VIN Decoders: The Ultimate Assistant in Combating Automotive Fraud

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December 10, 2024

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The automotive market is big and dynamic, but it has also brought a number of challenges. Fraud has been increasingly becoming a concern, particularly in the used car market, where buyers are always at the mercy of so many deceiving practices. As a critical tool in fighting fraud, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) decoders have armed consumers, dealers, and law enforcement agencies with the information needed to make safe and informed decisions. These tools do not allow any hidden secret to remain unexposed in the VIN of any vehicle and ensure transparency with trust in an otherwise complex market.

Understanding the Role of VIN Decoders

A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique 17-character code assigned to every vehicle during manufacturing. This code contains vital information about the vehicle, such as its origin, make, model, engine type, and production year. Beyond its basic data, the VIN also serves as a gateway to uncover a vehicle’s history, including previous ownership, accident records, and potential odometer tampering.

VIN decoders, such as those provided by Vininspect.com, offer a user-friendly way to access and interpret this critical information. By simply inputting a VIN, users can receive a comprehensive report that reveals the car’s past, helping them avoid costly mistakes and fraudulent deals.

The Benefits of VIN Number Lookup

The VIN lookup is a significantly important tool in the way of accessing every vehicle’s full history and all specifications for complete transparency with confidence in an automotive transaction. By deciphering the distinct VIN of a particular vehicle, some information that buyers will have obtained includes data on the year of issue, model description, engine characteristics, and record of its involvement in crashes, title status, and more that may be required. This approach helps buyers be aware and avoid fraud or other deceitful activities associated with odometer tampering, title washing, and uncovered damage. It also ensures that the sellers provide the correct information for a good relationship between the buyer and the seller. Additionally, VIN lookups help in finding recall notices and sourcing compatible parts for maintenance. With reliable, comprehensive data, VIN Number Lookup is an invaluable resource for buyers, sellers, and automotive professionals alike.

How VIN Decoders Protect Against Automotive Fraud

Fraud in the automotive industry runs the gamut from title washing to rolling back the mileage to selling stolen or salvaged vehicles without disclosure. In that sense, VIN decoders serve as a very important line of defense against these deceitful practices by bringing clarity and accountability.

1. Detecting Odometer Fraud

One of the most prevalent frauds within the used car market is manipulation of the odometer reading to reflect lower mileage. This may considerably raise the market value of the vehicle, since buyers are not aware of the wear and tear that might have occurred. A VIN decoder exposes inconsistencies in mileage records by comparing data from various sources for complete assurance of buyers about the actual condition of the vehicle.

2. Identifying Salvaged and Flood-Damaged Cars

Most vehicles that have been declared total losses by insurance companies because of accidents, floods, or other forms of damage often find their way back onto the roads, repaired and sold without disclosure. A VIN decoder will give detailed information on the title status of a car, including salvage or rebuilt titles, helping buyers avoid cars with structural problems.

3. Exposing Title Washing

Title washing is a form of fraud whereby the damage or salvage history of a vehicle is cleaned by simply re-registering the vehicle in another state. VIN decoders draw records from national databases, making it impossible to mask this information from sellers.

4. Preventing the Purchase of Stolen Vehicles

A car buyer purchasing a stolen car risks dire legal and financial consequences. VIN decoders check databases for any reported theft of the vehicle, ensuring its ownership history is legitimate without any form of crime.

Why VIN Decoders Are Essential for Dealers and Professionals

The usefulness of VIN decoders is by no means limited just to independent used vehicle buyers; much more massive automotive dealers rely on fleet managers and/or industry personnel who want and need the same confidence in their everyday operations-being clear. Selling anything with existing unreported problems as a given line may seriously cast a gray image into that dealer’s existence and entail possible liability to boot. Thanks to being connected online, these solutions can support the professional intent of authentication over condition, putting their product straight and offering them peace in doing so on behalf of customers.

The fleet managers also use a VIN decoder to keep records about all of their vehicles for compliance reasons and to optimize scheduling of maintenance. These tools make insights smooth and reinforce the overall reliability of an enterprise’s automotive assets.

The Technological Backbone of VIN Decoders

VIN decoders have their basis in advanced algorithms that are continuously perfected by comprehensive databases to provide as accurate and reliable information as possible. It would draw from government records, insurance companies, manufacturer databases, and other forms to give it an all-rounded look at the history of any vehicle.

