Automotive News articles from September 2004

Automotive News archives from September 2004

The road to Marysville was long and winding.(Special Report)(history of Honda Motor Co.'s first assembly plant in America)
September 6, 2004... In 1976, Honda Motor Co. executives in Tokyo leaked word to the Japanese business press that they were interested in building an assembly plant in America. The news spread quickly to the United States. Ohio officials were the first to...

Much more than motorcycles.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Back in 1979, the only Honda products built in North America had two wheels and no roofs. When the company's full-sized pickup debuts next year, Honda will be a full-line North American vehicle producer. Here's a summary of what Honda built in...

How the saga unfolded; Honda's game plan: Start small, get it right, stay nimble. The goals kept rising, and the milestones rolled by.(Special Report)(Calendar)
September 6, 2004... '79 Motorcycle production begins in Marysville, Ohio Accord sedan is introduced '80 Honda announces plans to build an auto assembly plant in Ohio '82 Accord production begins in Marysville '84 Lawn mower...

The Japanese presence.(Special Report)(Brief Article)(Directory)
September 6, 2004... * AutoAlliance International (Mazda only) Flat Rock, Mich. * CAMI Automotive (Suzuki only) Ingersoll, Ontario * Honda Motor Manufacturing of America East Liberty, Ohio; Marysville, Ohio; Lincoln, Ala.; Alliston, Ontario...

A nonissue in Wisconsin.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Russ Darrow is a U.S. Senate candidate in Wisconsin. He's also a dealer whose company relies on TV commercials to reach customers. Those roles are colliding. A new federal law bans corporate-paid broadcast advertising that "refers to'' a...

Ford prices rise slightly.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Ford Motor Co. has kept the lid on prices for its 2005 Ford Division cars and all Lincolns. Ford Division cars rose only $27 on a sales-weighted basis, according to Automotive News. The Crown Victoria and...

Infiniti redesigns M45 for 2006.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Infiniti will position its redesigned M45 sedan as a "big brother'' of the sporty G35 when it arrives in the United States next spring for the 2006 model year. Infiniti will emphasize the redesigned M45's dynamic...

Federal regulators: New lighting rules will improve vehicle safety.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Federal regulators say newly adopted rules for vehicle lighting will save the industry money and make vehicles safer. The rules cover taillights, turn signals, parking lamps and brake lights. The National Highway...

Monitors could combat oil sludge; Issue heats up at VW, Chrysler.(News)(Volkswagen)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett An inexpensive device that checks the condition of engine oil and warns the driver when it's time for an oil change could help Volkswagen of America Inc. and the Chrysler group avoid future troubles with oil sludge....

Founder's influence was felt at first U.S. plant.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Johnson Honda's Marysville, Ohio, factory was built long after Soichiro Honda retired, but the company founder played a major role in the decision to assemble cars in the United States. "He was retired, but he was still...

In some practices, Honda still stands alone.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s competitors have had 25 years to study its manufacturing operations in North America. Automakers have tried to copy some Honda practices, such as the rolling model changeover. But companies...

GM retools Epsilon for sport wagons.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jason Stein General Motors is developing a new version of its mid-sized front-wheel-drive Epsilon architecture to add a sport wagon at Saturn and possibly at other GM divisions worldwide. Company sources say GM will use the...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
September 6, 2004... * A story on Page 3 of the Aug. 30 issue misidentified Maria Cino. She is deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee.

There's more on the Web.(News)
September 6, 2004... **Online this week In our Data Center Friday, Sept. 10: * U.S. car and light-truck inventories as of Sept. 1 * Canada car and light-truck sales for August and 8 months * Customer and dealer incentives * North American car...

Analysts pound Big 3 suppliers; Production cutbacks will slash profits.
September 6, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin, Julie Armstrong Suppliers that rely heavily on Big 3 business are taking a beating from Wall Street analysts. Market watchers last week lowered suppliers' earning estimates after General Motors said it plans...

Bush offers familiar themes, few details; Big 3 get no news on health care plan.(News: George W. Bush)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer The Big 3 will have to wait to find out how a second Bush administration would fix a health care system they say impedes their ability to compete with lower-cost, overseas-based rivals. President Bush's speech at...

Fla. dealers find parts to fix hurricane damage.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett Automakers don't foresee trouble filling huge parts orders from Florida dealers in the wake of Hurricane Charley. New-car dealerships and auto body repair shops are repairing thousands of new and used vehicles...

