The 2011 Sorento has not only been a hot selling vehicle at Kia of Fargo, it has been Kia’s best selling vehicle in the U.S. for 15 consecutive months. I can’t remember a time since the introduction of the 2011 Sorento that we have’t been scrambling to keep up with customer demand. Having such a hot product makes this business fun. The only down-side is telling excited customers that it may take months to get the vehicle they really want.

To read more about the Kiplinger’s Best Cars for Familiies, click here.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan

Kia of Fargo, New and Usec Car Dealer, Fargo, ND

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Question: Do I need to worry about damaging the radio \ satellite antenna on my 2011 Sorento when using an automatic carwash?

Answer: No, you should have no problems going through an automatic carwash with the antenna mast left in place. However, it never hurts to ask the carwash attendant if there is any need for concern.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan

Kia of Fargo

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Why do stores offer you a discount if you sign-up for one of the companies credit cards, does it magically lower their cost of doing business and they want to pass the savings on to you?  No, what it does is pave the way to future company profits.  With your new credit card in hand they can lure you back in the store, sell you more than you can afford, and make additional profit while you struggle to pay the interest.  The pleasure of saving that initial 10% will soon be replaced with the pain of paying for things you didn’t need and probably can’t even recall purchasing.

Let’s face it, you really don’t need all those credit cards and now you’re faced with the hassle of what to do with them.  Do you really need any department store cards when they all accept VISA, MasterCard, or Discover? Two to three cards should be enough, any more than that is a recipe for over-spending.  Get those other accounts paid off or transfer the balances to one or two cards.  You might get a credit limit increase if you call one of your lower rate cards and tell them you are transferring a big balance.  In the end your goal should be to have credit cards for convenience with balances that can be paid off within no more than 3 months.

Once you pay off an account that won’t be used again, CLOSE IT.  Not only does it eliminate the temptation of over-spending but it closes some potential holes for identity thieves and eliminates paying any annual fees associated with keeping the account open.

Credit card accounts can help your credit score by following a few simple guidelines:

• Limit the number of accounts to just a few, no more than 3.
• Keep the balances well below account limits.
• ALWAYS make the payments on-time.

Check back soon for Part 5 of the Improve Your Credit Series.  Click here to view previous series posts.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan
Fargo, ND
New and Used Car and Truck Expert

KIA of Fargo

Moorhead, MN Fargo, ND Used and New KIA Car Dealer

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Do everything you can to pay down balances, especially on credit cards.  You will save money and improve your score!

Here are few things to consider doing:

Check back soon for Part 4 of the Improve Your Credit Series.  Click here to view previous series posts.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan
Moorhead, MN Fargo, ND
New and Used Car and Truck Expert

KIA of Fargo

Moorhead, MN Fargo, ND Used and Car Dealer

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Question – We responded to a radio ad from an individual selling a car. We agree on a purchase price and made arrangement to meet the person at a back to give them our check. At the last minute, they called and wanted to meet at Kruse Motors in Worthington, MN because she had found a car there and and wanted to run the paper work (trade in)through the dealership to “save” her tax liability.

I specifically told Kruse Motors that we would do it that way to save their client on the tax. When all was said and done…they turned around and charged me $50.00 for a documentation free when I specifically said that we were only doing this to save their client money and that I would NOT pay any additional fee to the dealership. Unfortunately, my daughter and granddaughter finished the deal in my absence and the dealership did in fact tack on that $50.00 fee. (four people hear the verbal deal and agreed that I would not have an additional charge). I explained to the dealership that I could take the paperwork to the courthouse and do the title transfer myself.

I went back to the dealership to complain and they claim they are “required” by law to charge $50.00… which I have not gotten back. They also charged me 6.5% tax on a 2495 car only to find out they had overcharged me on that too… (I did get all by $10.00 back)

I would like to see a “requirement by law” that states dealerships HAVE to charge a documentation fee. can you give me the MN state statute regarding that?

