Latest Auto Headlines
All the headlines from our Auto Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Tesla Launched its Own Car Insurance. These Drivers Say it’s a Lemon.
Nov 21 2023 // In February, Mark Bova purchased a used 2018 Tesla Model S. Before leaving the dealer, he bought insurance from Tesla, finding the initial $93 monthly premium “really reasonable.” Sixteen days later, as he...
S&P: Struggles in Personal Auto Insurance to Subside More Slowly Than Expected
Nov 20 2023 // S&P Global Market Intelligence projects that personal auto results will improve from 2022’s worst-in-decades combined ratio of 112.2%, though not as rapidly as the organization’s experts previously...
Auto Claimants More Satisfied Even Though Repairs Taking Longer: J.D. Power
Nov 20 2023 // Auto repairs are taking more than twice as long as they did in 2021, but policyholders who filed claims appear to be taking that in stride. J.D. Power reported that the industry average claims satisfaction rating increased...
Hyundai, Kia Must Face Insurers’ Lawsuits Over Vehicle Thefts
Nov 17 2023 // A U.S. judge rejected bids by Hyundai and Kia to dismiss litigation by several hundred insurers seeking to recoup more than $1 billion they claim to owe drivers whose vehicles were stolen or damaged in a social...
Mom Not Liable in Son’s Crash of Family Car, Florida Supreme Court Says
Nov 17 2023 // Florida families and their auto insurers can rest a little easier after the state Supreme Court decided Thursday that a mom cannot be held vicariously liable for an accident caused by her son who had borrowed the family...
Oregon Jury Awards Man $3M After Officer Accused Him of Trying to Steal Car
Nov 17 2023 // A jury in Oregon has awarded a man more than $3.1 million after a police officer accused him of trying to steal a car he was fixing and allegedly used excessive force when arresting him. That jury award included more than...
Charter Bus Collision With Semi-Truck Leaves 3 Dead, 15 Injured in Ohio
Nov 15 2023 // ETNA, Ohio (AP) – A charter bus carrying students from a high school was rear- ended by a semi-truck on an Ohio highway Tuesday morning, leaving three people dead and 15 others injured, according to an emergency...
Small Plane Overshoots Runway in Texas, Collides with Car During Emergency Landing
Nov 14 2023 // MCKINNEY, Texas (AP) – A small plane overshot the runway while landing at a Texas airport over the weekend and struck a car driving along a nearby road, injuring one person, authorities said. Video shows the propeller...
EU Court Sides With Car Service Firms in Data Fight With Sweden Truck Maker Scania
Nov 13 2023 // Swedish truck maker Scania must share car data, such as vehicle identification numbers, with repair shops and parts distributors, Europe’s top court said on Thursday in a ruling that could provide a boost for the...
Fed Judges Ask Florida Supreme Court to Decide if Insurers Can Sue Auto-Glass Shops
Nov 9 2023 // The Florida Legislature earlier this year struck a mighty blow for auto insurers in their years-long fight against windshield repair shops, ending assignment-of-benefits and the practice of offering gifts to insureds. Now,...
Indiana Woman Arrested After Driving Car Into Building She Thought Was `Israel School`
Nov 8 2023 // INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – A woman who allegedly drove her car into a building in Indianapolis after watching coverage of the Israel-Hamas war told officers she believed the building was an “Israel school,”...
UK Weighs Criminal Liability for Self-Driving Car Companies
Nov 7 2023 // Self-driving car companies could face criminal action in the UK if their vehicles fail to meet safety standards in the most serious cases. New legislation, introduced in today’s speech by King Charles III, who...
Maryland Mechanic Sentenced for Filing $223,000 in False Claims for Auto Repairs
Nov 7 2023 // A Maryland mechanic who filed false claims for automobile repairs and was paid more than $223,000 by insurers will have to spend at least a few years behind bars after he was sentenced this week. Kenneth Wayne Collins, 36,...
Commercial Auto Up Against Persistent Headwinds to Underwriting Profit: AM Best Report
Nov 6 2023 // Underwriting losses in U.S. commercial auto have returned to pre-pandemic levels and rate increases have not been enough to keep up with severity trends. “The liability component has been more problematic than the...
Ohio Supreme Court Upholds Escape Clause in Progressive Auto Liability Policy
Nov 6 2023 // Acuity and Progressive Specialty Insurance Co. disputed who should pay after a 16-year-old boy borrowed a friend’s car and crashed it into a utility pole in Streetsboro, Ohio. The driver was insured by Acuity through...
California’s 3Q Auto Market Registrations Continued to Rise Helped by EV Sales
Nov 2 2023 // A new report shows a 14.3% increase in California’s new vehicle registrations compared to the first nine months of 2022 pushed by rising electric vehicle sales. The 3rd quarter 2023 Auto Outlook report from the...
Auto Claims Satisfaction Scores Are Up Despite Longer Repairs; Amica Tops List
Oct 27 2023 // An auto parts shortage combined with longer cycle times for repairs has contributed to repairs taking an average of about 23 days in 2023, up an average of a little more than 6 days from 2022 and more than double the...
New Jersey Man Admits Role in Interstate Luxury Car Theft Ring
Oct 27 2023 // A New Jersey man has admitted his role in a conspiracy to steal and transport across state lines luxury cars stolen from towns in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, reported U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger. Malik Baker...
Texas Women Want Careers as Truck Drivers Say They Can’t Get a Job Because of Their Gender
Oct 27 2023 // Ashli Streeter entered truck driving school with high hopes of the open road and a well-paying job. The 27-year-old from Killeen took out a $7,000 loan for school and received her commercial driver’s license in May....
Atlanta Temporarily Closes 3 Fire Stations Amid Firefighter, Truck Shortage
Oct 25 2023 // ATLANTA (AP) — The city of Atlanta has temporarily closed three of its more than 30 fire stations because of truck breakdowns and a shortage of firefighters. Atlanta Fire Rescue Chief Roderick Smith told a City...