Mercedes offers free awd on S class.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz is offering all-wheel drive as a free option on the two most popular models of the 2005 S class. The option is designed to boost sales before a redesigned model arrives in early 2006. The S...

Japan exports up in July.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Japan's new-vehicle exports in July rose 13.5 percent from a year earlier, to 450,263, driven by healthy demand from Europe and North America. Exports to Europe surged 27.4 percent to 122,195, with four of...

Mercury gets makeover.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jean Halliday Advertising Age Mercury is launching its most ambitious product assault in the 65-year history of the Ford Motor Co. brand. The carmaker seeks to overcome its image as stodgy. "We have lost a lot of customers for...

Demand for Mazda3 pumps up production.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: James B. Treece Mazda Motor Corp. plans to build more Mazda3s to meet strong demand in the United States and elsewhere. The Hofu No. 1 plant builds the Mazda3, known as the Axela in Japan, in sedan and hatchback styles. ...

Honda takes '05 Odyssey upscale.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson Honda is adding an upscale Touring model to its Odyssey lineup to attract empty nesters to the minivan. Thomas Elliott, executive vice president of automobile operations for American Honda Motor Co. Inc., says...

Judge rejects Daewoo-GM lawsuit.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jason Stein A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Daewoo Motor America Inc. against General Motors over GM's distribution of former Daewoo models in the United States. Judge Gregory Presnell said Daewoo Motor America...

They got there first: 10 memorable innovations.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell For 25 years, the auto industry has cherry-picked ideas from Honda's North American operations. Some competitors have pursued bigger versions of the ideas. Some have applied Honda's notions far beyond the Japanese...

Conversion shipments drop 33% in July.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Gail Kachadourian Shipments of conversion vehicles in July declined by one-third from the year-ago month. In all, 3,200 units were shipped. The year-over-year percentage decline was the largest since February, when shipments...

Supply line.(Briefs)
September 6, 2004... Visteon invests in compressor plant in China DETROIT - Visteon Corp. is investing $80 million in a new factory in Dalian, China. The plant will manufacture compressors for climate control systems. The plant is expected to be fully...

It looked weird - but there was method in the madness.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: James B. Treece When Honda Motor Co. began building motorcycles in Marysville, Ohio, in September 1979, it marked the start of something historic. Momentous. Revolutionary. Weird. For every observer applauding Honda's...

Suppliers to the 2005 Cadillac STS.(Suppliers)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... The Cadillac STS, redesigned for 2005, shares General Motors' rear-wheel-drive Sigma architecture with the Cadillac CTS and CTS-V sedans and SRX sport wagon. All are built in Lansing, Mich. The STS will be available with the 255-hp, 3.6-liter...

Pa. dealership faces trial in identity theft case.(Legal File)(Dunphy Nissan Inc.)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Eric Freedman A Pennsylvania dealership may be on the legal hook in an identity fraud case because its salesman allegedly misused customer financing information to help set up fraudulent credit card accounts. U.S. District...

Honda was the medicine, not the disease.(Special Report)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell When you talk about the legacy of Honda manufacturing in America for 25 years, you might as well be talking about Joe Nowak. Nowak has nothing to do with Honda - but Honda has had something to do with him. ...

Auto News Digest.(Briefs)
September 6, 2004... Waterhouse gets $2.6 million DAYTON, Ohio - Former Reynolds and Reynolds Co. CEO Buzz Waterhouse will get an estimated $2.6 million under his release agreement with the dealership technology company, according to a document filed with the...

Obituaries.(Obituary)(Obituary)
September 6, 2004... Rex Bercaw AUBURN, Ind. - Auto dealer Rex Bercaw died Aug. 10. He was 49. He owned Maxton Motors Inc. (Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac) in Butler, Ind. Ronald Updyke ATLANTA - General Motors executive Ronald Updyke died Aug....

XC90 sport wagon will test demand for V-8.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Mark Rechtin For the first time, Volvo Car Corp. will sell a vehicle with a V-8 engine. Developed and manufactured by Yamaha Corp. in Japan, the 4.4-liter V-8 engine will power the popular XC90 sport wagon. The V-8 version...

