Nissan Z's Showroom Spotlight and the Understated Importance of Wiper Blades

Nissan Z Car and Houston Auto Show Conversation

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to another In Wheel Time Podcast , a 30 minute mini version of the In Wheel Time Car Show that airs live every Saturday morning 8 to 11am , central Podcasting and streaming worldwide . It's the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show . This love broadcast is coming to you from the 41st annual Houston Auto Show at NRG Center in Houston , texas . Just ahead , another guest Pluck from the hundreds of participants at today's show . Conrad's going to have the In Wheel Time Car Clinic . We'll also have this week's Auto News as well . Howdy , along with Mike out of this World , mars , who's on the camera ?

Speaker 2 0:43

right now . Who's on ?

Speaker 1 0:44

the camera down there we have what's his name Old King Conrad DeLong . I was going to say something else and I lost my train of thought , but whatever the case is , we'll do it next week . For another edition of what's coming up next .

Speaker 2 0:59

We always need more . Jeff Zickens , john needs Previgin .

Speaker 1 1:02

And then we also have David Ainsley . He's joining us as well . I'm , don Armstrong , glad you could join us today . Old King Cole was a merry old soul , and a merry old soul was he , oh boy .

Speaker 2 1:15

Different show . Here we go .

Speaker 3 1:18

Well , first time I thought about that , since it's King Conrad DeLong . Okay .

Speaker 1 1:22

That's it , that's all .

Speaker 3 1:24

And I'm a very old soul .

Speaker 1 1:25

Yeah , I know we both are . They're all white here , guys , some are older than others . Yeah , well , we don't need to go there , do we All right ? So joining us in our guest position right now is Chad Fishburne , and he is with Nissan Motors .

Speaker 2 1:42

All right .

Speaker 1 1:43

And he does have a face . I do . It's here , man , and it's good to see you . Thank you very much for joining us today and thanks for sharing your booth space with us for three hours this morning .

Speaker 4 1:53

It is our honor and privilege . You guys are having a lot of fun and we hope that everybody comes on over and checks out our awesome display right here .

Speaker 1 2:01

Well , let me tell you something . You got the prime spot right here .

Speaker 4 2:04

Yeah , really Right in the middle of the show , it's not too shabby . We're right in between the boats and the cars . So we're kind of hoping that everybody at least has to pass right by and they're going to see that beautiful new Nissan Z if they're on the main walk here ?

Speaker 2 2:18

Yeah , because you're right here on the corner , so you got a good prime spot .

Speaker 4 2:22

We do like that 90 degree angle and I love the color of the Titan right behind us too .

Speaker 3 2:26

That dark blue is gorgeous , Absolutely .

Speaker 2 2:28

So we can be here next year too .

Speaker 1 2:30

Do you do all of the car shows ?

Speaker 4 2:31

I do a lot of them . I've been on the Nissan team for about 13 years , so yeah , they have me go too much to their chagrin . They have me go to a lot of their shows .

Speaker 1 2:42

And I assume that you have gone through a lot of suitcases in the 13 years man , I'm telling you yeah , I have gone through a few .

Speaker 4 2:51

I actually like it when our wardrobe because they give us a wardrobe that we have to wear I like it when it doesn't wrinkle , and this one I can shove into pretty much any kind of bag and I'm just , I'm just very grateful when we get those . So , yeah , because having the fold up you know baggage , and making sure everything doesn't wrinkle it always wrinkles anyway . I still haven't .

Speaker 4 3:11

So as soon as they come out with an actual bag that doesn't wrinkle stuff , then I'm going to buy it . But yeah , because you got to have five days worth of nice clothes that are that are presentable to the public , and that is true .

Speaker 1 3:21

At a minimum , but you ought to see what he wears on the plane back .

Speaker 2 3:25

Yeah , pajamas , pajamas pajamas , bottoms , yep .

Speaker 4 3:29

No , I'll be honest , I do see that at the . I mean I try and look somewhat presentable Mustard stains because I'm a little bit old school . Mustard stains Yep , I just , you know , just an old school undershirt with a few mustard stains on it and some plaid pants , yeah .

