U.S. automobile sales continued to improve in 2011 after a 30-year low in 2009, and economists expect the numbers to keep climbing this year.

We're reporting on car sales around the Triangle this week. Are you in the market for a car now? Did you buy a car in the past few months? We'd like to hear from you by email.

What kind of car you did you buy, or what are you looking for in your next car?  Why that car -- and why now? Don't forget your name and daytime contact number!  Thanks.

- John Murawski and Bruce Siceloff, The N&O

North Carolina car dealers submitted $78.6 million in rebate claims under the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program.

Nationally, the vehicle trade-in program spurred 690,114 claims worth $2.88 billion, the Department of Transportation reported today.

The program, which ended Tuesday, offered buyers discounts of up to $4,500 to trade in older cars and trucks for more fuel-efficient models.

The program boosted auto sales, providing a rare bright spot for car makers and dealers. But some dealers complained of delays in receiving reimbursements and stopped participating early.

"Car Trouble," a new report from the Durham-based Center for Responsible Lending, says North Carolina car buyers are mistreated by some "predatory" auto dealers who finance their auto loans.

The advocacy organization endorses House Bill 1223, sponsored by Raleigh Rep. Dan Blue, which targets practices the group calls dealer kickbacks, "yo-yo" scams and loan packing.

A spokesman for the state’s new-car dealers called the legislation unfair and the center’s report “horribly misleading.”

Here's how the Center for Responsible Lending describes these practices: ... [MORE]