Volvo aims to play in the luxury big leagues with V-8.
September 6, 2004... Byline: Mark Rechtin Volvo Car Corp. wants to increase the prestige of its automobiles by offering a V-8 in its XC90 sport wagon and possibly other vehicles. Volvo's first V-8, a 4.4-liter, 315-hp engine from Yamaha Corp., arrives...

TRW stock drops as earnings lag; Dependence on Big 3 leaves supplier vulnerable.(Suppliers)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Robert Sherefkin TRW Automotive Inc.'s stock price is down nearly 30 percent since its initial public offering in February. Demand is growing for the type of occupant-safety products that TRW produces, but the supplier's heavy...

Audi may produce Le Mans quattro.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Jens Meiners Automotive News Europe Audi AG likely will put its Le Mans quattro concept car into production. A decision could be made before year end. Production of the two-passenger, midengine sports car could start as early...

Ford seeks labor pact at Land Rover plant.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Bradford Wernle Automotive News Europe Ford Motor Co. faces a turning point this week on whether to close its venerable Land Rover plant in Solihull, England. Mark Fields, Ford's top European executive, will meet with a joint...

Mitsubishi Canada's CEO quits; More defections, layoffs are expected at troubled automaker.(News)(Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada)(Chief Executive Officers)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson Randy Sears, CEO of Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, abruptly resigned Tuesday, Aug. 31. Sears, 51, reported to Finbarr O'Neill, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors America Inc. Many more Mitsubishi employees in North...

Design of Hummer stores causes roadblocks.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Truett Here's what dealer Jim Lynch heard when he presented General Motors' blueprints for a new Hummer dealership to his city's planning and zoning commission: "There's no way you are building anything like that around...

New methods made waves, then won respect.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Honda's decision to make cars in U.S. factories with U.S. workers was unpopular among a group that might have been expected to support it: Honda's U.S. dealers. Some dealers "complained that the anticipated...

Ford is off base in fighting Calif. on hybrid mpg.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... There is no basis for Ford Motor Co.'s complaint that California legislation giving special driving privileges to some gasoline-electric hybrids but not to the Ford Escape Hybrid discriminates against the company. The legislation allows...

Ohio says Honda incentives were a great investment.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The state of Ohio dangled lucrative tax incentives to persuade Honda to build its motorcycle factory in Marysville, Ohio. It worked. The plant was completed in 1979, and 25 years later, the state sees the benefits...

Web gives dealers faster parts updates; New software allows dealerships to keep inventory current.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel Dealers using ProQuest Automotive's electronic parts catalog no longer have to wait a month for updates on parts, service and warranty information. ProQuest has begun marketing software called Q.link that lets...

Nissan ponders small-car lineup for U.S. market.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: James B. Treece, Yuzo Yamaguchi Nissan Motor Co. is still sorting out which small car to bring to the United States. The company had said the Cube, a boxy tall wagon akin to the Scion xB, was a likely candidate. But the...

Toyota leans on dealerships to boost CSI.(Customer Satisfaction Index )
September 6, 2004... Byline: Donna Harris Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is withholding incentive awards and contest prizes from Toyota dealerships that repeatedly try to influence how consumers fill out customer satisfaction surveys. The company is...

Ghosn raises Nissan's U.S. sales goal.(News)(United States)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan Motor Co., is boosting his sales estimates for the United States. To achieve a sales increase of 1 million worldwide from fiscal 2001 to 2004, he is expecting 360,000 additional sales...

Late News.
September 6, 2004... Chrysler to appeal ruling DETROIT - The Chrysler group will appeal a court decision affecting its Jeep Liberty assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that investment tax credits awarded to the company...

Ford delays shipment of 3 new vehicles.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson, John K. Teahen Jr. Ford Motor Co. has delayed shipments of its newest vehicles at a time when its car sales are the lowest in decades and dealers are hungry for fresh products to boost sagging profits. As of late...

More pizazz for the Passat.(News)
September 6, 2004... This spy photo of the redesigned 2006 Volkswagen Passat sedan reveals a more elegant and upscale look than the current model. The rear window slopes much more - resembling the Audi A6 - and the current car's Beetle-inspired arching roofline is...

Changing the rules; Small, scrappy company reshaped the U.S. auto landscape.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell When the first Honda SUT pickup rolls off the line next year in Ontario, it won't be merely the launch of another model. It will mark Honda's arrival as a full-line North American producer and underscore the...