Speaker 1 3:43

Yeah , I got that . So let's talk about your display here . You already mentioned that you've got the Z over there . It's not a 300 Z or 240 Z or anything like that , just the Z it is just the Z now .

Speaker 4 3:55

Technically it could have been called the 300 Z for a third time , but they opted not to go with that because it is a three liter twin turbo V six with 400 horsepower . Some people mistakenly call it the 400 Z , but when they call it that , we didn't . We try not to correct them , but it's just a slap out .

Speaker 1 4:11

What is ? What is the base MSRP on the Z 42 to 10 ? Oh wow , that's pretty good .

Speaker 3 4:16

That's a steal . That's for the 400 horse one .

Speaker 4 4:19

That's the advantage over the competition , and we won't mention their names , but it rhymes with Shmoyota . You actually get the 400 horsepower powertrain for 42 grand , so you also can get the six speed manual . We did that from the get go , and then our buddies had to kind of revamp their lineup a little bit just to compete with the manual .

Speaker 3 4:40

The manual is still alive , right , yeah , you do have to keep up . And if you want a six speed manual , you're not going to get one at Chevrolet . I wasn't going to say it , but you did . You're welcome .

Speaker 4 4:49

Yeah , thank you so much . I appreciate that , and Davis .

Speaker 2 4:50

Davis boys are looking for a Z . I think they were here earlier . We'll send them over , you should .

Speaker 4 4:55

What you can do . We have our Z garage tour . It's just one of the many activities you can do here in the Nissan display , and so if you sign up , you get a little time inside the Z , you can you get a poster as well . You can talk to one of our product specialists if you have any questions , and so it's definitely a hot station for us here at the show .

Speaker 3 5:15

Well , and it's a , it's a desirable car . Lots of people come just to see , come to your display just to see that , and then they get chance to See everything else that's here as well .

Speaker 4 5:23

That is true and people can . Like I said , if they enter , they got chances to win prizes . We have trivia going on . So , there's a lot of fun stuff happening . We've got our . We have two different frontiers here , so if you're a truck fanatic , we got the trucks here , as well as the sports cars . Little something for everybody .

Speaker 1 5:41

Is there something from Nissan that you don't have here ?

Speaker 4 5:44

The GTR . I would GTR . I always love it when we have the GTR here , our top of the line supercar with a hand-built 3.8 liter twin turbo v6 , but now 565 horsepower talking his language . With all-wheel drive launch control and goes zero to sixty and two points .

Speaker 1 5:59

You got pictures of it .

Speaker 2 6:01

What colors do they come in .

Speaker 4 6:02

There actually is a GTR Nismo on the wall and it's just a tease , people . Really . We're like , oh sorry , it's not here , but the Z's on the other side of the wall , what was the question again ?

Speaker 2 6:13

Was it a color ? Yeah , how many colors ? How many colors for the GTR , the Z ?

Speaker 4 6:17

Look , give me both , Okay , either so with the Z specifically , we have monotone colors and two tone colors like the one we have over here is the seiron blue with a black top . So it's actually people really love the two tone options . So overall you're looking at about nine different colors . With the Z and with the GTR it's a , with the new T-spec couple added to it around six or seven colors on the GTR . That's going off of memory . I tried to go through the brochure in my brain .

Speaker 3 6:45

Yeah , with the GTR . You just got to look quick , don't matter what color color doesn't matter , because it's just a blur on the way .

Speaker 4 6:52

If you're , if you are a GTR fan and a lot of people are a lot of them .

Speaker 4 6:57

They are a lot of them , because they either a watch the Fast and Furious series or B played the video game Gran Turismo . I have done both , just putting it out there . But yeah , it's , it's real . People want to see that car , they want to get close to that car , they want to touch it , get inside of it because of the heritage . And that's the same with the Z . They both came out same year , believe it or not , 1969 , really . Yeah , so as a 70 model for for both of them . But it was way back when the Haksuka or box skyline that was the original skyline GTR , that was a 69 model and the 240z , she came out in 69 as a 70 model as well but the GTR is very much a specialty car .

