In the latest legal clash over the quality of the 3-year-old Waiea tower in Ward Village, an association of condo owners last week filed a lawsuit against the general contractor, asserting that due to various defects, the building is falling far short of promised sophistication and luxury.

While it takes a bit to muster sympathy for residents who shelled out an average of $3.6 million for one of 171 units, their apparent Exhibit A is compelling. A wavy-glass window wall fitted to the 36-story tower — touted as aesthetically “smooth and seamless … like the ocean on a calm morning” — is emitting popping noises, akin to sonic booms. Yikes.

Cloudy outlook for car dealers

The recent statistic about declining car sales can be read in various ways, none of them good news for the business. Some in the industry say it signals that the younger generation of potential buyers is not as interested in car ownership.

But the quarterly report from Hawaii Auto Outlook, which noted a 4.5% drop in sales for January-March, could be seen as a leading indicator of an economic slump in the making. And of course, a harbinger of a downturn is not good news for anyone.