Answer - What you are describing is typically called a courtesy delivery and is fairly common when someone is selling their old car instead of trading it on a newer vehicle. A transaction of this nature usually only benefits the private party seller; they are either selling the car for more money than the dealer was willing to pay or it’s being sold to a friend or family member and then saving sales tax on the final price. Granted, the dealer benefits from the resulting car sale but, in the end, the new car usually gets sold either way.

In answer to your question, you are correct, there is no legislation that requires a dealer to charge document fees. The amount the dealer can charge is regulated by the State but the dealer is not required to charge it. However, it is illegal for a dealer to discriminate by choosing who is charged the fee. Essentially, it’s the “what’s good for one is good for all” principle. If one person has to pay, then every retail customer of the dealership has to pay. The one who should feel obligated to pay in this case is the one who received the most benefit, the person who sold the car to you. You might also want to do further research on the subject of handling the titling and registration yourself. I do believe a Minnesota dealer is required to handle the title transfer and vehicle registration on units sold to State residents.

I think the biggest issue is that you were lead to believe there would be no additional fees and in the end there was. I recommend talking directly, in person, with the owner of the dealership and expressing your concern. A calm and reasonable discussion with the guy who signs the checks should handle this relatively fast.

I hope this helps and please feel free to call me with any further questions you may. I have moved to a new dealership, Kia of Fargo, and can now be reached at 701.281.9165.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan
http://www.carmandan.com
http://www.kiaoffargo.com

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The folks over at 24/7 Wall St. seem to think Kia is similar to the failed nameplates over at General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.  The only basis of this prediction is that Hyundai management will finally realize it’s expensive to maintain multiple brands and dump the weakest brand, Kia.  All I can say is, that’s it, that’s all you’ve got!

They only gave one reason the brand might go away so let me mention a few things that might lead one to think Kia plans on sticking around.

1. Hyundai owns around 39% of Kia.  That’s a nice piece of the action but hardly a majority.

2. Kia just opened a new manufacturing plant in Georgia to the tune of over a 1 billion dollars.

3. Kia has increased it’s market share in the US for 15 years in a row.  When was the last time Pontiac or Mercury could claim that?

4. Kia sales are up more than 22% over the last 12 months and Q1 profits were up 50%.

5. Kia has just added new models that are fueling it’s growth and has several more coming to market in the next 12 months.

I agree Hyundai and Kia need to be careful going forward.  A strategy to further differentiate the brands is crucial if both manufacturers are to maintain sales growth.  The good news, in my opinion, Kia is already well beyond the comparisons to cookie-cutter brands like Pontiac, Mercury, and Plymouth.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Kia is a strong brand with high quality and value that has many other car manufacturers scratching their heads.  Kia has earned a loyal base of customers and respect in the industry, it’s going to take more than a vague blog post to stall these guys out.

CarManDan

Dan Anderson

Kia of Moorhead and Fargo

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CarManDan
Dan Anderson
Car Dealer for the People serving Moorhead, Fargo and surrounding areas.

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National Tire Safety Week

Proper Tire Inflation Saves Gas

Properly inflated tires can improve fuel efficiency by 3.3 percent and save nine cents per gallon at the pump, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.  Approximately 1.2 billion gallons of fuel are wasted each year by U.S. motorists driving on under inflated tires.

Under Inflated Tires Pose Safety Risk

Under inflated tires also pose a safety risk  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that under inflated tires contribute to more than 600 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System Doesn’t Replace Monthly Tire Check

Although all new vehicles are now equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), these systems issue a low pressure warning only after tire pressure drops 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure.  In many cases, an 8 psi loss of pressure would not be enough to trigger a warning light and would cause a loss of fuel economy and could lead to a vehicle safety issue.  Even with TPMS, motorists need to check tire pressure with a tire gauge every month.

Quick Tire Care Tips

Motorists should check tire pressure once each month; check tires when cold – before the vehicle is driven and; use the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure found on a label located on the driver’s door, door post or owner’s manual.