Speaker 4 7:37

Oh yeah , it's not an everyday person's car . It is not . No , not with a starting price of 121,000 bucks .

Speaker 2 7:43

My brother has probably four to five Z's in the course of his driving career . All throughout the range be put some me put some away in the winter and drives his winter car . But yeah , he's , he's . He's had a few okay .

Speaker 4 7:56

Yeah , yeah . We're excited to have this one and it's bang for the buck , like we were talking about before 400 horsepower , six-speed , manual and the 42,000 starting price is and it still looks awesome . The one we have on display is the performance trim , so it is a step up . You're getting a lot of performance options , as well as the Bose audio and the leather interior . So if you wanted to step up to that one , cool , but we get . We also get a lot of tuner fans and they want to modify it themselves . I'm sure you guys have , you know , gone down that road much twice in your life , or maybe more than that .

Speaker 1 8:28

You see this gray hair . I'm only 35 years old 35 .

Speaker 2 8:36

And he belongs to the Liars Club .

Nissan Z and Models Inventory Updates

Speaker 4 8:40

The current Z , I mean it's still a two-seater right .

Speaker 2 8:43

It is yes , I make it a four-seater once upon a time in history .

Speaker 4 8:46

Okay , it's been a two plus two for sure .

Speaker 3 8:48

The last time we did that was two plus two .

Speaker 4 8:49

We actually did the 300 was the in the 90s was the last time we did a two plus two , so all the way up through 96 , and then we took a little break , as y'all know , and she came back finally got rid of that .

Speaker 4 8:59

Yeah , we've had different versions of it . The last two generations 350 , 370 have been either a two-seat coupe or a convertible . Everyone wants to know what's going on , you know , outside of the Nismo , which , by the way , we do have the Nismo version of the Z now . We just added that to the lineup with more , more power , more torque , better aerodynamics and it is basically ready for the track . So that one we just added . Everybody wants to know if there's going to be a drop top version and we're just going to have to wait and see on that .

Speaker 3 9:27

And Nismo is Nissan's performance division that hot rods their cars for them .

Speaker 4 9:32

Yes , sir , stands for Nissan Motorsports , and we have a version of the Z as well as the GTR , and those versions don't play , especially with the GTR , because there's a ton of carbon fiber , carbon ceramic brakes . The new GTR Nismo now has a front limited slip diff as well and a huge , much larger rear wing adding to that down force .

Speaker 3 9:53

So yeah , it's because that rear wing is not for show , it is for go .

Speaker 4 9:59

No , and I love it when people strap it on to their 1992 .

Speaker 2 10:03

Civic and it's like .

Speaker 4 10:04

Are you really adding down force to go pick up the laundry ?

Speaker 3 10:07

No , it's adding a push bar , exactly .

Speaker 2 10:10

That goes along with the coffee , can exhaust to take it off the back of the car . A push bar , that's good .

Speaker 4 10:15

I'm not taking anything away from the current Civic . People don't hate on me Honda fans out there but like that one , the Civic Type R is actually pretty badass . So that's you know . I'm not a fan of all cars Obviously we're going to talk about Nissan but I'm a fan of all cars .

Speaker 1 10:32

I want to go back to the Z . Yes , please . Is the Z on lots and the dealers around town ? It sure is . So there is a supply of them around town .

Speaker 4 10:42

There absolutely is a supply and it's going to depend on the area and the specific dealership . But what we can do for people is when they come to the show or they can just call up their dealership . I don't recommend going on a wild goose chase , necessarily , but we don't have to do that these days .

Speaker 4 10:57

Yeah , just punch it up on NissanUSAcom and then it'll act . You can say search inventory . You type in your zip code , search inventory , and then it'll show you what Zs specifically are in your area and what dealership they are and what dealership they're at .

Speaker 2 11:10

So absolutely you can do that , so you don't even have to go look for the dealership .

