Fix Auto USA announced the opening of a new collision repair facility in Spring Valley, Calif., with owner Fadi Odish marking the launch with a March 13 grand opening event. Fix Auto USA has more than 200 locations across the United States as part of Driven Brands. “We’re thrilled to officially open our doors and […]
CAWA Opens 2026 Scholarship Applications for Automotive High School Teachers
The California Automotive Wholesalers Association (CAWA) is accepting applications for the Motorcar Parts of America – Selwyn Joffe Awards, which provide scholarships to high school automotive teachers to support their classroom programs. The awards are aimed at educators in California, Nevada and Arizona who often spend their own money to keep their programs running or […]
AAA Foundation Survey Finds Most Drivers Don’t Fully Understand Slow Down, Move Over Laws
More than 2,100 people were struck and killed while stranded or working on the roadside between 2019 and 2023, and a new national survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety finds that significant gaps in driver knowledge of Slow Down, Move Over laws may be contributing to the ongoing toll. The findings carry direct […]
March Consumer Sentiment Drops to Lowest Level Since December
Iran conflict and gas prices weigh on outlook. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell sharply in the final March reading, dropping well below both its preliminary estimate and the prior month as the U.S. military conflict in Iran and surging gasoline prices rattled consumers across income levels and political affiliations. The index came […]
WIN Names Painter Haylie Colby as Inaugural Founding Mothers Award Recipient
The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) has named Haylie Colby, a painter at Nuss Collision Center in East Bethel, Minn., as the first recipient of its Founding Mothers Award. The new award, announced in November, recognizes women working as technicians or painters on the collision repair shop floor — a distinction from WIN’s long-running Most Influential […]
Connecticut Appellate Court Rules GEICO Complaints Against Towing Companies Protected by Litigation Privilege
The Connecticut Appellate Court has affirmed the dismissal of claims brought by four towing and auto repair businesses against Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO) and two of its employees, ruling that complaints the insurer filed with the state Department of Motor Vehicles concerning nonconsensual towing and storage fees are protected by the litigation privilege. The […]
AASP/NJ Reports Strong Turnout at Northeast Trade Show
Thousands of collision repair and mechanical service professionals attended the 49th annual NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J., March 20-22, organizers said. The three-day event, organized by the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ), drew what organizers described as their most diverse audience to date. The […]
Australia’s NRMA Insurance Reports 15,000 Animal Collisions in 2025, a 21% Increase
Animal collisions in Australia rose 21% in 2025, with more than 15,000 claims lodged with NRMA Insurance, the insurer reported March 30. The data continues a sharp upward trend in wildlife-related vehicle damage across Australia. CollisionWeek reported in March 2024 that NRMA recorded a 34% spike in animal collision claims in 2023, when 12,880 incidents […]
March New-Vehicle Sales on Pace for Best Month of 2026 So Far
Year-ago tariff rush skews year-over-year comparison Total new-vehicle sales in March 2026 are projected to reach 1,372,877 units, an 11.4% decline from March 2025 but the strongest monthly result of the year so far, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and GlobalData. The year-over-year drop is misleading, however. March 2025 sales were artificially […]
State Farm to Consolidate 13,000 Bloomington Employees Into Single Campus by End of 2027
State Farm CEO Jon Farney told employees March 19 that the company plans to consolidate all 13,000 of its Bloomington, Ill.-based associates into its Corporate South campus at 3 State Farm Plaza by the end of 2027. The move by the nation’s largest private passenger auto insurer to shrink its physical footprint comes as the […]