While the modern VIN decoding platforms like Vininspect.com push this technology one step further by offering user-friendly interfaces, instant results, and detailed reports, seamless access to critical data empowers users to take swift and confident action in what is very often a fast-paced market.

The Future of VIN Decoders in Fraud Prevention

The schemes of fraud get more and more sophisticated, and so do the ways to catch them. Future VIN decoders will involve advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and blockchain. AI-driven systems will further enhance data accuracy and the detection of patterns of fraud with more precision, while blockchain’s immutable records provide a tamper-proof method of storing vehicle histories.

With the upsurge in connected and autonomous vehicles, VIN decoders will also serve as a keystone in software update verification, performance monitoring, and conformance to safety standards. The position of VIN decoders will be further cemented in safeguarding consumers and the automotive industry against fraudulent activities.

Conclusion: VIN Decoders as the Ultimate Fraud Prevention Tool

The VIN decoder has grown to become the buyer’s and seller’s close ally in this world filled with fraud possibilities in automotive; they grant the opportunity of investment security, accountability, and assurance of peace of mind for the owner.

With each advance in technology, so too are VIN decoders constantly raising the bar on the bad guys to ensure a much safer and more credible marketplace for automotive. These are not options but essential requirements to tackle tangles in vehicle deals.

The 2025 Ford Mustang GTD Claims the Title of America’s Fastest Car Around the Nürburgring

By

Zach Butler

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December 10, 2024

Meet the first American production car to lap the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes.

There’s a reason folks call it the ‘Green Hell’ — the Nürburgring Nordschleife is not a track for the faint of heart, and nor is tackling the 12.94-mile circuit an easy challenge for serious performance cars with the most seasoned drivers at the helm. Nevertheless, Ford has spent the past several months hyping up the new Mustang GTD, a $300,000-plus, 815-horsepower track weapon as one of the fastest cars it’s ever built. There’s a new record to back up the claim this week, as the American-made performance monster lapped the Green Hell in 6:57.685.

It’s a major milestone for any American production car, let alone Ford’s gnarliest Mustang to date. The automaker spent months going after that time, with rainy conditions temporarily setting back its efforts in August. After things cleared up, though, Multimatic Motorsports driver Dirk Müller was able to make three runs and snag the stock production sports car record. Keep in mind, as that title points out, this is a factory GTD that is street legal, on top of being insanely expensive. It’s the fifth-fastest production car around the Nordschleife (the longer ‘North Loop’), the sixth vehicle to ever break the seven-minute barrier, and the fastest American production car to do it.

Despite breaking a record for U.S.-built production cars, Ford CEO Jim Farley said this won’t be the last we’ll see of the supercar-beating Mustang on the Nürburgring. “We’re proud to be the first American automaker with a car that can lap the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, but we aren’t satisfied. We know there’s much more time to find with the Mustang GTD. We’ll be back.”

Ford published a 14-minute documentary called ‘Road to the Ring’, documenting some of the journey in preparing the most expensive, most powerful Mustang ever to take a run at the 6 minute, 57.685 second run. For reference, that time shakes out just ahead of the Porsche 911 GT3’s time (6:59.93), though the GT3 with the Manthey Performance kit managed a quicker time (6:55.737) than the GTD, and the GT3 RS is significantly quicker (6:49.328), as is the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (6:48.047), and the GT2 RS with the Manthey Performance kit is still in a completely different league (6:43.300). So, you can see where Farley and his team are coming from on not being satisfied — they clearly have the Germans locked in their sights.

If You Don’t Want An Electric Dodge Charger, You Can Still Buy a Brand-New V8

By

Zach Butler

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December 9, 2024

Are you yearning for a slice of the old days? There are still new 2023 Dodge Chargers for sale.

Before Dodge officially pulled the plug on both the Charger and Challenger late last year, folks all over the Internet bemoaned the death of the Hemi V8 engine from their beloved muscle cars. No more thunderous exhaust notes, no more 717-plus horsepower…just a new wave of electrons (and a twin-turbo inline-six, as if that soothed any troubled waters). As the folks over at CarScoops point out, however, there’s still a chance to pick up a brand-new, rip-snorting V8 example of either car, if holding on to a slice of Dodge’s history and V8 Americana means that much to you.

Head over to Dodge’s retail website, and you can lock down any model you choose, and see how many are available. Nationwide, there are 2,083 brand spanking new 2023 Challengers sitting on lots. If you’re of the four-door persuasion, you can pick up one of 2,223 available Chargers. Now, not all of those vehicles are V8s, granted — but once you narrow that down, there are still more than 2,600 cars to choose from between the two models beloved by Mopar enthusiasts (1,232 Chargers and 1,836 Challengers) . Better yet, it offers an alternative if you aren’t willing to bite the bullet and shop for a new Ford Mustang.