Branding is not for the faint of heart; The challenge is to be innovative and strong without confusing buyers.(Opinion)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Charlie Hughes, William Jeanes Here's a news flash: Branding, the device intended to set products apart, doesn't seem to be setting them apart anymore. With billions of dollars being spent on thousands of brands, brand...

'05 Sienna, RX 330 start up.(Production)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Debi Domby * Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana Inc. ended production of the 2004 Sienna on Friday, Sept. 3. The 2005 Sienna will begin production on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at the manufacturer's Princeton, Ind., plant. * Toyota...

Possible contender gets off to rocky start.(News)
September 6, 2004... Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been mentioned as a possible contender for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. But he may have gotten off to a shaky start on the bedrock of the auto industry. Addressing Michigan...

Honda's U.S. manufacturing chief: We're no transplant.(Special Report)(Interview)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell Koki Hirashima became CEO of Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. in 1998, but his involvement with the Marysville, Ohio, company goes back more than a decade. The executive, now 57, began his career with Honda...

Import curbs stimulated Honda's U.S. growth.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer When Mike Tolleson started selling cars in Wisconsin 20 years ago, he says customers who wanted to test drive Hondas "lined up like they were waiting for a ride at the fair.'' "We told them we could not be sure of...

Ohio crew blazed new trail for going global.(Special Report)(Honda's U.S. executives had extraordinary training)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Richard Johnson Honda's first U.S. manufacturing bosses didn't merely change the way cars were built in the United States. They also rewrote the book on how companies approached international operations. "To be a real-world...

Mercedes drops free maintenance.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Bucking an industry trend, Mercedes-Benz is eliminating free maintenance during the warranty period beginning with the 2005 model year. Customers who used to get free service checkups, labor and many parts...

Letters to the Editor.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 6, 2004... Mitsubishi will cut dollars, not dealers To the Editor: In the Aug. 16 issue, Automotive News ran a story about a presentation by Finbarr O'Neill, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, to the Society of Automotive Analysts in...

Auto News briefly.(Briefs)
September 6, 2004... Hey, stop talking and pass the shrimp cocktail Ford Motor Co. COO Jim Padilla just can't seem to say enough about the roominess of the 2005 Ford Five Hundred. Last month, you may recall, he said the car's trunk is so large that it could...

The challenge: Stay agile.(Special Report)(challenges facing Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has collected plenty of accolades for its North American operations over the past 25 years. "Honda just continues to amaze the industry,'' says Ron Harbour, president of Harbour Consulting in...

Michelin wins 2-tier wages at Goodrich.(Suppliers)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell A new union contract at Michelin North America Inc. will cut 20 percent of the labor costs associated with its BFGoodrich Tire Manufacturing unit in the United States and Canada. The agreement with the United...

Be careful; Big Brother is watching.(Column)(Column)
September 6, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN If you use your credit card at the supermarket, the bank may know a lot more about you than you think. The same credit card will tell the bank a lot about your gasoline purchases, too. No one has figured out who owns...

Honda develops night vision.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Yuzo Yamaguchi Honda Motor Co. has developed night vision that sends the driver a visual and audio warning when it detects a pedestrian in the dark. Intelligent Night Vision uses two infrared cameras under the headlights to...

Dealers.(People)
September 6, 2004... Milestones * Rick Reynolds and Tim Reynolds of Peach State Ford Truck Sales in Atlanta received a 30-year award from Ford Motor Credit Co. Transitions * Brooks Rogers of Rogers Dodge of Alvin in Alvin, Texas, broke ground for an...

GM cuts price of '05 Chevrolet Police Tahoe.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Rick Kranz This time, Chevrolet's Police Tahoe will have a lower price. The steep price for the 1999 Police Tahoe turned off law enforcement agencies. As a result, the high-speed vehicle stayed on the market for just one year....

Court OKs fraud suit against dealership group.(Legal File)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Eric Freedman The Minnesota Supreme Court has given the go-ahead for a private consumer fraud class-action lawsuit against a Minneapolis-area dealership group that already had settled complaints with the state attorney general. ...

'Made here' theme played crucial role in advertising.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson In 1992, Honda Division was seeking ways to reverse a sales slide on its blue-chip car, the Accord. Advertising agency Rubin Postaer & Associates conducted focus groups and discovered that some consumers were...

