GM May Cut More Jobs, Brands

At least 5 vehicles caught fire thanks to washer fluid

(NEWSER) - General Motors is recalling 1.5 million vehicles in the wake of reports that at least five have caught on fire thanks to a problem with their heated windshield washer system. The recall covers vehicles made from 2006 to 2009 across a host of lines, including Buick, Cadillac, Chevy, and GMC—you can see a more complete list at the Detroit News . More»

(NEWSER) - General Motors will file for bankruptcy protection Monday, insiders tell Bloomberg. The company has apparently decided that it cannot make the government-mandated June 1 deadline to shed $44 billion in debt. The timeline is unclear, but bondholders' agreement today to forgive debts in exchange for a stake in the “new” post-bankruptcy GM apparently helped the company firm up its course of action. More»

New models will be introduced soon

(NEWSER) - General Motors hopes to rebound from a 19% first-quarter drop in Middle East sales by introducing new models and helping buyers with down payments, Reuters reports. "There are a lot of people who walk into showrooms who aren't able to buy because they can't get financing," says the company's regional president. GM expects a profit in the region, but "much less so than last year." More»

Ford highest-ranked carmaker overall, Toyota falls

(NEWSER) - American automakers scored higher marks on quality than their foreign rivals for the first time since the JD Power survey began in 1986, the Detroit Free Press reports. A dozen Ford models ranked in the top three in their segments, making it the highest-ranked automaker overall. Ford's namesake brand ranked fifth, and General Motors had 10 brands in the top vehicle rankings. More»

Car giant tries to improve 'branding' by killing nickname

(NEWSER) - You can see the USA in your Chevrolet, but GM would rather if you stopped driving your “Chevy” to the levee or anywhere else. The company has sent out a memo to all its employees urging them to banish the ubiquitous nickname from their vocabularies. “We’d ask that whether you’re talking to a dealer, reviewing dealer advertiser, or speaking with friends and family, that you communicate our brand as Chevrolet,” the memo read. More»