Big Three, Carmaker | featured news

The carmaker has begun taking orders for the plug-in vehicle, which is expected to be at dealers in November.

Automaker says problem with a heated windshield wiper fluid system could lead to a fire.

Ford said Tuesday it would stop production of Mercury vehicles in the fourth quarter and discontinue the brand.

"The company has shed dead weight, cut down its debt and slimmed its dealer network in order to be a more healthy business, but those moves have officially knocked The General from the top 10 of Fortune Magazine's fabled 500 list."

Chrysler Group LLC lost a staggering $3.8 billion from the time it left bankruptcy protection June 10 through the end of last year, but the automaker says its fortunes have improved.

Ford said European sales rose sharply in March, lifting its market share to a 12-year high, and the company said it is pressing for continued government incentives for car buying.

Ford Motor reached an agreement to sell its Volvo subsidiary to a Chinese conglomerate for $1.8 billion.

Chrysler Group LLC says it will invest $550 million to build the Fiat 500 minicar at its assembly plant near Mexico City.

US auto sales rose in January but were tempered by Toyota Motor Corp. (TM), which suffered a sales slide late in the month from a recall that led the auto maker to halt sales of more than half its vehicles.

Ford, the only U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy court, clawed its way to a $2.7 billion profit in 2009 and expects to stay in the black in 2010. It was the automaker's first annual profit in four years.