Speaker 4 11:13

You don't ? We always recommend that people call them first , though , because yeah , but if you just start your search . You know like how many , what ? 15 , 20 dealerships around .

Speaker 2 11:21

Yeah , you get a plan , you just get an area . Yeah , you get a route , you do Check them out .

Speaker 4 11:24

Yeah absolutely , yep , they don't update it , like it's not updated to the minute . So just to make sure that somebody didn't buy it yesterday .

Speaker 3 11:31

As you say , as quick as they sell . You want to call and make sure it's there before you go .

Speaker 1 11:35

Especially inventory overall at the dealerships today .

Speaker 4 11:39

Specifically with just all vehicles or just generally speaking . Generally speaking , it's , it's looking really solid . It's , yeah , good numbers and you know we hope that people come and we can set up test drives for them here at the show . It's as simple as and we don't , you know , we know that some people don't necessarily want to be hounded . Well , all we get is people's email address and then they can set up the test drive at their leisure , just making it really easy for people , sending them information allowing them to set up the test drives . And of course , we highly recommend that , you know , with the Z . But we've got some other models that they might want to check out , like our Pathfinder Rock Creek . That's kind of a little more family oriented seating for up to eight in the Pathfinder now , but with the Rock Creek specifically .

Speaker 2 12:19

Really .

Speaker 4 12:19

Yeah , so you can do a bench in the second row , making it an eight seater , but with the Rock Creek it's actually a captain shares in the second row with a removable center console . We've got those really cool off road this right behind y'all . So when you get a chance , check it out . But it is got the off road wheels and tires , those bedlock wheels , the tubular roof rack and it actually does have a little bit of a suspension lift on it . So it is , you know , for adventuring , it's for the outdoors .

Speaker 3 12:46

And the Rogue is still your number one vehicle . It sure is For a reason .

Speaker 4 12:50

For a reason Great balance of power and fuel economy . Two hundred and one horsepower , two twenty five on the torque and up to thirty seven MPG's highway .

Speaker 3 12:56

Yeah , my son has one . Oh , he does , he loves it .

Speaker 4 12:58

OK , good , I was going to ask , I was , I couldn't , I was trying to . You know , look in your eyes and see if I should ask that question no , no , no , no .

Speaker 3 13:06

He loves it , but he , you know , he , his is all wheel drive and they go up to Tahoe to go skiing and stuff . And he says they really have no issues going through the snow and stuff .

Speaker 4 13:17

So out in California then , yep , ok , very cool . Yeah , you got to love , to go to love Tahoe driving through the Donner Pass yeah . There you go Through it . Don't stop , don't .

Speaker 1 13:28

No , please don't stop for four weeks . My daughter , my oldest daughter , my grandson's mother . There you go . Just bought a new rogue .

Speaker 4 13:42

OK yeah , a gray one . Well , now everybody else has to get one too . I feel like it's a pattern now .

Speaker 1 13:47

Well , you know , they're so popular and I read a story that they're thinking about pulling the road factory to the back to Japan to make room for something else here . I don't know what it is that they want to build here , but you know everybody's up and oh , you can't do that . Yeah , you can build it anywhere you want to , Just don't stop building it Too popular .

Speaker 3 14:11

Well , Nissan's been building in Smyrna for how many years ? What did they start back in the 85 , 84 , 85 ?

Speaker 4 14:17

I feel like it was right around then . Maybe I'm going to say 82 , 83 . I would need to double check my numbers on that one , but it's been a while .

Speaker 2 14:23

Yeah , it's been a minute .

Speaker 4 14:24

and then we have our truck plant in Canton , mississippi . So we got two plants here in the US and that puts out most of our vehicles in the states . Now , that's not all of them . Like our sports cars are still built overseas , but a lot of our vehicles built right here in North America .

Speaker 1 14:38

Yeah , yeah , what's the number ? Is Roke still the number one selling vehicle ?

Speaker 4 14:44

Number one , you got it , number one , sentra has now crept up to number two . Ultima used to be our best seller , and now I'm pretty sure she's coming in number three Last I looked , so that's , that is kind of our the Sentra .

