vendor products receive awards for the best in overall dealer satisfaction on Vendor Ratings

San Francisco, CA – January 30, 2019 –DrivingSales  presented Dealer Satisfaction Awards at a special event in conjunction with the 2019 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo. Awards were presented to the “Highest Rated” and “Top Rated” products.  The results were determined by the thousands of auto dealers who are part of the DrivingSales.com community.

The winners were as follows:

Chat Products and Services:

Highest Rated: CarNow MessageNow

Top Rated: Gubagoo ChatSmart

Top Rated: Dealer Car Search Website Texting

CRM – Fixed Ops:

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE SERVICE1ONE

Top Rated: Solera | AutoPoint Multipoint

Top Rated: Xtime Spectrum

CRM – Sales Department

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE CRM

Top Rated: DealerSocket CRM

Top Rated: VinSolutions Connect CRM

Desking:

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE Desking

Top Rated: VinSolutions Connect Desking

Top Rated: ProMax Desking

Digital Retailing:

Highest Rated: CarNow BuyNow

Top Rated: Drive Motors Online Checkout

Top Rated: Dealer Inspire Online Shopper

DMS:

Highest Rated: Reynolds and Reynolds POWER DMS

Top Rated: Auto/Mate AMPS

Top Rated: Dealertrack DMS

Inventory Merchandising:

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE Inventory

Top Rated: vAuto Conquest

Top Rated: VinSolutions Connect Inventory Management

Lead Management:

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE ILM

Top Rated: Dealer Car Search Integrated Lead Management

Top Rated: Dealer.com LeadMachine

Marketing Solutions

Highest Rated: TRADEPENDING SNAP

Top Rated: AutoLoop Essentials

Top Rated: Edmunds Ad Solutions

New Car Leads:

Highest Rated: CarGurus New Car Leads

Top Rated: TrueCar New Car Leads

Top Rated: Cars.com NewLeadsPlus

Owner Marketing:

Highest Rated: ELEAD1ONE GoldDigger

Top Rated: AutoAlert

Top Rated: automotiveMastermind

SEM/PPC:

Highest Rated: DealerLeads Digital Marketing

Top Rated: Dealer eProcess CAROi

Top Rated: DealerOn Digital Advertising Suite

SEO:

Highest Rated: Dealer.com SEO

Top Rated: DealerOn Elite SEO

Top Rated: Customer Scout SEO

Used Car Advertising:

Highest Rated: CarGurus Used Car Leads

Top Rated: Carfax Used Car Leads

Top Rated: TrueCar Used Car Leads

Websites:

Highest Rated: Dealer Car Search Responsive Websites

Top Rated: Dealer.com Websites

Top Rated: Dealer Inspire Websites

“We congratulate this year’s winners on receiving the awards.  The Dealer Satisfaction Award is an accolade we consider to be one of our industry’s most important because it comes directly from dealers,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. We feel especially proud that DrivingSales Vendor Ratings continues to help dealers make smart and informed decisions through thousands of peer reviews that lead them to outstanding service providers. The recipients are recognized as the best-of-the-best by the people to whom their services count the most: the dealer community.”

The DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Awards measure dealer satisfaction with vendor products and services, and are based on cumulative ratings tallied and verified over the calendar year (January – December) at DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings.  DrivingSales.com Vendor Ratings is the industry’s only neutral, comprehensive vendor rating forum featuring real-time peer reviews and honest competitor comparisons, and provides dealerships with important information from actual customers who have hands-on experience using vendor products/solutions in their stores. Each rating is verified as coming from an actual dealership employee.

Full award results are available online at http://dealersatisfactionawards.com/. Award winners are showcased in the Q1 2019 issue of the DrivingSales Buyer’s Guide which, in addition to being distributed at the 2019 NADA Convention and Expo, is delivered to every new car dealership nationwide, as well as to the top 100 used car dealerships.

