Automotive Industry Challenges: UAW Reforms, Rising Vehicle Thefts, and Cybersecurity Threats

Automotive News and Cyber Attacks

Speaker 2 0:18

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast hand going over here from .

Speaker 1 0:21

Mr Mars .

Speaker 2 0:23

It's better than the stink eye . Yeah , the stink eye .

Speaker 1 0:25

Auto Appraisal Network . Jeff has the cruise-in calendar . We'll have the stories making automotive news headlines this week . Howdy Along with Mike out of this world , mars . We always need more Jeff Zekin . Chief Engineer David Ainsley is back from vacation , but he's sleeping in late today . I'm Don Armstrong , glad you could join us today so we don't have our guest .

Speaker 2 0:46

Yeah , the outage , that big outage that's got Delta and everybody shut down , well , it took out his network , so he's on a different computer .

Speaker 1 0:58

We tried it yesterday and it worked , but he's having a little trouble getting it in today , wah wah . That doesn't do us any good , I understand . He's going to have to go down to the Walgreens store or something and get on their system .

Speaker 2 1:09

Well , I'm thinking about if something don't work real quick , we're going to go to the phone , okay , and he's down in San Leon .

Speaker 1 1:17

No , it's not San Leon . God , where did that come from ? That's a Mars thing .

Speaker 3 1:25

San .

Speaker 1 1:25

Leon , but theoretically it's Theory Mars , we're making fun of you over here .

Speaker 2 1:34

Sorry , man , I'm trying not to laugh .

Speaker 3 1:38

Theoretically . Yeah , we used that one in a long time .

Speaker 2 1:41

We haven't actually .

Speaker 1 1:42

Mars , yes sir , theoretically .

Speaker 2 1:47

Theoretically used that one in a long time we haven't actually uh mars .

Speaker 1 1:49

Yes , sir , theoretically yeah , it's a new word . There's a theory involved in it , but we're not quite sure , theoretically , what it is . So I got a couple of stories making news headlines and we're going to fill in with that while we have the opportunity . Federal monitor tasked with overseeing the UAW says a culture of fear and retribution is still pervasive within the union and that it has been slow to implement some reforms according to a new report . Some reforms according to a new report . Court-appointed monitor Neil Borofsky , in his 10th status report since being assigned oversight in 2020 as part of the union's consent decree with the federal government , argued the UAW must do more to safeguard against corruption . It's the latest in a string of criticisms Borowski has levied against UAW President Sean Fain and his leadership team , including accusations that Fain's office is failing to promptly respond to document requests related to investigations into potential wrongdoing . Uaw spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

Speaker 1 3:01

The Detroit News first reported on the monitor's latest findings . This story , and all the rest of them here from Automotive News here's one that I don't know as if has and stealing cars to dismantle and sell for parts . According to Michigan State Police , last week , eight dealerships were targeted , with cars stolen from four of them . While the attacks were concentrated in Macomb County , dodge General Motors and Chevrolet dealerships in Monroe County in Michigan were also recently targeted by what police believe is the same crime ring . Auto retail industry experts say they have seen an uptick in vehicle theft at dealerships over the past few years , and 2023 was on pace to be a record-breaking year . According to a National Insurance Crime Bureau spokesperson , envy Auto Group in St Clair Shores had a $65,000 BMW stolen this week after thieves drove through the display window and on July 10th A&B Motors' Gradient I guess it's a Gradio or Gradient , I think it's Gradient in Roseville , michigan had three vehicles stolen .

Speaker 3 4:29

Where is it Gratiot ? It's called Gratiot .

Speaker 1 4:33

In Roseville it's a street Motors Gratiot , gratiot , gratiot is called a street had three vehicles stolen after thieves crashed through a fence . Al Tiano , owner of A&B Motors , said in his 31 years of business he had never had a car stolen from his lot . Two of the cars showed up in Detroit . One was found smashed into a tree . Inside was a 14-year-old boy that was taken into custody .

Speaker 3 5:00

So they're driving through the showroom . The keys aren't in the cars in the showroom , they're locked up somewhere , I don't know , in secret . Well , you would think Were they towing them out .

Speaker 2 5:10

I don't know Hot wiring them . You can't hot wire them .

Speaker 1 5:19

They'd be gone in 60 seconds . That was one of the deals . They threw a brick through the window and went over to the car .