Speaker 3 14:56

Sentra . I mean the bang for the buck on that one is that's a name that's been around for a long time in the Nissan family as well .

Speaker 4 15:04

Absolutely , it has been so great fuel economy . A lot of people are going away from the sedans , as y'all know , but we still have three in the lineup right now and hopefully news to come , you know , down the road about new products , because by 2030 we're supposed to have a nice chunk of our lineup that will be electrified . But that doesn't mean that we're going away from gas powered vehicles , everything we have on the floor .

Speaker 1 15:28

That's good , yeah , because ask Ford how good their F-150 alighting is playing these days .

Speaker 2 15:34

Yeah .

Speaker 4 15:35

Not too good . Yeah , yeah , I mean , and I think you know we're learning and it's , it's just about you know , getting better all the time , continuous improvement .

Speaker 1 15:44

Yeah .

Speaker 4 15:44

Yeah .

Speaker 1 15:45

So are you going to be here in the display ? Not on display , but in the display .

Speaker 4 15:50

I will be in the display . On display , I will be standing on stage and I'll be signing autographs that's great .

Speaker 1 15:57

Hero cards , hero cards I do , I do . How many associates do you have with you here ?

Speaker 4 16:03

We have a nice team of eight people , including myself . Okay , great product specialists , very knowledgeable . We also have some brand ambassadors kind of helping us out with the activations , you know , with the prize , giveaways and trivia and such . So , yeah , it's actually we're having a lot of fun here . People are really enjoying playing the trivia . It's a family activity so you can team up with the kids and you don't have to be an automotive expert or even a Nissan expert to play , so we try and give hints and make it fun for everybody . Do you live here in Houston ? I do not . I actually live out in California , so I'm originally from Florida and spent most of my time in the southeast Florida . Georgia went to middle school , high school , college in North Carolina , so I went to East Carolina University I'm a pirate and then my wife and I yes , you are .

Speaker 4 16:44

Yeah .

Speaker 2 16:45

I'm your patch .

Speaker 4 16:46

I didn't bring it today . I didn't bring it today . My eyes actually healed up nicely , so I didn't feel like . You know I needed to have it on the . You guys told me when we were filming so I , you know , I put on my makeup and everything and that's good . I tried to look cute , yeah .

Speaker 1 16:58

Yeah , so where are you ? In California , los . Angeles . Oh Lord , yeah , well I'm glad it's you and not me . I like it here in Houston , just fine , thank you . Houston is nice .

Speaker 4 17:09

Everybody's been very nice . I like the community here . Y'all have amazing sports teams and you know and like the fandom . We just came from Philadelphia . So again , amazing fandom .

Speaker 3 17:23

Like the passion there is kind of yeah , but we don't burn our city down when they win .

Speaker 4 17:27

That's , that's good , that's probably a good thing . No , we don't want to do that . You know what ?

Speaker 1 17:30

I think Philadelphia . There's a couple of things actually , the Philadelphia parking authority .

Speaker 2 17:34

Oh yeah , you ever watched that show .

Speaker 4 17:36

No , oh my God , is that Parking Wars ? My dad watches that show . Oh thanks .

Speaker 1 17:44

So there's that and the Philly fanatic . Okay , well , you have , yeah .

Speaker 2 17:48

Well , another point at trivia isn't the ? The Eagles football stadium was one of the first , and probably only that , actually had a jail in it .

Speaker 4 17:56

Oh , I remember that . Yeah , but I mean that makes sense . Yeah , because of the fans .

Speaker 2 18:00

Yes .

Speaker 3 18:01

Because it's still there . I don't know . I thought they just trolled the players . No , it was for the fans For a game , not the players .

Speaker 4 18:06

The fans .

Speaker 2 18:07

They had a jail for all the rowdiness .

Speaker 4 18:08

When I say right , when I say passionate , that was being nice , yeah , yeah , clean it up .

Speaker 1 18:13

We know , yeah , clean it up Buttercup .

Speaker 4 18:14

That's exactly right .

