Fleet Vehicle Leasing September Newsletter
Dakota Production Ends
The last Dodge Dakota rolled off the assembly line last month as Chrysler Group LLC ended production of the truck. Although the automaker made this decision in its 2009 plan, this doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a new small truck from Chrysler.
Pickups Face Theft
The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) posted its list of vehicles that are most likely to be stolen. The Cadillac Escalade is more than six times likelier to be stolen compared with other vehicles. This was concluded by the organization’s analysis of insurance claims for 2008-2010.
The Ford F-250 crew cab 4-wheel drive comes in second. The HLDI states pickup trucks have much higher theft losses than passenger cars and SUVs, at $24 per insured vehicle years versus $9 and $12, respectively. On a positive note, pickup losses dropped from 2007-2009, likely due to a greater number of ignition immobilizers in late-model pickups.
The Chrysler 300 is the car most targeted by thieves. It is followed by the Chrysler 300 HEMI, Dodge Charger HEMI, and the Nissan Maxima. This list excludes luxury and sports cars. The Audi A6 sedan and Mercury Mariner SUV have the lowest number of claim frequencies. HLDI says its theft numbers are based on the number of insured vehicles on the road.
Short Notes 
According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, Houston’s city council voted to repeal an ordinance authorizing the use of red light cameras in the city. Houston is the second city, after Los Angeles, to turn the cameras off.
Volvo Cars of North America introduced its free Volvo On Call application for the iPhone, which gives users more access to the automaker’s roadside assistance program. The app uses GPS to help determine the vehicle’s location.
Honda Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Honda is recalling a total of 1,521,107 MY-2005-2010 Honda Accord, 2007-2010 MY CR-V, and 2005-2008 Element vehicles due to an issue with the automatic transmissions in these vehicles.
NHTSA stated the outer race of the secondary shaft bearing can break. A broken outer race can cause the malfunction light to turn on, abnormal noise, and allow contact between the transmission idle gear and an electronic sensor housing in the transmission. This can result in a short circuit, which would cause the engine to stall.
Also, broken pieces of the outer race or ball bearing can become lodged in the parking pawl, resulting in the vehicle rolling after the driver places the vehicle in park.
Toyota Unveils Camry
Toyota recently unveiled the six model grades of the MY-2012 Camry and Camry Hybrid, including the entry-level L, value-driven LE, premium XLE, and sporty SE grades. The XLE and SE are available with either a four-cylinder or six-cylinder engine. The Camry Hybrid is offered in the LE and XLE grades. The Camry has been America’s best-selling car for the last nine years. Toyota has sold a total of 15-million Camrys worldwide since the model was introduced in 1983.
Ford Drops SYNC Price 
Ford dropped the price of its SYNC system by $100 and is increasing its availability on a range of models. Per Ford, the SYNC system is an in-car connectivity system that allows drivers to make hands-free calls and control music and other functions with simple voice commands.
The company said that during the next three years, it plans to introduce its new SYNC pricing and related options across its entire North American Ford vehicle lineup. Ford stated that the new pricing will be available first on the 2012 Ford Explorer and Edge base models.
Long Drive = Less Safety
A recent study by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind research center found that the longer drivers are on the road, the more likely they are to make unsafe driving decisions. Commuters driving more than 20 miles to work report higher driving speeds of greater than 65 mph on the highway most of the time or often, compared with those with shorter commutes.
Ford and Toyota Team Up 
Ford and Toyota announced a joint plan to collaborate on the development of an advanced hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. The two companies also agreed to work together on “enablers” to complement each other’s existing telematics platform standards.
The two automakers signed a memorandum of understanding agreement that specifies the companies will jointly develop, as equal partners, a new rear-wheel drive hybrid system and component technology for light trucks and SUVs. It also states they will independently integrate the new hybrid system in their respective future vehicles separately.
EIA Issues Report
Recently, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released data on the amount of alternative transportation fuels used in 2009. The total amount used reached a total of 431,107 thousand gasoline-equivalent gallons. This was only up one-tenth of a percentage point from 2008.
Natural gas accounted for the largest share at 52% of all alternative fuels consumed. Propane accounted for 30% and E85 accounted for 16%. Electricity, hydrogen, and other fuels accounted for the final 2%. According to the EIA, natural gas use increased in 2009 due to its use in transit buses.
Holiday Reminder
Southgate Leasing Corp. will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2011 in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen the following day.