Chrysler Drops Printed Owners Manuals
Chrysler will cease putting traditional printed owners’ manuals in cars starting with the 2010 model year. The automaker is instead replacing the ever-expanding manual with a basic 60-page guide plus a DVD. Chrysler is billing it as an environmentally friendly move that will also free up space in the glove box. Says Al Motta, director of service operations at Chrysler, “We're actually getting to the point where you could barely get this in the glove box. You couldn't get a pair of gloves in there with it. This is becoming a bigger and bigger problem as automotive packaging keeps getting tighter and tighter."

If you've ever whipped out a modern owners manual, you know Mr. Motta has a very good point. Due to an ever-increasing array of features (navigation systems, stability control, MP3 player integration) and regulations, owners’ manuals are sometimes more than 500 pages long and weigh over four pounds.

Shipping cars with instructional DVDs isn't new, but this is the first time a car maker has done so in place of a traditional owner’s manual. “It's a substantial savings, obviously, without doing the printing, but our focus was on the environment as well.” Says Motta. He figures that by Chrysler eliminating its printed manuals the company will save 20,000 trees a year.

Besides the costs, the DVDs have the added advantages of allowing users to search by topic, rather than flip through a huge manual. Additionally, DVD-based owners’ manuals can include tutorials on more complicated tasks, such as removing the folding top and adding the hard top to a Jeep Wrangler, a somewhat long and complicated process.

Chevrolet Traverse Production
General Motors will be switching production of the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse from Spring Hill, TN to Lansing, MI. Production of the Traverse at Spring Hill, TN will cease the week of November 23, 2009. The Spring Hill Assembly Center will be placed on a standby status beginning the week of November 30. All 2010 CY Traverse production will be completed at the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Center.

To ensure your customer delivery requirements for calendar year 2009 are met a deadline has been established.

ORDER DUE DATE FOR 2009 CALENDAR YEAR PRODUCTION OF THE 2010 MYTRAVERSE IS OCTOBER 2, 2009.

There will not be an order cutoff. Orders received by October 2, 2009 with a Requested Target Production Period within calendar year 2009 will be scheduled for production before production is halted in November. Orders received after October 2 will be produced at LDT in 2010 CY.

Fleeting Tidbits
Recently the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHSS) conducted a crash test of a 1959 Chevrolet Impala and 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The purpose of the test was to celebrate the contributions of auto insurers to highway safety progress over the past 50 years. After viewing the video, I'm sure that you will agree they don't build them like they use to, they build them better.
You can view the video of the crash and see the before/after pictures at the following link: http://www.iihs.org/50th/default.html

Blind Spot Mirrors will be standard equipment on all 2010 Ford Escapes and Mercury Mariners built on or after August 24th, 2009. Blind Spot Mirror consists of an outside rearview mirror and an integrated secondary convex mirror aimed exclusively at the driver's blind spot. An approaching vehicle will transition from the primary mirror to the convex spotter and from the convex spotter to the driver's peripheral view.Pricing on all units built August 24th, 2009 and later will reflect $35 MSRP and $30 dealer invoice increase for the Blind Spot Mirror addition.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top safety pick with a "good" performance in front, side and rear impact crashes.

We've updated our 2009 MY Final Fleet Order Date page with the latest final order dates from the manufacturers. For some manufacturers this has been a moving target with changes made almost weekly. I would suggest that you check the page regularly to determine final order dates for each model.

Our 2010 Start of Production page lists the initial date you may place orders for each 2010 model and the Job #1 date for that model.

Many of the manufacturers have released their 2010 National Fleet Incentive programs. We have updated our National Fleet Incentive program page with the latest 2010 model year info.

Taillights
Q. What's the difference between a Yugo and the principal's office?
A. It's less embarrassing if your friends see you leaving the principal's office.

9/28/09