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Ford Announces Free Brake-Pad Offer If Customers Stop By Dealers

These days, when you buy a new car, it's not unreasonable to expect a certain period of free maintenance to come along as well. Sometimes this is through the life of the warranty, in other cases a little less. But Ford Motor Company is going beyond those deals for at least one part of its cars. As of now, if you buy a set of Motorcraft brake pads for a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury model, you get free replacements for as long as you own the vehicle. The offer is good at Ford or Lincoln dealers and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers. "We will replace the pads for as long as you own the vehicle," said Elizabeth Weigandt to Autoblog. She did clarify that the Motorcraft pads are generally for models from the '90s or newer. Also, to take advantage of this program, a person must return to the same dealer each time to get the free parts. Of course, Ford isn't just handing out brake pads to anyone who walks by; there are certain stipulations. First, the components have to be worn down to less than three millimeters to be eligible, and the buyer still has to pay for the labor to install them. If the model is used as a fleet vehicle for commercial purposes like as a taxi or limousine, this offer also doesn't apply; the same thing for racecars. On the plus side, if you recently bought a set of pads from one of the participating locations, you're still in luck. The deal covers parts purchased as of July 1. "This program reflects our commitment to providing customers with an excellent ownership experience regardless of the age of their vehicle," said Frederiek Toney, President of Ford Customer Service, in the company's announcement of the offer. Scroll down to read the all the details.

Weekly Recap: Matthew McConaughey's star shines brightly for Lincoln

The commercials were a little strange at first, but the ensuing spoofs were hilarious. And all jokes aside, Matthew McConaughey has made a difference for Lincoln. Advertisements starring the Oscar winner launched in September, and the results have been impressive. The number of customers clicking on Lincoln.com to check out the MKC – the crossover McConaughey pitched – has tripled since the ads began airing, a spokesman told Autoblog. They also generated 4.4 million views on YouTube and spawned parodies by Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O'Brien, South Park and Jim Carrey on Saturday Night Live, which racked up another 15 million views. Most importantly, Lincoln's sales have increased 15 percent through November, helped significantly by the strong launch of the MKC. Without the addition of the MKC, Lincoln's sales would have been essentially flat last year. The MKC has received solid reviews from consumers and the press, though it has had several recalls. "The overwhelming response to the MKC campaign sparked truly great awareness for Lincoln," Andrew Frick, Lincoln group marketing manager, said in a statement. Now Lincoln has launched another round of spots, which kicked off New Year's Day during college football bowl games. This time, McConaughey is hawking the MKZ sedan and its hybrid sibling. The spots, called Diner and Balance, use the same artistic formula as the earlier ads, with McConaughey intoning seriously about the cars in dramatic settings. They were shot over two days in Los Angeles and were directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, a Danish filmmaker who directed the 2011 move, Drive. The ads continue Lincoln's multiyear deal with McConaughey, who has said he's been long been interested in the brand. He starred in the 2011 thriller, The Lincoln Lawyer, as a defense attorney who worked out of a Town Car, though that was before his deal with Lincoln. In one of the earlier ads, McConaughey claims: "I've been driving a Lincoln since long before anybody paid me to drive one. I didn't do it to be cool. I didn't to it to make a statement. I just liked it." That sentiment appears to have worked for the MKC's launch, and with this new advertising blitz, Lincoln hopes it carries over to the MKZ. Other News And Notes Infiniti Q30 spied in winter testing Infiniti is continuing development work on the Q30 small crossover, and we've recently captured it during winter testing.

Lower gas prices mean there are excellent deals on green cars right now

The phenomenon was big enough to make news in 2006, then in 2008, in 2011, in 2012, in 2013, and again last year: a big move in gas prices means a big move in alternative-fuel-vehicle sales. True Car's TrueSavings report, which averages transaction prices across the country to figure out what people are paying compared to MSRP, shows that electric cars and hybrids are ripe for excellent savings right now. The Ford Focus Electric presents the greatest disparity, with the average transaction price of $25,168 representing a 16.1-percent saving off its $29,995 MSRP. The Kia Optima Hybrid and Toyota Prius also snagged spots in the top five, with the Kia offering a 10.7-percent discount and the Toyota a 10.1-percent discount. One hybrid managed to show up among the top five lease offers, too: the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is just $315 a month for 36 months after $3,875 down in some markets. Alt-energy vehicles got bumped out of the top five finance deals, however. That was dominated by light trucks and, oddly, two subcompacts. The press release below has more details. TrueCar finds hybrids, EVs top list of best savings in January Gasoline price plunge = savings for consumers on alternative fuel vehicles SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's Focus Electric hatchback, which sells at an average of 16 percent off MSRP, tops January's list of best savings on new vehicles, according to TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. The "TrueSavings" monthly report analyzes current transaction prices and identifies opportunities for consumer savings. "Fuel savings are not top of mind to many consumers right now, and that makes this a great time to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle," said John Krafcik, president of TrueCar. "With gasoline prices now averaging just $2.10 per gallon, and vehicle preferences tied so closely to short-term gasoline prices, automakers are heavily discounting their most fuel-efficient cars to clear inventories." Toyota's Prius, the world's best-selling alternative fuel vehicle for more than a decade, also makes January's list of best savings. Customers who purchase a Prius Two model this month can save 10 percent off the hybrid car's $25,025 MSRP. "Gasoline prices and vehicle type preferences are strongly related, and this relationship is cyclical in nature," said Krafcik.