Speaker 3 5:24

And I know the Cadillac dealerships that I frequent . They've got it . It's an all-computer generator . You've got to have your thumbprint and you've got to have all kinds of security just to get into that box to get the key . That's too much trouble for Hollywood .

Speaker 1 5:39

Well , I just can't understand how could they do that . Anderson Economic Group estimated dealerships lost 56,000 new vehicle sales in more than $1 billion between June 19th and July 15th because of the CDK global cyber attacks and subsequent software outages . Alan Liska , a threat analyst at Recorded Future , attributed the CDK cyberattack to a hacking group , BlackSuit . According to a Bloomberg June 24th report , On June 21st , about 387 Bitcoin worth more than $25 million was sent to an address assessed by TRM Labs to be controlled by the ransomware group BlackSuit . According to a statement from Blockchain Intelligence , Three unidentified sources said CDK likely made that payment . According to CNN , CDK has not responded to a that I would say . The majority of dealerships buy or lease , or however you want to call it , and put it in their dealership and it takes care of new car inventory , used car inventory , other sales , parts , service , finance . It does everything for a dealership . Imagine it getting hacked and it's offline .

Speaker 2 7:17

Well , or like this week , CrowdStrike has a , they say it's a coding error that shut the world down .

Speaker 1 7:24

As far as airplanes Shut the world down .

Speaker 2 7:26

Yeah , yeah , I mean just boom and they're still not recovered from that DPS or nobody else .

Speaker 1 7:33

Do I see him there ? Yeah , he's here . Ladies and gentlemen , from the Auto Appraisal Network live and in living color . Is Michael Wooding sometimes known to what friends he has left as Woody ? Mr Woody , it's good to see you sir .

Speaker 4 7:52

Well , good morning gentlemen . How are y'all doing ?

Speaker 1 7:54

Well , we're great , we're on time . How about you ?

Speaker 4 7:57

Well , I've had computer issues all week and still haven't got them all worked out . I wasn't able to get this go .

Speaker 1 8:04

Well , we're glad that you were here . We're just razzing you , as we always do . You joined the rest of a billion other people that had computer problems this week because of a cyber attack , but they were on time . Yeah , but they were on time , that's right .

Speaker 4 8:22

How the heck , are you Well doing pretty good A couple of little medical issues . I'm always's right . How the heck are you Well doing pretty good ? A couple of little medical issues I'm always dealing with you , know , as you get older , yeah , but all in all it's pretty good . Went through the storm with nothing but tree limbs and debris , but no damage .

Speaker 1 8:38

Well speaking of the storm , we wanted to talk to you about storm values , if you want to call it that , and insurance companies in what it does for my , well , my 2001 Corvette , to use as an example , with 35,000 miles on it . Now , gladly , I did something that I thought was the right thing to do , and , as it turned out it was . I drove my car up to the shopping center that has a concrete garage , put it down on the first floor down there , so it was greatly protected and I went back there . Well , I did and , and I went back the next day , next morning , and picked it up , but it made it through the storm without any problems to it , and so I mean it's better than sitting under a 75-year-old oak tree that's next door , that has limbs falling out of it all the time .

Speaker 1 9:40

And I didn't want to take it to the church parking lot over here because it was wide open , as it turns out , that was okay . But I didn't want to take it to the church parking lot over here because it was wide open , as it turns out , that was okay , but I didn't know what was going to be flying around .

Speaker 3 9:48

Yeah , you never know .

Speaker 1 9:49

Yeah , and so I would imagine that there are people that are going oh my gosh , I wish I'd have done something to protect my car .

Mitigating Flood Damage on Your Car

Speaker 1 9:59

What does that do to values of some of the cars that you appraise ?

Speaker 4 10:04

values of some of the cars that you appraise . Well , you know , I do the classic cars and those are a little bit different story than the newer cars . You know , today's cars have so much electronics in them and a lot of that is buried under the seat and in the floorboard and low on the firewall . So depending on how high the water gets on the car is how much damage , or whether the car is going to be totaled or not . Okay , so there are some steps that you really need to follow that can benefit you , because what the insurance companies tend to do is they're going to give you wholesale value for the car , and what they do they take fair market and they start deducting things to get it down to wholesale value , and so when you get the offer for your flooded car from insurance , it's way lower than you think the value of that car is . If you went online and Googled one for sale , you'll see that it's selling for a lot more than what they offered you for yours . So there's several things that you can do to mitigate this process . The first thing is document the damage . Okay , the car is usually going to go first to a body shop of some sort , your preference or where they send it or whatever , try to get that car to stay there as long as possible , because what the insurance companies do is they get it there , they make a quick assessment . They don't even come look at the car , they just say how deep was it flooded and total it from that point on . Okay . So you , you got to really document what's happened to the car when you leave it in the flood water , take a picture of it in the flood water when it's finally dry and you can get the car , take some pictures of how high the water got on the car , okay , and the condition of the car at that point , okay . Because what will happen is , if it goes to the body shop , they total it , they immediately take it over to one of these storage facilities like Coparts over off of Hardy Road , and it's a nightmare .