Speaker 1 18:15

We thank you again for letting us borrow your space for our broadcast . We appreciate it Absolutely , and all of those that were on the zoom call that apparently had to sign off and that , okay , I guess we'll let them go over there .

Speaker 4 18:28

Yeah , yeah , like Steve was like listen guys , please try not to cause too many problems while you're there . Yeah .

Speaker 1 18:35

Well , and don't forget to be sure and tell Steve Parrott Ray .

Speaker 4 18:40

Ray said hello oh it's Ray Ray , is it ? It's Ray Ray ? Okay , but only the people closest to you call it . Call you Ray Ray .

Speaker 3 18:46

Well , no , we don't , no , we don't want to see Ray Ray again .

Speaker 4 18:50

Yeah , yeah , oh , it becomes a different person . He's not dressed for Ray Ray , but when you ?

Speaker 1 18:55

talk to Steve . Ask Steve about the Ray Ray story . It dates back a number of years , does it involve the sequins suit .

Speaker 4 19:01

No , it doesn't actually it was a phone call .

Speaker 1 19:04

Okay , it was a phone call to . Steve , and so you'll , you'll , I'm sure you'll appreciate it .

Speaker 4 19:10

I can't wait for that .

Speaker 2 19:11

If you lose , your job over this ? I think no , I don't think you will . You will not lose your Marine is .

Speaker 4 19:17

I mean , if we're , if we're not short on time , maybe you just tell us now , ray Ray .

Speaker 1 19:20

Well , ray Ray will have to tell you another time because we have things

Importance of Replacing Windshield Wipers Regularly

Speaker 1 19:24

to do here . But Chad Fishburne , thank you so much for joining us . Bud Appreciate it guys .

Speaker 3 19:28

We appreciate it too . Thank you , nissan , for sharing your space . Absolutely Thank you guys so much .

Speaker 1 19:32

Time now for Conrad's car clinic here on the in wheel time car talk show . And , by the way , if you've not noticed , we are broadcasting live today from the Houston Auto Show that is sharing the space with the Houston boat show , so it's called the Houston Auto Boatip Show . So there you go . We're at NRG Center , which is right next door to NRG Stadium , and we invite you to come on down . The car shows closing tomorrow night at six o'clock Time now for Conrad's car clinic .

Speaker 3 19:59

So we're going to talk about something important that was very important all week , this week and last week and that's your windshield wipers . You know , you've been there happily driving down the road when suddenly you're hit with a torrential rainstorm , and you know . And then you get panic struck and you're driving white knuckled because you got to turn the wipers on , because you may or may not be able to see . No , there's nothing for this Jeff .

Speaker 3 20:24

So you want to make sure that your wipers are fresh and new . My recommendation is to replace the wipers at least once a year because you want that visibility so that you can see where you're going . You know running your blades over a frozen windshield , you know we had some frost in the morning last couple of weeks . You know that'll damage the blade Also . Bird droppings , bug guts all damage the wipers over time . So you know , if you do something , at least get out there every now and then and get a Wiper blades are cheap .

Speaker 3 21:00

Wiper blades are cheap , there's less expensive ones and there's more expensive ones .

Speaker 1 21:06

Buy the middle of the road ones . They do just a great job .

Speaker 3 21:08

Well , I'd say , if you're buying the cheap ones or the middle of the road ones , you need to replace them twice a year , twice a year , yeah . If you're buying the higher dollar ones you can get away with once a year . You know you think about , you know some of the better ones that are out there . Rainex sells a latitude wiper blade that actually has Rainex built into the rubber .

Speaker 2 21:29

Really .

Speaker 3 21:30

That you know it'll apply a little bit of Rainex while you're driving so you can literally see the water beating up on your windshield while they're working , you know . But they're not cheap . But you know again the range of them . Those are probably twice the expense of the cheaper ones . But you wanna definitely make sure you're replacing your blades on a regular interval . A number of reasons . First off , while you're driving so that you can see . Second off is that you don't damage the windshield . You know , at some point I've seen people that have run their blades so long there isn't anything left and you get this metal scratch on the windshield . You can get this nice little arc on your windshield from the metal scratching it . So you don't want that . You know many parts stores will put the wiper blades on for you for free . You go inside , buy them . They'll come out and put them on really pretty easy and you could buy the less expensive ones 12 to 15 bucks , the more expensive ones in the 30 , 35 dollar range .