 
About DrivingSales

DrivingSales is a professional network serving the auto industry with dealer-driven news and information, online training, and performance data, all to enable dealers to make critical business decisions at their dealerships.  DrivingSales’ mission is to connect progressive dealership professionals to the people and information they need to maximize their success.  Founded by a third-generation car dealer, and opened up to the industry in 2008, today DrivingSales has registered users in over 50% of new car dealerships in the US and is active in several other countries around the globe.  To learn more about the DrivingSales community, training or performance analytics visit DrivingSales.com.

Paris, France and Kfar Netter, Israel, January 3, 2019 –Valeo and Autotalks, a world leader in V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication solutions, will display global V2X capabilities integrated in Telematics platform at the upcoming CES® 2019.

V2X technology will significantly increase safety by extending the perception of the car for better anticipation of the potential road dangers. By enabling constant exchange of information between vehicles and with the infrastructure, V2X is one of the key technologies in the move towards cooperative driving and to globally optimize Smart City traffic flow and services.

"e are excited to have our chipset inside Valeo’s Telematics platform, after a quick and straightforward integration with the NAD and the platform’s software,” said Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks. “Autotalks is proud to collaborate with Valeo on a truly secure mass-market global V2X system.”

 “The objective of our collaboration with Autotalks is to propose to our customers a worldwide solution based on a single hardware platform and a single V2X software stack that can be configured for DSRC/ITS*-G5 or C-V2X(PC5) and switch from one mode to the other”, said Laurent Zimmermann, Vice President Connected Car Product Group at Valeo. “This future-proof V2X solution, combined with the ADAS portfolio of Valeo, will be a solid foundation towards the path of the autonomous car and safer transportation.”

* DSRC/ITS: Dedicated Short Range Communications/Intelligent Transportation Systems

More technical Information:

The live demonstration shows a Valeo telematics platform capable of switching between DSRC and C-V2X for global deployments. The platform includes a Cellular NAD (Network Access Device), Multi-core Application Processor and a commercial module with Autotalks second generation SECTON/PLUTON chipset capable of both DSRC and C-V2X direct communications (PC5 protocol).

Autotalks’ deployment-ready, 2nd generation V2X chipset is the world's first available solution which supports both DSRC based on 802.11p/ITS-G5 standards and C-V2X based on 3GPP specifications. The chipset allows customers to easily toggle between DSRC and C-V2X communications – a capability which will also be shown in the live demonstration. The new chipset isolates V2X from the cellular Network Access Device (NAD), thus providing domain separation & security, scalability and potential cost-optimizations of Telematic Control Unit (TCU) deployments. The separation of V2X from in-vehicle infotainment ensures that the safety related purpose of the V2X system is not compromised. Furthermore, V2X isolation combined with Autotalks’ recognized cyber security leadership enables a truly secure platform. Autotalks’ global V2X chipset is currently available for customer and partner C-V2X demonstrations.

With these innovations, Valeo is once again demonstrating its capacity to imagine, design and develop technologies conducive to new forms of mobility that are widely accessible yet adapted to individual needs.

About Autotalks

Autotalks (www.auto-talks.com), which was founded in 2008, is a V2X chipset market pioneer and leader, providing customers worldwide with state-of-the-art V2X solutions. Autotalks helps reduce collisions on roadways and improve mobility with its automotive qualified chipsets. The chipsets offer the most advanced, truly secure and highest performing global V2X communication solution designed for autonomous vehicles. Autotalks’ advanced technology, to be mass deployed in the coming years, complements the information coming from other sensors, specifically in non-line-of-sight scenarios, rough weather or poor lighting conditions. It significantly improves overall road safety, effectively coordinating vehicles, self-driving cars, motorcyclists and pedestrians.