Speaker 4 12:35

What happens to the car after that ? It's handled with a forklift , it's moved into a position out there and trying to get in , see the car it's . It's a virtually an impossible task , but it can be done , but very difficult . I've gotten to the point where I don't do it anymore because , uh , it's just such a hassle that at that facility and and the others are just the same . You have to get insurance approval , you have to do this , you have to do that . The only way I've found to circumvent that is have the owner meet me there and tell the place that they need to get personal items out of the car . Then they'll go get the car , forklift it up front for the owner to do that and while the car . Then they'll go get the car , forklift it up front for the owner to do that while the car is there .

Speaker 4 13:27

I can photograph it okay . But that's where we gain the edge in negotiating on this price is we actually look at the car , okay , and most policies state that they have to pay you fair market value . So you've upgraded the wheels on the car , you've put in a higher cost stereo , you've got receipts for the things that you've added to the car . Those can come into play . So you want to keep as many of those as possible . Have those available . But have that car photographed and documented as best you can Because , like I say , the insurance companies don't physically come out and look at it . So that's where you can argue and then we produce a report that you can send to them that says this is the true fair market value of this car .

Speaker 1 14:28

That could be several thousand dollars it usually , is it usually ? Is , and even if the car is totaled and you you can't drive it , it won't start . And even if it did start , you probably don't want the car you do not want to .

Speaker 4 14:44

that's exactly right . You want to assess the damage to the car , take pictures of the watermark and disconnect the battery . Biggest thing you can do disconnect the battery when the car starts . When you're going to leave it , try to disconnect the battery why . Why is that ? Because the electronics will be less impacted throughout the rest of the car that didn't get wet if the battery is disconnected . Gotcha , if the battery is connected and something down low gets wet , it's going to send codes and signals and shut everything else down . So you want to disconnect that to cause as little damage to the car as possible . Okay , yeah .

Speaker 2 15:32

So , Woody , let me ask you this before you get too far off here . So it's at the body shop . It's been there as long as it's going to stay there . They haven't totaled it . Is it possible that it still goes to one of those storage facilities ?

Speaker 4 15:46

no only if it's if they determine that they're going to total . Okay , I'm telling you , uh , today it doesn't take much . I just did a diminished value on a 2021 s60 volvo that had a dent in the front , had an accident , had a dent right in the center of the front end that if it had been anywhere else on the car , you could still drive the car easily . You know what I'm saying . It wasn't that major of an impact , but it hit right where the airbag sensor in the camera is , in the center of the front of the car . Okay , didn't even ruin the bumper , just dented the top of the hood a little bit in the group .

Speaker 1 16:31

Okay , twenty six thousand dollars in repair costs my god , because of the airbags and stuff the airbags went off .

Speaker 4 16:40

They don't just replace the airbag , they pull the entire steering column out of the car and put a new steering column .

Speaker 3 16:48

Oh my God , that's a Volvo . Yeah , all the systems that go with it .

Speaker 4 16:53

So , rather than just replace the airbags in the car , that's the way they determined to do it .

Speaker 1 16:59

Geez , was the car even worth $26,000? .

Speaker 4 17:03

Well , it's a 2021 S60 T5 Momentum . Volta , it's a $70,000 car , very low model , yeah yeah , they had to fix it , gotcha . I liked to fell over when I saw the pictures of the accident and then saw the repair bill .

Speaker 1 17:22

So , listen , we're running out of time here , but I wanted to ask you is it possible for our viewers , our listeners , to give you a call and get your expert opinion on what they should do if they have a question in circumstances like this ? As ?

Speaker 4 17:38

soon as they know their car's flooded . Okay , call me and tell me what . Make sure you track where the car's going . Get that , get that knowledge , and call me and say my car got flooded . It's at this facility . Insurance is gonna make an offer on the car . You want to get this in the process before they even do that .

Speaker 1 18:01

What is that hotline to happiness there at the Wooding residence ?