Speaker 2 22:24

I usually go for the 20 dollar ones , yeah mid range Cause you're gonna change them twice a year . You should change them twice a year . Listen as little as I drive my car , well as Conrad said , the heat will bake them to the glass or whatever structure that the cowl .

Speaker 1 22:38

Well , that has not done that and I don't have one big huge shard of rubber flopping back and forth after they've worn off of the actual metal blade .

Speaker 3 22:48

You know another place you can get wiper blades . This isn't a commercial form , it's discount tire . You know they've added wiper blades to their repertoire of stuff that they sell and again putting them on . Some people get a little confused cause all the clips are a little bit different from blade to blade .

Speaker 2 23:04

Variety pack .

Speaker 3 23:06

Let the experts put them on for you . It might take them five minutes to put them on and off . You are down the road .

Speaker 2 23:10

Or just go to Conrad's house . He'll put them on for you .

Speaker 3 23:12

That's right .

Speaker 1 23:14

Really , I'm not driving that far for you to put on wiper blades . No , I'm not gonna do that .

Speaker 3 23:20

So keep your wiper blades new and you windshield clean .

Speaker 1 23:26

Always keep your windshield clean , you betcha . Everything needs to be clean . Got some stories to tell you about Automotive stories , that is . Tesla is recalling nearly 200,000 Model S , x and Y vehicles in the US due to a software malfunction that could obstruct drivers visibility while reversing . According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , this came out yesterday . Development comes less than two months after the company recalled nearly all of its vehicles in the US to install new safeguards in its autopilot Advanced driver assistance system review . Malfunction caused by software instability might decrease the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash in reverse .

Speaker 1 24:12

The recall affects the S , y and X models from 2023 . Kia is recalling 101,409.1 vehicles because of issues with roof molding loosening and detaching . The recall includes certain 23 and 24 sportage in 22 to 24 carnival vehicles Flopping in the wind , whose roof molding could be defective . Detached roof mold could create a road hazard for other vehicles , increasing the likelihood of a crash . According to NHTSA , dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it if necessary , for free . Owner notification letters are expected to go out March the 15th .

Speaker 3 24:53

Along with a tube of superglue .

Speaker 1 24:55

Apparently yeah , but go ahead and replace that Cause you don't want to be sued by somebody where your roof molding pierced the windshield of the car .

Speaker 3 25:06

It's not like there's all kinds of debris on Houston roads anyhow .

Speaker 1 25:09

Consumer reports . Honda HRV rear windows are shattering , and here's what owners should do . Yeah , problem has to do with a manufacturing defect involving the rear defroster . Okay , honda says the problem is due to the sealer used to secure the rear glass on some HRVs to come in contact with the defrosters heating elements . Over time this weakens the glass as the defroster creates a hotspot . But the automaker advises owners to continue using the rear defroster as needed . We probably don't have to worry too much about that around these parts .

Speaker 1 25:50

Because it's not a recall . The current service campaign doesn't appear when owners search for open recalls on their vehicles . But take it in .

Speaker 3 25:58

But if your rear glass breaks all of a sudden when you turn the defroster on , bring it to your Honda store and get it fixed for free .

Speaker 1 26:05

Yeah , yeah , that's not good . Also online , and this is finally . It took about four days for it to make national news . It took about four days , I say , for Vroom . Ah , vroom of Houston said Monday it plans to wind down its e-commerce operations , citing a need to preserve liquidity . No , they're going Means .

Speaker 3 26:34

I need money .

Speaker 1 26:35

Yeah Company will suspend used vehicle transactions through Vroomcom . According to the news release , vroom also intends to sell its current used vehicle inventory through wholesale channels , halt purchases of additional vehicles and reduce its workforce by 800 employees or 90% . Yikes , I do realize that Vroom is based here in Houston .