Remember, before their demise Dodge built four different versions of the Hemi V8, depending on which model you’re shopping for. The base R/T is the least potent, with its 5.7-liter engine putting out 375 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. That’s still plenty of grunt for most folks out there. Above that, the Scat Pack offers the big Hemi 392: a 6.4-liter engine with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. Then, there are the big boys with the SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye models.

The “standard” Hellcat is sure as hell no slouch, offering up 717 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque. The Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye ups the ante to 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque, which is definitely more than enough to roast some rear tires. Amazingly, though, even the Redeye is remarkably composed when you’re in a spirited mood, so long as you aren’t a complete idiot on when and where you put your right foot down.

Sadly, enough folks have snapped up the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to where none of those particular models are still available new. That said, at last you can still get the standard Hellcat, at least for now.

Depending on which car you go for, you can still prepare to pay some big bucks, especially for the higher-end Hellcats. Some are carrying an eye-watering asking price of $162,836…which probably explains why they’ve been sitting this long in the first place. You’ll have to be mindful of dealer markup, because that is still an issue, even several years removed from high watermarks set in 2021-2022.

The point is, however, that there are still some V8 Dodges out there waiting for owners. And if you aren’t buying into the age of electric Chargers or even the Sixpack with the High Output 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged I-6, well…you know what to do.

Nissan Is In Trouble — And So Is Infiniti As the Luxury Brand Prepares To Merge Some Standalone Showrooms

By

Zach Butler

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December 9, 2024

(Images: Infiniti)

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, has struggled to make sales in recent years.

It’s certainly no secret that the automotive industry faces turbulent times, and Nissan made headlines in recent weeks and months for its precarious financial position. The company’s CEO recently said that the automaker is in “emergency mode”, and another executive reportedly said it has “12 to 14 months to survive”. Unsurprising, then, that Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti, is tightening its belt as demand drops off and dealers struggle to profit from the brand’s standalone showrooms.

Although it has poured some resources into freshening up its QX60 and QX80 SUVs, Infiniti continues to struggle in the U.S. market. Through the third quarter of 2024 (ending September 30), dealers moved just 42,567 vehicles. That’s down by more than half from where it was five years ago, with each of the brand’s 198 U.S. dealers selling 215 vehicles (on average) over the first nine months of the year — or roughly 24 vehicles each month. Among luxury brands, it’s seen the steepest decline, even taking into account the auto industry’s pummeling during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, as the saying goes, and Automotive News first broke news of the move to merge some standalone Infiniti showrooms with Nissan stores. It’s a stark contrast to rivals like Genesis, which is expanding its standalone showroom presence across the country.

Under a wider shared location model, Infiniti dealers would share the same physical address and lot space with Nissan, but still have separate entrances, floor space and sales/service teams. The whole point of separating into an entirely separate building or lot entirely independent from the mainstream brand is a distinctive identity, however — and this co-mingling has some worried Infiniti’s brand cachet could diminish even further.

Naturally, we’ll have to wait and see what effect this move has on Nissan’s financial woes, both in the short-term and as part of a restructuring strategy that will keep both Nissan and Infiniti going in the longer term.

Ask Nathan: Range Extended vs All-Electric Pickups, and Anger Over the Remaining Manual Transmission Options?

By

Nathan Adlen

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December 8, 2024

In this week’s Ask Nathan:

Range extending (PHEV) or all electric pickup trucks?
Hating the lack of manual transmission choices.

The first question comes from the same Mopar fan from last week who is curious about range extending vs all-electric pickup trucks.

Q (Via Twitter/X @NathanAdlen) RE: Second question – why not just get a range extending pickup instead of an all electric pickup?

Ok Nate, here’s my next question. The Ram Ramcharger seems to be the smartest choice for people who want range and need to be green right? Why would anyone get a all electric pickup without the range extender? If you want to stay in the game you need to make a good case for a big battery. The best way is to make it more about the ability of the truck and less about the green-ness.

— Hugo CC

A: Greetings (again) Hugo!

I thought, given the tidal change in consumer desire, that your second question is timely. In addition, I totally agree. In my opinion, the addition of range-extending tech makes a lot of sense for consumers. We’re at a point in time where the tech is usable, and if we focus on this tech, it could filter down to less expensive markets.

