Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrapup March 1-7, 2026

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* February new vehicle sales. February’s seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) is now being estimated at 15.8 million, near Cox Automotive’s original forecast of 15.6 million and an improvement from January’s weather-impacted pace. February sales volume totaled 1.20 million, up 8.5% month over month. The loss of electric vehicle tax credits at the end of Q3 continues to impact sales. Also, the market is slowing due to ongoing concerns about the U.S. economy and high new-vehicle prices.

* The obscure destination fee. Automakers are increasing destination charges on new cars, now averaging $1,600. Car buyers spent over $26 billion on destination charges in 2025, a fee some dealers say is a less transparent price increase. A 2023 class-action lawsuit against Stellantis alleging inflated destination charges was dismissed by a federal appeals court. Learn more about this HERE

* Gas prices. Gasbuddy.com says: While the situation develops, worth noting for U.S. consumers that they do not (at this time) forsee the national average price of gasoline hitting $4/gal anytime soon, even based on poor outcomes with the current situation. Gasoline prices in the United States jumped 7 cents to $3.32 a gallon on average Friday, the latest in a series of price increases in the week since the start of the war led by the United States and Israel against Iran.

* Used car prices. Carfax previously reported used car prices dropping low in January — normal for that time of year — and now they’re starting to see prices climb in select categories. That’s normal for this time of year; as more Americans get their federal and state income tax returns, many will use those towards their next car purchase, new or used. The prices for some segments on Carfax.com climbed in February, while others remained flat. See the report HERE

*NYC wins on Congestion Pricing. A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate New York City’s congestion-pricing program, calling them unlawful. The congestion-pricing program, the first in the U.S., went into effect in January 2025, charging most drivers $9. The MTA reported the program reduced vehicles by 73,000 daily, an 11% drop, and raised $518 million in net tolling revenue. Full update HERE

* World Car Finals. The WORLD CAR FINALS Powered by Brembo announced the Top Three in the World finalists in six World Car Awards categories. The countdown ends on April 1st when the winners will be announced live at the 2026 New York International Auto Show during an awards ceremony that is part of the show’s opening media breakfast. See the finalists HERE

* Most American brand. A new survey named Ford the most "quintessentially American brand." The "America 250" survey found Ford was the top choice for both Democrats and Republicans. Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford called for national unity in response to the survey results. Story HERE

* Subaru recall. Subaru is recalling Hybrid versions of the 2026 Crosstrek and 2025 Forester are part of a recall that includes 71,207 total models. The issue stems from a faulty seal around the fuel cap that will allow a nearly full fuel tank to leak in hot temperatures. Subaru says owners should only fill their tanks halfway until they bring their vehicle to a dealer so the existing gasket can be replaced with an improved design.

* Honda and Acura recall. Honda and Acura are recalling 65,135 Prologue and ZDX SUVs due to separate software issues impacting the reverse camera display and the instrument cluster. The recall population covers 19,573 Acura models and 45,562 Hondas all from model year 2024.

* Ford and Lincoln recall. Ford Motor Co. is ​recalling 604,533 vehicles in ‌the U.S. because the windshield wiper motor may fail, ​reducing visibility and ​increasing the risk of a ⁠crash, the U.S. National ​Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall includes certain 2020-2022 Ford Explorer, Ford Escape, Lincoln ​Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair ​vehicles.

* Detroit Ridler Award. Rex Satterfield’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air took the 2026 Ridler Award in Detroit. The Ridler Award, named in honor of Detroit Autorama’s first publicist, Don Ridler, comes with a $10,000 prize. It was awarded on the final day of this year's Detroit Autorama. More about this HERE

* Best Car Museums. Here's a list of eight car museums in the U.S. with vintage vehicles and fascinating exhibits. Look HERE

* NASCAR threepeat. Tyler Reddick won the DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), marking his third consecutive victory to open the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Tyler Reddick became the first driver in over five decades to win the first three Nascar Cup Series races of a season. Reddick drives for 23XI Racing, a team co-owned by Michael Jordan, who emphasized the difficulty of a “three-peat.” Reddick’s versatility, developed as a dirt racer, allows him to adapt to varied tracks, a skill Nascar is designed to prevent. Reddick became the first to accomplish this after winning the Daytona 500, the Autotrader 400 at Atlanta, and the DuraMAX Grand Prix at COTA. Full story HERE

* The FAT Ice Race. This high-speed motorsport event made its way to Big Sky, Montana for the first time in the event's history. The event was part of a two-day showcase held at Moonlight Basin on Feb 27 and 28. The Fat Ice Races first started in Austria in 1952, as a tribute to Ferdinand Porsche. The extreme sport had been dormant until 2019, when Porche’s great-grandson Ferdi Porsche helped the event make a return. As part of the revival, Porsche also expanded the FAT Ice races from international-only competition to include the United States. Now, for the first time, the event was held in Big Sky, featuring a weekend packed with racing and music. More on this HERE

* New NHRA Dodge Charger Drag Pak. This weekend at the 56th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Pawuk will strap into the all-new, Hemi-powered '26 Dodge Charger Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection as the latest chapter of his storied career launches on the Gainesville Raceway stage. The debut marks the first time NHRA fans will see a race-prepared version of the next-generation Dodge Charger on track. See it HERE

* F1 and the Iran war. After the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran over the weekend, the entirety of the Middle East became engulfed in military conflict. As a result, the FIA must now face the possibility of altering the Formula 1 World Championship’s schedule. F1 heads to China and then Japan in March before continuing to the Middle East, but that only gives the FIA roughly five weeks between events, meaning they have only one to two weeks at most to make a timely decision regarding the future of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. More on this HERE

* RIP. Dave Friedman, who captured the greatest years of sports-car racing in America and Europe during the golden age of the sport as part of Shelby American, has died. He was 87. Friedman was the staff photographer at Shelby American from 1962 to '65 and continued to shoot for Shelby and Ford Motor Company in the years after, covering racing action at tracks all across his native Southern California, as well as America and Europe. Friedman wrote over 30 books on automobile racing, including sports-car road racing, Formula 1, Can-Am, Trans-Am, drag racing, and stock cars. More HERE

Stay safe. Be Well.

Kind regards,
Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
The Auto Channel