Speaker 2 26:57

It's the Texas Audit Direct on 59 , Stafford .

Speaker 3 27:00

Did you know that ? No , no , 59 about way eight ? Yeah , no , no more .

Speaker 1 27:05

Vroom reported a net loss of are you sitting down ? Yep $82.9 million for the third quarter alone , which ended September 30th . That was more than both the 51.1 million it lost in the same period in 22 and the $66.3 million it lost in the second quarter .

Speaker 3 27:25

Okay , but it keeps going up the fourth quarter numbers aren't out yet .

Speaker 1 27:28

Total revenue fell 31% . What in the world did they do wrong ?

Speaker 3 27:33

They advertise too much .

Speaker 1 27:35

Top heavy . I didn't really see a lot of advertising for Vroom .

Speaker 3 27:40

Oh , I see them all the time yeah .

Speaker 1 27:42

Where do you see them ? Yeah ?

Speaker 3 27:44

I watch a lot of Discovery , Fox and History channel . They're on it all the time .

Speaker 1 27:48

Wow , I guess I just missed it . They clearly missed reaching the right audience to sell cars , yeah .

Speaker 3 27:56

Well , so you heard . Jeep also dropped a teaser for the Wagoneer S model , announcing an all-electric vehicle that's being added to their product portfolio .

Speaker 5 28:04

Oh , that's great .

Speaker 3 28:05

And we'll follow up on that in a little bit yeah .

Speaker 1 28:08

Well , I think that we need to follow up that after we talk to the Ford guy and ask him what the world's going on .

Speaker 3 28:13

Oh , you don't want to put him on the spot for that . Stellantis is also continuing to eliminate VA availability . They announced that the SRT 392 Rubicon is done with production .

Speaker 1 28:26

Quick break . Now You're on the In-Wheel Time car talk show back after this .

Speaker 5 28:30

Grab your engines and set sail for the ultimate surf and turf the Houston Auto Boat-It show January 24 through the 28 at NRG Center . One ticket gets you into both the auto show and the boat show . Visit your favorite car and boat brands under one roof . Learn about the latest electric vehicles and test drive one with Evolve Houston . Board your dream boat and check out the bass fishing demos . It's the Houston Auto Boat-It show January 24 through the 28 . Buy early and save at autoboatofshowcom .

Speaker 1 28:59

You own a car you love , well , why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it ? Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state-of-the-art facility to introduce you to his specialist team of auto enthusiasts . We promise you'll be impressed when you're looking to massage your original paint to a like-new appearance , apply a ceramic coating , install a paint protection film , nanoceramic window tint or new windshield protection called ExoShield . Gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people go . Curb your wheels Instead of buying new , why not have them repaired ? How about a professionally installed radar detector ? Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too . Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading to gcautoshieldcom . After yet , stop by their facility at 11275 South Sam Houston Tullway , just south of the Southwest Freeway , and get a personal tour . Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior . Call them today 832-930-5655 , or gcautoshieldcom .

Speaker 1 29:58

The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipes mean . When it comes to the best fajitas in Southeast Texas , founder Stan Holt invites you to visit the original loopy tortilla near I-10 at Highway 6 . Here's 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 . Speaking of original , 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 is another location that gives you the same quality and service historians have come to expect at loopies . It's located just off I-10 in the Grand Parkway .

Speaker 1 30:35

At Kingsland Boulevard in Katie , find yourself an Aggie Land . Head to the loopy tortilla 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 . Head to East Louisiana . Stop in at the loopy tortilla in Beaumont . It twos on I-10 , you can't miss it . The original group of loopy tortilla restaurants invites you in for the best Tex-Mex anywhere . 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 8 to 11 am Central on Facebook , youtube , twitch and our InWheelTimecom website . Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts , spotify , stitcher , iheart Podcast , podcast Addict Tune In Pandora and Amazon Music . Keep listening and we'll see you soon .