For those of you who may not know, range-extending tech goes back over 100-years. Think of a range extender as a generator powered by gasoline. It runs at a fairly low, and consistent rpm to power batteries. Using little fuel, and having no mechanical attachment to the powertrain (only the electric motors are stressed), the gas engine won’t go through the torture a normal gas-powered vehicle would put it through. In addition, electric motors are a proven technology, and they tend to be pretty robust.

I added a Vinfast Wild concept pickup to this post (above) because it just might find its way to the market.

I know it sounds like it’s a waste of two types of energies, but it can be rather effective. The Chevrolet Volt proved this.

It’s true, an all-electric pickup has very few moving parts, and only uses electricity. They are less complicated, (technically) easier to produce, and they should be less expensive for the consumer. When battery tech and manufacturing drop in price, electric pickup trucks could become bargains. That all depends on the near future, and the development of better battery tech.

On the other hand, having an extended range, or even a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) eliminates many barriers. Think of the Jeep Wagoneer 4xe as an example of a PHEV, which means the vehicle is still reliant on the engine to provide power to the wheels, in addition to the electric motor. It’s effective, but not as efficient as a range-extending EV.

Right now: two trucks are heading to the market with range extending tech – in our market. The aforementioned Ram Ramcharger, and the Scout Terra. The optional “Harvester” system adds a small generator to the Scout Terra and Scout Traveler for an extra 150 miles of range. Judging by the positive reception by consumers, other automakers will adopt this tech.

Personally, I think Nissan (with its partnership with Mitsubishi) should prioritize a powertrain like this for a midsize pickup – which could completely change the game.

– N

The last question comes from a fan who responded to last week’s post about the Dodge Charger Sixpack having no option for a manual transmission.

Oh yes, you still get a six-speed manual transmission, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com) – Killing manuals sucks!

I know you like a stick shift and so do I. Why do people insist on driving boring cars when a manual can make the drive fun? My past five cars are manual and my son drives a Jeep Gladiator with a manual. NONE OF HIS FRIENDS WANT TO BORROW IT BECAUSE THEY CAN’T DRIVE IT!!!!!

What a great reason for owning a stick right man? Who still even makes cars that are stick shift?

— KenDont1980

A: The list for manual transmissions in new vehicles is dropping year-by-year.

This year, for 2024, there are 17 automakers selling manual transmission vehicles. As of the 2025 model year, that will drop to 14 automakers. With the cancellation of the Camaro – Chevrolet is out of the game. In addition, (this one truly hurts) Mini has dropped the manual transmission from all of their offerings.

Look, I hate this too. A huge majority of my vehicles have been equipped with a manual transmission. I love the control and connection I feel when stirring my own coffee. Sadly, the reality is that less than 2.5% of automobile sales in the United States are manuals. Oddly, the percentage has actually gone up a bit over the years, but not enough to make much of a dent in sales.

Some experts feel that manual transmissions will be completely extinct within a decade.

These are the remaining consumer-market automakers that sell manual transmissions in one or more of their vehicles.

Acura
BMW
Cadillac
Ford
Honda
Hyundai
Jeep
Lotus
Mazda
Nissan
Porsche
Subaru
Toyota
Volkswagen

p.s. to make things even worse – only one of these automakers offers a manual transmission in a pickup truck. That would be Toyota, offered in the Tacoma. Jeep dropped the manual Gladiator in 2025.

— N

Honda Recalls 205,000 Pilot and Passport SUVs Because of Fuel Filler Defect

By

Zach Butler

-

December 6, 2024

An issue in the manufacturing process could trigger a fuel leak in certain Honda Passport and Pilot SUVs.

Honda recently notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of its intent to launch a voluntary recall of 205,760 of its midsize SUVs to fix a production issue with its fuel neck tube and filler pipe setup. The incomplete connection between the two pieces could lead to separation, find an ignition source and trigger a fire, particularly in the event of an accident.

Specifically, the problem affects the 2023-2024 Honda Passport SUVs built between February 15, 2023 and May 13, 2024; as well as 2023-2025 Honda Pilot SUVs built between February 14, 2023 and May 8, 2024. Both vehicles are manufactured at Honda’s Lincoln, Alabama manufacturing plant.

According to documents the automaker submitted to the agency: “During installation of the fuel pipe assembly, an out of sequence process prevented the fuel neck tube and fuel filler pipe from forming a complete connection.” That, in turn, creates a “fuel system integrity issue” that brings vehicles out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), apart from creating a potentially dangerous situation for owners, their passengers and other motorists alike.