Speaker 4 18:06

281-636-6879 .

Speaker 1 18:12

6879 . Auto Appraisal Network . Michael Wooding , we love you , thank you and we're looking forward to our little rendezvous this fall again .

Speaker 4 18:23

Rendezvous yes we've got the car show and I'm expecting a very good turnout .

Speaker 1 18:29

And when is the date ? September 28th , september 28th , and that is going to be Woody's Waterfront Car Show , right .

Speaker 4 18:42

And no cars newer than 2004 can enter .

Speaker 1 18:47

I could enter the Corvette ?

Speaker 4 18:49

Yes , you can , because what we ended up doing we were getting new Mopars , new Corvettes , new Mustangs that were dominating the show , and that's not what I set that show up initially trophies . I don't know if you're into rat rods I never was until I saw a particular one that just took me away . That was done in a Vietnam era . It was a .32 Ford Tudor , but it had an air breather . It was a Vietnam era helmet . It had a Maxim machine gun mounted on the side , the shifter was a bayonet , the console was an ammo can , but what really took it over the top was a Charlie Don't Surf sticker on the back .

Speaker 1 19:42

There , you go .

Speaker 3 19:44

The best thing about that show that he does are the cocktails , the cocktails . The Bloody Marys I can afford to buy the Bloody Marys , the Bloody Marys , the Bloody Marys , the outdoor bar .

Speaker 4 19:54

I can afford to buy you an extra when this happens , because I have quit drinking oh boy Okay , well then , We'll wake it up for you .

Speaker 1 20:03

Yeah , we'll take yours here and we haven't . I'm sure you can handle it . Woody , it's great to talk to you . Thank you , my friend , same here . Good seeing you guys .

Speaker 4 20:11

You too , tell the folks to call me with these flooded cars and let's get them the money they deserve .

Speaker 1 20:16

You got it . Thanks so much , woody Wooding . Michael Wooding with the Auto Appraisal Network 281-636 6879 . Did we take a break ?

Speaker 3 20:26

Not yet . We need to do that , don't we ? We need to do that right now .

Speaker 2 20:28

Alright , let's do that right now .

Speaker 1 20:29

You're on the In World Time Car Talk Show back after this quick break .

Automotive Events and Dealership Preparedness

Speaker 1 20:33

Pro-am Auto Accessories has been serving Houston's auto enthusiasts since 1984 , providing world-class products for sports cars , european sedans and American muscle . Pro-am is known as the place to go to find exclusive and hard-to-find parts and accessories . Pro-am is one of the very first distributors in the USA for brands such as Recaro , redline , momo Corbo and Simpson . Located in the heart of Houston's premier retail and service corridor , the Galleria area , pro-am's walk-in storefront includes an 8,000-square-foot warehouse , showroom and installation bays . Pro-am not only sells parts and accessories , but also offers installation and service . Pro-am is now reaching a worldwide audience through Pro-Amcom , taking its local reputation to the rest of the world . At Pro-Am Auto you'll be dealing with a small group of professionals who truly want to help you with your automotive needs . If you don't see what you're looking for on the website , call and Pro-Am will lend you a hand . Pro-am Auto 6125 Richmond at Greenridge in Houston's Galleria area . Call them at 713-781-7755 .

Speaker 1 21:32

Want to feel good about something special ? You did for someone special In Wheel Time and the original Loopy Tortilla group of Tex-Mex restaurants have joined together to help a very worthy cause God's Garage , a Christian-based 501c3 charity . We know there are lots of places and organizations out there where you can donate a car , truck or SUV , but we're asking you , our car enthusiast family , to consider donating to God's Garage . Visit GodsGarageorg and learn about its mission , the women that have been helped , how each one is screened and about their Restore you program . A car donation is an easy way to make a difference in the lives of others . God's Garage needs good operating vehicles but will take all types in working and non-working condition . Make your heart and soul feel good by donating your gently used vehicle and help support single mothers , widows and wives of deployed military at GodsGarageorg . Welcome back to the In Wheel Time Car Talk . Show . Time now for the Cruise in Caledonia .

Speaker 3 22:37

Yeah , going to make it quick here today , saturday , we've got one going on right now and it goes until 3 pm . It's called the 5-0 Car Show . It's at 3825 Highway 36 in Rosenberg , texas . Now what this is . Attendees can support the Rosenberg Police Explorers . They showcase their automobile treasures , some of the finest rides in the area . For more information you can talk to Tim Cross at tcross at RosenbergTexasgov . It's for a good cause . Then , moving quickly to tomorrow , you've got one at 3 pm . It is the weekly car meetup in where Willis Texas , at the .