For further information or to schedule interviews:

Alon Mlievski, Tel. +972-50-4438778

Meirovitch PR, PR agency for Autotalks, Tel. +972-77-2129988

Recent GoldStar enhancements create unmatched value for consumers, dealers, and lenders

 IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 3, 2019—Spireon, the vehicle intelligence company, has been recognized by the 2019 IoT Breakthrough Awards for its GoldStar™ GPS solution, which was named Connected Car Product of the Year. As the premier solution for risk management in the vehicle finance industry—including subprime auto dealers, lenders and auto rental agencies—GoldStar was honored for new features that dramatically increase the value of GPS for customers, including a pre-built, nationwide impound lot database, and a consumer-facing mobile application called GoldStar Connect.

“Our latest advancements to GoldStar are having a big impact on dealers and lenders in two ways: first by dramatically reducing the costs associated with impounded vehicles, and second by using the power of mobile apps to stay connected to consumers, changing GPS from an expense to a revenue-generator that increases customer engagement and loyalty,” said Brian Deeley, director of product management at Spireon. “We’re honored to be recognized for the unique value we are delivering in the vehicle finance industry with GoldStar.”

The GoldStar Impound Lots feature includes automated reports and alerts to notify lien-holders when vehicles enter any of more than 10,000 impound lots across the nation. Impound fees cost the auto industry an estimated $1.1B per year, according to a Spireon industry report, the first of its kind to focus on the impound problem using actual vehicle data. With nearly 4 million vehicles connected to its award-winning NSpire IoT platform, Spireon is uniquely capable of gathering impound-related insights on a massive scale for the automotive industry.

Additionally, GoldStar creates new opportunities for Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers and lenders to increase customer loyalty and profitability through the GoldStar Connect mobile app. Dealers can now offer customers access to modern connected car benefits like location monitoring, battery alerts and stolen vehicle recovery assistance, regardless of the vehicle make, model or year. These features increase the safety and convenience of vehicles and create an engagement channel with consumers that extends beyond the vehicle sale.

“Previously, only a small segment of the population could afford to buy the latest connected cars that came off the factory floor preloaded with technology,” said Reggie Ponsford, senior vice president of sales at Spireon. “Now anyone can transform their car into a ‘smart car’ with GPS-enabled features like geo-fencing, trip history, speeding and battery usage alerts, and much more.  This is a game-changer for dealers who can now increase profitability and provide more value with their vehicles, while also reducing risk with GoldStar.”

The IoT Breakthrough Awards aim to recognize the world’s best IoT companies, products and people. To see the full list of winners, please visit: https://iotbreakthrough.com/winners/.

To learn more about Spireon’s GoldStar solution, please visit https://www.spireon.com/goldstar-gps-vehicle-tracking.

 About Spireon

Spireon, Inc. is North America’s leading connected vehicle intelligence company, providing businesses and consumers with powerful insights to track, manage and protect their most valuable mobile assets. The award-winning Spireon NSpire platform supports nearly 4 million active subscribers across the company’s growing suite of products for new and used car dealers, lenders and financial institutions, rental car agencies, commercial and local fleet operators, and consumers. Learn more at www.spireon.com.  

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA (November 26, 2018) – Chatham Parkway Toyota and Subaru recently raised more than $7,100 throughout the month of October to benefit American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. 

“We are proud to rally behind this cause that effects so many women – and men – in our community,” said Kurtis Johnson, General Manager of Chatham Parkway Toyota.  “We are thankful to our customers, those who donated, and all who contributed by signing our Wall of Hope to inspire those fighting this disease.”

The Wall of Hope, filled with messages of hope to those fighting breast cancer signed at the dealership, will be donated to the Greater Savannah Area Breast Cancer Support Group.  The Wall of Hope will travel to locations of their monthly meetings to lend added support. 

The month-long campaign included a sales drive, whereby a portion of sales benefitted the charity, pink themes and décor throughout each dealership, the opportunity to sign the Wall of Hope, a presence at the Making Strides Walk and a Spooktacular Trunk or Treat event. 

For more information visit www.CPToyota.com or www.CPSubaru.com.