Honda says it received its first warranty claim for the issue on May 13, 2024, when a dealer caught the problem during a pre-delivery inspection for a new vehicle. Over the following week, the company found six more vehicles in its warehouse inventory with a similar problem of an incomplete connection between the two pieces of the fuel filler system.

As of November 21, there has been one warranty claim related to the problem, but no accidents, injuries or deaths. The recall report notes 1% of vehicles are estimated to have the defect. However, that is just an estimate, and all affected vehicles will need to at least have the fuel filler setup checked by a dealer technician.

How will Honda solve the problem?

Honda says it will mail out recall notices to impacted owners on January 6, 2025. It has already notified dealers as of this week (December 3).

The remedy does not include actually replacing parts, as the issue is from a loose connection during the manufacturing process. Dealer technicians will check to see whether the two pieces are connected as snugly as they should be, and tighten them if needed so there’s no latent risk of a fuel leak. Most vehicles in the recall population should still be under warranty, but Honda will repair the problem free of charge regardless.

You can check whether your Passport or Pilot is affected through the NHTSA’s recall page, or Honda’s recall site. The campaign you’re looking for is either NHTSA recall number 24V-900 or Honda recall designation OKM.

Italian Auto Parts Maker Proma Group Swoops In To Save Recaro Automotive

By

Zach Butler

-

December 6, 2024

A beleaguered Recaro Automotive has been rescued thanks to an Italian parts company’s financial investment.

On Thursday, Italian parts outfit Proma Group signed an agreement to take over Stuttgart-based Recaro Automotive GmbH, securing its short-term future after the storied seat manufacturer filed for bankruptcy earlier this summer.

Proma’s financial investment into Recaro Automotive will allow the company to continue its operations in a transitional phase, with the Italian company retaining at least some of Recaro’s employees in the process. Thursday’s official statement states Proma will keep employees from the sales and technology teams on the payroll, and work to relaunch Recaro products in Europe in January 2025. “Our investment in Recaro Automotive will strengthen our ability to deliver a premium seating product while embracing the most cutting-edge innovations in the automotive sector,” Proma Group CEO Luca Pino said of this latest development.

For clarity, it’s worth noting that this investment deal specifically affects the German Recaro Automotive entity (Recaro Automotive GmbH). Recaro Automotive’s U.S. and Japan-based businesses were not impacted by the insolvency proceedings that began in July, and will continue to be unaffected as Proma digs in to the operations in Stuttgart.

While the company was originally founded by Wilhelm Reutter in 1906, Recaro has been through a few changes in ownership in recent years. It was last sold in 2020 to Detroit-based Raven Acquisitions. The current entity is technically not under Recaro Holding (which controls interests in aircraft seating as well as gaming seats). Instead, the larger Recaro Group licenses the Recaro name out to the Recaro Automotive seating business — the company that’s now under Proma Group.

At the moment, it’s unclear exactly how much money Proma Group is funneling into Recaro to reboot its European operations. The bankruptcy proceedings did reportedly affect OEMs like Ineos, which had to pause production of its Grenadier SUV and Quartermaster pickup due to a supply issue. However, Ineos never specifically named Recaro as the supplier in question. It’s since announced it will restart operations in January, which is the exact same time Proma will start up Recaro’s operations in Europe (convenient, considering the Grenadier/Quartermaster are built in France).

Hyundai Takes a Bold New Direction With the 2026 Palisade SUV

By

Zach Butler

-

December 6, 2024

Love it or hate it, Hyundai’s new styling direction is much more distinctive than past generations.

A few weeks after the automaker revealed its electric Ioniq 9 SUV to the world, we’re now getting our first glimpse of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade as it debuts in South Korea Friday. Much like the brand’s other new models over the past little while, this new Palisade is far more distinctive than the first-generation — and even that was a massive improvement on the fairly bland and anonymous family SUVs the company’s built over the last couple decades. But from the tiny Kona to the new Santa Fe, the Ioniq 9 and now this, it’s clear that Hyundai is looking to make a bolder styling statement with its model lineup moving forward.

So, what can we expect from the 2026 Hyundai Palisade when the SUV makes it stateside? One aesthetic trend that’s all the rage these days is a return to the boxier sort of design languages we saw with past sport utilities. To that end, the new Palisade gets an almost completely upright (and huge) grille, as well as equally beefy-looking headlights and daytime running lights. Apart from just being squarer than its predecessor, the lights integrate into the lower fascia design, which itself works around that large five-slotted grille.

