2025 Pub. 7 Issue 2

A crisis within an organization can happen at any time, whether it be a new piece of legislation that turns the industry on its head, a pandemic that brings society to its knees or something in between. Effective leadership during a crisis can significantly influence the eventual outcomes for your team and organization.

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New light-vehicle sales in September 2025 reached a SAAR of 16.4 million units, up 3.5% year over year. September was a solid sales month as many consumers headed to dealer lots before EV tax credits expired on Sept. 30. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales hit an all-time high in market share and accounted for 11.8% of all new vehicles sold. This market share was up nearly two percentage points from August 2025, which was also a strong month for BEV sales. Year-to-date, BEV sales accounted for 8.4% of all new vehicles sold, an increase of 0.7 percentage points compared to the same period last year. And for third-quarter 2025, BEV sales increased 24.1% year over year. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, which were also eligible for the tax credits, didn’t perform nearly as well as BEVs. PHEV sales in September 2025 accounted for just 1.7% of all new vehicles sold, which is right in line with their year-to-date market share of 1.8%.

Manufacturers supplying warranty parts at zero cost or on an “exchange” basis is a practice that has been around for a long time. However, this continues to be a misunderstood topic in terms of how the manufacturers actually compensate for these parts, versus how they are required to compensate the dealer under various state laws. This practice, where manufacturers supply high-ticket parts to dealers at no cost, has become more common. While this approach might appear beneficial to some on the surface, it often results in financial challenges for dealers, who receive minimal handling allowances instead of a retail markup. The following article explores the complexities surrounding zero-cost parts, focusing on the legal landscape nationwide, where specific provisions exist to ensure dealers are compensated fairly. We delve into the process, the challenges dealers face, and the potential strategies you can employ to secure the retail mark-up dealers are entitled to by law.

The trend for workers to hide their time off from their managers — known as “quiet vacationing” — has taken a sharp turn. Employees are now “loud vacationing” by openly sharing their travel plans and using their paid time off (PTO) without hesitation. While this should be a welcome shift for employers, it also highlights the importance of creating supportive policies that balance employee well-being with workplace productivity. How can you help your employees and your business thrive this summer and beyond? Here are seven tips to help you refresh your PTO policies.

High-profile cyber incidents have highlighted the need for auto dealerships to prepare for the impacts due to loss of critical services and theft of sensitive data. Here are some factors to consider when creating an incident response plan.