Speaker 3 23:12

DNM True Value in Willis , Texas . So those two quick ones . There's many , many more going on . Check out your local guides and the car shows . Talk to people . There's a lot going on .

Speaker 1 23:21

Alright , thank you . The Coastal Automobile Dealers Contingency Plan for Severe Tropical Weather is muscle memory , but higher insurance premiums are an added pain point . This year , according to some National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , noaa predicts an 85% chance of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season . Wow , it expects 17 to 25 named storms . Dealers told Automotive News they are confident in their hurricane readiness , though they plan to closely monitor the weather . And I will tell you it was a wake-up call . Yeah , it is the stupidest thing . Gasoline People forgot to fill up their tanks . We didn't . I went past filling stations . The line was down the block . It reminded me of the 1979 gas shortage .

Speaker 3 24:12

Both cars were full of gas . I had the gas tanks for the gas grills all charged up , ready to all fill . Everything's good . Don't forget the gas .

Speaker 1 24:19

Yeah , lord knows , I've got plenty of that .

Speaker 3 24:23

Let's forget the fans on Not that kind of gas .

Speaker 1 24:27

Thank you All . Right Time now for a quick break . We'll be right back . The original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipe means when it comes to the best fajitas in southeast Texas . Founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the first Loopy Tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6 . Here is the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make Loopy Tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex . Make Loopy Tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex . Nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade . That everyone will agree makes Loopy Tortilla award-winning beef fajitas the best anywhere . Loopy Tortilla Katie's another location that gives you the same quality and service Houstonians have come to expect at Loopy's . It's located on 99 the Grand Parkway at Kingsland Boulevard in Katie . Find yourself in Aggieland Head to the Loopy Tortilla in College Station , located just around the corner from Kyle Field , it's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game . Going to Louisiana , the Loopy Tortilla in Beaumont is on I-10 , so you can't miss it . The original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants has the best Tex-Mex anywhere and you're invited anytime .

Speaker 1 25:32

Your car is a direct reflection of you . So don't be satisfied with color fade or a dingy , dull appearance . Get rid of those terrible automated car wash scratches . Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your save-the-paint company . John Gray and his team of detailing experts can help your cars finish without a full repaint . Searching for the real experts in window tint or windshield protection ? Gulf Coast Auto Shield , dash cams , radar detectors Gulf Coast Auto Shield . Got a new car . Get that thing protected as soon as you take delivery . If you don't know which of the multitude of protection products to go with , john Gray will give you an honest opinion and won't sell you something you don't need or can't afford . John will help you understand the many options and pricing right on the spot . He's your guy to have your ride looking its best and protected too . See the state-of-the-art shop yourself . Free tours anytime . Gulf Coast Auto Shield is easy to get to , located just south of the Southwest Freeway on the Sam Houston Parkway . Gulf Coast Auto Shield Full service , luxury car care today and online at gcautoshieldcom .

Speaker 1 26:31

Well , that's all for this week's In Wheel Time Car Talk Show . Be sure to check out our website , inwheeltimecom . Follow us on Facebook , give us a like , tell your car friends about us and share our stuff , if you would please . We'll keep you connected to all things automotive all week long . Send your vacation postcards and hate mail to us through the interweb . The address and it works info at InWheelTimecom and if there are really good letters , we're going to put them on the air . Yeah , we will , you know we will .

Speaker 1 27:06

When you're looking for award-winning car talk , you can find the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show 24-7 on the iHeartRadio app . Daily 30-minute podcasts are available from your favorite podcast provider . We post a new episode every day and , don't forget , we live stream this show on Facebook , youtube and InRealTimecom every Saturday from 8 to 11 am Central Time . The In Real Time video technical director is we Always Need More Jeff Zekin , the booking agent , video editor , people finder Mike out of this world bars , and chief engineer , david Ainsley . I'm Don Armstrong . We hope you'll join us next week here on the In Real Time Car Talk show Saturday , july 27th , 8 to 11 am on all of our In Real Time Car Talk outlets . Have a great weekend and we'll see you then . That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show . I'm Don Armstrong , inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook , youtube , twitch and our InWheelTimecom website . Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts , spotify Stitcher , iheart Podcast , podcast Addict TuneIn Pandora and Amazon Music . Keep listening and we'll see you soon .