The 2026 Hyundai Palisade does keep the relatively smooth side profile from the current model, though there are more squared-off elements along the A-pillar where it meets the roof, and at the D-pillar coming back down to the tailgate. Hyundai seems to have a fixation on bolder and bolder looking lights, and that shows through at the rear as much as it does at the front. The idea there is to make the car unmistakable at, though the automaker did hold back from a horizontal light bar connecting the lights at either end. Arguably, that gives this family SUV a bit more of an elegant touch that isn’t quite as in-your-face as some of its rivals. This Korean model shows new, intricate 21-inch wheels that look right at home on a luxury SUV.

Inside, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade looks much more upscale — and similar to the Ioniq 9.

As for the interior, the Palisade adopts a new sort of wrap-around dashboard design, housing new infotainment displays and other styling elements fairly similar to its electric Ioniq 9 stablemate. The company’s new three-spoke steering wheel makes another appearance, as does the column-mounted gear selector that continues to make its way through Hyundai’s whole model portfolio. Fortunately, and unlike some of its key competitors, the 12.3-inch displays are actually fairly tame (especially alongside luxury SUVs), and you still get a raft of physical controls for both the HVAC and media systems.

Moving back to the floating center console island, you get a few USB-C ports, ample-looking cupholders and a wireless charging pad. While the passenger doesn’t get anything super fancy like an extra screen, it looks like they do get a shelf to hold small items outside the lower storage area on the center console, and the typical storage beneath the armrests.

In the Korean market, at least, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade can actually seat up to nine passengers, with a bench seat on the front row. It’s unclear whether that will actually make its way to the U.S., but we’ll definitely still see a seven- or eight-passenger configuration depending on whether you want captain’s chairs on the second row.

What will power the 2026 Hyundai Palisade?

Hyundai tends to show off its new models in South Korea before we get a solid idea of what the U.S. market will get, and that includes a conspicuous lack of technical details. So, we now know what the new Palisade looks like and some quality-of-life features…and that’s about it.

Right now, the only powertrain available for the Hyundai Palisade is a 3.8-liter naturally aspirated V6 putting out 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. The automaker offers hybrid and even plug-in hybrid versions of its smaller Santa Fe and Tuscon SUVs, so it would make some sense for their three-row offering to get some of those options as well. Still, we’ll have to wait and see.

We’ll also have to wait to know more about 2026 Hyundai Palisade pricing. The current model starts at $38,215 (for the base SE), while the top-end Calligraphy goes for $52,015, or the blacked out Calligraphy Night trim is available for an even higher $55,515. You can absolutely count on this new model getting more expensive — most likely starting over $40,000 and possibly touching the $60K mark. Hyundai has continued to offer front-wheel drive variants to keep the MSRPs down a bit, but if it does decide to go with standard all-wheel drive like some rivals, that will naturally raise the barrier to entry as well.

Understanding the Role of VIN Decoders

The Benefits of VIN Number Lookup

How VIN Decoders Protect Against Automotive Fraud

Why VIN Decoders Are Essential for Dealers and Professionals

The Technological Backbone of VIN Decoders

The Future of VIN Decoders in Fraud Prevention

Conclusion: VIN Decoders as the Ultimate Fraud Prevention Tool

Meet the first American production car to lap the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes.

Are you yearning for a slice of the old days? There are still new 2023 Dodge Chargers for sale.

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand, has struggled to make sales in recent years.

In this week’s Ask Nathan:

Q (Via Twitter/X @NathanAdlen) RE: Second question – why not just get a range extending pickup instead of an all electric pickup?

A: Greetings (again) Hugo!

I know it sounds like it’s a waste of two types of energies, but it can be rather effective. The Chevrolet Volt proved this.

Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com) – Killing manuals sucks!

A: The list for manual transmissions in new vehicles is dropping year-by-year.

These are the remaining consumer-market automakers that sell manual transmissions in one or more of their vehicles.

An issue in the manufacturing process could trigger a fuel leak in certain Honda Passport and Pilot SUVs.

How will Honda solve the problem?

A beleaguered Recaro Automotive has been rescued thanks to an Italian parts company’s financial investment.

Love it or hate it, Hyundai’s new styling direction is much more distinctive than past generations.

Inside, the 2026 Hyundai Palisade looks much more upscale — and similar to the Ioniq 9.

What will power the 2026 Hyundai Palisade?

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