“Checking your tires at least once a month is an easy way to improve your safety, and the safety of those on the road around you, while reducing the costs of vehicle ownership,” said John Nielsen, AAA, Director of Auto Repair and Buying Services.  ”Catching and correcting problems early, such as low tire pressure or uneven tread wear can greatly extend the life of your tires.”

Dan Anderson

CarManDan

Muscatell Automotive, your full service car dealership in Moorhead, MN proudly serving Moorhead, MN, Fargo, ND and surrounding areas.

Info provided by Kia Tire Source

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National Tire Safety Week

New survey finds 55 percent of vehicles have at least one under-inflated tire

A new survey being released for the ninth annual National Tire Safety Week (June 6-12) shows that millions of drivers around the country are failing to properly maintain their tires and are putting themselves at risk while wasting gas and money.

The nationwide survey, conducted by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), found that fifty-five percent of vehicles had at least one under inflated tire and only one in six vehicles had four properly inflated tires.

RMA is the national trade association for tire makers who manufacture in the U.S. The group worked with several tire retailers to collect actual tire pressure measurements from more than 6,300 vehicles in more than 30 cities.  (To see a map with results from individual markets, visit www.betiresmart.org.)

Best / Worst Performing Cities

The survey’s best performing cities, those with a higher percentage of vehicles with four properly inflated tires, were Honolulu, Baltimore,Boston, Providence and Charlotte.  At the bottom of the list were Dallas / Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Antonio and Birmingham.

2010 National Survey Findings

• 17 percent of vehicles had four properly inflated tires.
• 55 percent of vehicles had at least one under inflated tire.
• 15 percent of vehicles had at least one tire under inflated by 8 pounds per square inch (psi).
• 20 percent of vehicles had at least one tire under inflated by 6 psi.
• 31 percent of vehicles had at least one tire under inflated by 4 psi.

Compared to a similar survey last year, motorists showed some improvement in tire care habits.  This year almost twice as many vehicles had four properly inflated tires as had last year.

During National Tire Safety Week, RMA strives to educate motorists about the importance of proper tire care.

“National Tire Safety Week is the tire industry’s opportunity to focus on consumer education,” said Charles A. Cannon, RMA president and CEO.  ”Our industry’s top priority is safety.”

Dan Anderson

CarManDan

Muscatell Automotive, your full service car dealership in Moorhead, MN proudly serving Moorhead, MN, Fargo, ND and surrounding areas.

Info provided by Kia Tire Source

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This is the process to dispute credit report information.

Write a letter to the credit bureau informing them of the information you believe is incorrect.  The letter needs to clearly explain what you are disputing, why you are disputing it, and any facts related to the dispute.  It is also a good idea to include the following with your dispute letter:

In your letter, be certain to include your name, complete and current address, and phone number.  Send your credit report dispute letter by certified mail with return receipt requested.  This way you not only have proof the dispute letter was sent, but also that the credit bureau received your dispute and when it was received.  Keep a copy of the letter along with any enclosures sent with the letter.

The credit bureau has 30 days to investigate your dispute and respond to you in writing with the results of the investigation.  Any data you provided about the inaccuracy of the information will be forwarded to the original information provider.  The information provider is then required to investigate and respond back to the credit bureau.

Once the investigation is complete, the credit bureau will provide you with the results, along with a free copy of your credit report if the dispute resulted in a change. You can request that the credit bureau send a correction notice to any company that accessed your credit report within the past six months.

If there is inaccurate information in one credit bureau’s version of your credit report, it’s likely that the information will be inaccurate on the other two bureaus’ reports as well.  You should check all three credit reports to be sure that the information in each is complete and accurate.  The credit bureaus’ are completely independent of each other so the dispute process explained above needs to be completed for each of the credit bureaus’ reporting incorrect information.

Check back soon for Part 3 of the Improve Your Credit Series.  Click here to view previous series posts.

Dan Anderson
CarManDan
Moorhead, MN Fargo, ND
New and Used Car and Truck Expert

KIA of Fargo

Moorhead, MN Fargo, ND Used and Car Dealer

Dan Anderson

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