Hyundai Sonata's V-6 gets bigger.(News)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Peter Chang The redesigned Hyundai Sonata will go on sale in March in the United States with a bigger optional V-6, the company said here last week. The engine will displace 3.3 liters vs. 2.7 liters in the current model. ...

For most makes, August was a brutal sales month; Chrysler brand soars 32.6% amid the gloom.(Sales)
September 6, 2004... Byline: John K. Teahen Jr. Despite high rebates and end-of-model-year enticements, August was a terrible month for sales of new cars and light trucks in the United States. The total of 1,429,614 was down 12.4 percent from a strong...

Acura plays up awd on RL; Automaker makes drivetrain standard to help boost sales.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Acura Division is escalating the competition among automakers that use all-wheel drive to boost sales, especially of sporty luxury cars. Acura is making awd standard on its 2005 RL. It is the first completely new...

GM plans to reuse more parts.(News)(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Julie Armstrong In its constant search for cost savings, General Motors vows to reuse more parts in its vehicles. This will allow the company to reduce warranty costs and investments in new tooling, GM worldwide purchasing...

M-B seeks performance buyers with new SLK; Second generation has more power.(News)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Diana T. Kurylko Mercedes-Benz is moving the second-generation SLK roadster upscale with more power and a higher entry price to target performance-hungry buyers. The 2005 SLK350 starts at $46,220, including $720 destination....

Profits slide at Lincoln Mercury, Ford dealerships.
September 6, 2004... Byline: Amy Wilson Profits for Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers have dropped this year as sales for Ford Motor Co.'s domestic brands decline. Ford Division dealer pretax profits are down about 8 percent through July, division President...

Honda looked for suppliers in U.S. that shared its values.(Special Report)
September 6, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Jim Hall will never forget his first day on the job at Stanley Electric Co. Ltd. in London, Ohio. Hall was hired in 1985 as the personnel manager at the Japan-based supplier. He was one of the company's first U.S....

Much more than motorcycles.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Back in 1979, the only Honda products built in North America had two wheels and no roofs. When the company's full-sized pickup debuts next year, Honda will be a full-line North American vehicle producer. Here's a summary of what Honda built in...

The challenge: Stay agile.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has collected plenty of accolades for its North American operations over the past 25 years. "Honda just continues to amaze the industry,'' says Ron Harbour, president of Harbour Consulting in...

'Made here' theme played crucial role in advertising.(Supplement)(Honda Division)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Kathy Jackson In 1992, Honda Division was seeking ways to reverse a sales slide on its blue-chip car, the Accord. Advertising agency Rubin Postaer & Associates conducted focus groups and discovered that some consumers were...

Ohio says Honda incentives were a great investment.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Ralph Kisiel The state of Ohio dangled lucrative tax incentives to persuade Honda to build its motorcycle factory in Marysville, Ohio. It worked. The plant was completed in 1979, and 25 years later, the state sees the benefits...

The road to Marysville was long and winding.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... In 1976, Honda Motor Co. executives in Tokyo leaked word to the Japanese business press that they were interested in building an assembly plant in America. The news spread quickly to the United States. Ohio officials were the first to...

Honda was the medicine, not the disease.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell When you talk about the legacy of Honda manufacturing in America for 25 years, you might as well be talking about Joe Nowak. Nowak has nothing to do with Honda - but Honda has had something to do with him. ...

In some practices, Honda still stands alone.(Supplement)(Trim level)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Dale Jewett Honda Motor Co. Ltd.'s competitors have had 25 years to study its manufacturing operations in North America. Automakers have tried to copy some Honda practices, such as the rolling model changeover. But companies...

They got there first: 10 memorable innovations.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Lindsay Chappell For 25 years, the auto industry has cherry-picked ideas from Honda's North American operations. Some competitors have pursued bigger versions of the ideas. Some have applied Honda's notions far beyond the Japanese...

Import curbs stimulated Honda's U.S. growth.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer When Mike Tolleson started selling cars in Wisconsin 20 years ago, he says customers who wanted to test drive Hondas "lined up like they were waiting for a ride at the fair.'' "We told them we could not be sure of...

New methods made waves, then won respect.(Supplement)
September 13, 2004... Byline: Harry Stoffer Honda's decision to make cars in U.S. factories with U.S. workers was unpopular among a group that might have been expected to support it: Honda's U.S. dealers. Some dealers "complained that the anticipated...