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GM won't pay owners of recalled cars for lost value

Kenneth Feinberg, the man in charge of the General Motors compensation fund dealing with the its widespread ignition switch woes, has issued an informal, two-letter response to the plaintiffs in more than 70 lawsuits seeking redress for lost resale value of their Cobalts: "No." The cases were recently combined into one, but Feinberg told The Detroit News that the fund will deal "only with death and physical injury claims," and that "perceived diminished value" will get no consideration.
ALG, the firm specializing in establishing residual values, determined that Cobalt owners had lost $300 compared to the segment competition and doesn't envision any long-term effects from the recall situation. Feinberg's statement comes in advance of public details on how the compensation fund will work and adheres to GM's long-held position on the matter. The company has already asked a judge to throw out such suits using the pre-bankruptcy defense, even as it stopped using that defense in cases of injury and death.
With plenty of potential gain from the GM suit, however, don't expect the plaintiffs to give up yet. When Toyota was sued for the same reason during the unintended acceleration debacle, it eventually settled the case for between $1 billion and $1.4 billion just to get it over with. Since the 85 law firms involved in the Toyota litigation took home more than $250 million of that total, we shouldn't expect the attorneys to give up on a GM payout, either.

GM reworking mandatory OnStar plans for some 2024 models

For the 2023 model year, GM added its OnStar and Connected Services plan as standard equipment to a large number of Buick, GMC, and Chevrolet vehicles. Folding the $1,500 retail price into the MSRPs of models like the GMC Acadia and Buick Encore plumped up prices beyond the usual year-on-year bumps. Looks like there's a reversal in play for 2024, GM Authority reporting that many of the models fitted with OnStar and Connected Services — now called OnStar Premium — will step down to three years of OnStar Remote Access standard.   OnStar Remote Access comes with these features: Remote key fob, vehicle locate, and remote personalization through mobile and in-vehicle apps. Three additional features can be added to the plan: OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle hotspot, and Super Cruise. Owners can also upgrade to OnStar Premium if they choose.  Higher trims like Buick's Avenir and GMC's Denali, plus the GMC Hummer and the Cadillac Escalade will retain OnStar Premium as standard equipment. That suite starts with Remote Access and adds: Automatic crash response, stolen vehicle assistance and recovery, OnStar Guardian, in-vehicle app access, unlimited streaming, three years of Super Cruise on vehicles with the hardware, and six months of SiriusXM radio. The Escalade puts a cherry on top with three years Sirius XM instead of six months. The Remote Access plan normally charges $14.99 per month. We're not sure yet if GM will subtract the cost of OnStar Premium from the MSRP and add the $540 for OnStar Remote Access, or if the trial period comes free of charge. Even if that's what happens, the change could take nearly $1,000 off the MSRP of a car like the GMC Acadia before any 2024 increases. We'll know more as the 2024MY models roll out and prices are announced. Related Video 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir revealed

Autoblog's top 50 car photos of 2016

This one shouldn't need much explanation. We like cars a whole lot, and that includes not just driving them but taking great pictures of them. We've collected our 50 favorite images from this year in the mega-gallery above. It's a mix of old and new, with a healthy dose of vintage and modern race cars mixed in, and not one single shot under the harsh lights of an auto show. So click through and enjoy. Featured Gallery Autoblog's Top 50 Photos of 2016 View 50 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2016 Autoblog.com Audi BMW Chevrolet Dodge Ferrari Ford Lamborghini Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Volvo Convertible Coupe Motorcycle Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Supercars Classics