The Cobalt Group Releases Enhanced Toyota National Parts Locator; Comprehensive Parts Program Offers Daily Locator File Updates

SEATTLE--Sept. 30, 2003--The Cobalt Group today announced that Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. and Cobalt have renewed their Toyota National Parts Locator (TNPL) agreement and enhanced the TNPL -- powered by Cobalt's PartsVoice suite of products and services -- with daily locator file updates.

TMS endorses the Toyota National Parts Locator to its U.S. dealer network to effectively enable same-day parts location for Toyota dealers, their wholesale customers (mechanical and body shops) and their retail customers. Nearly 700 Toyota dealers subscribe to the Toyota National Parts Locator and complete approximately 200,000 parts locator inquiries every month; the newest version of PartsVoice will include daily parts inventory updates for every participating dealership.

"For the past six years, Cobalt's PartsVoice has proven to be an essential tool for helping Toyota National Parts Locator dealerships provide exceptional service, drive higher customer satisfaction and attract new customers," said Kevin Distelhorst, Vice President of PartsWorks for The Cobalt Group. "Cobalt's PartsVoice is taking the Toyota National Parts Locator to the next level by leveraging IntegraLink, Cobalt's industry leading data collection division, to provide daily customer file updates, assuring the most timely and accurate locator information in the industry."

Brendan Epper, Parts Manager of Neil Toyota in Lynbrook, N.Y. says the Toyota National Parts Locator is an important part of his operation. "With the Toyota National Parts Locator my fill rate is always great. Our technicians are always provided with the parts that they need and productivity stays up to pace."

According to a recent survey of PartsVoice subscribers, dealers most appreciate the ability PartsVoice gives them to easily find parts and to sell them to a broad audience. The results indicate the average Toyota dealer recognizes a $1,300 increase in monthly parts gross profit by using the PartsVoice locator. According to those same dealers, PartsVoice also helps them boost service technician and parts personnel productivity and increase customer satisfaction and loyalty while decreasing idle inventory and service department carryovers.

Cobalt's PartsVoice provides an open network for dealerships to market their available parts inventories via Internet, phone and modem-to-modem connectivity. Toyota dealerships can market their inventories to other Toyota dealers, mechanical service facilities, body shops and individual do-it-yourself customers. PartsVoice helps dealers build a more efficient and profitable parts and service business. Dealerships can subscribe by contacting a Cobalt sales consultant by phone at 866-598-4082.

About The Cobalt Group

The Cobalt Group (www.cobaltgroup.com) works exclusively in the automotive retail market developing integrated e-business programs that help manufacturers and dealers increase their profits and operational efficiencies. Cobalt offers a broad range of products and services, including enterprise software; customer relationship management (CRM) applications; e-commerce applications; the industry's largest OEM parts locating and marketing service; and e-business best practices training and consultation. Cobalt's network includes 12,000 franchised dealers and more than 72 of the 100 largest dealer groups. Cobalt is the only software technology provider ever endorsed by 18 manufacturers and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).