Car Revival Program Keeps Rural Families At Work
Thursday, November 20th, 2008Taking old cars, repairing them and giving them to needy families is a fairly straightforward idea, and it has immediate affects on their lives and the local economy.
Archive for the ‘Repairs’ Category
Taking old cars, repairing them and giving them to needy families is a fairly straightforward idea, and it has immediate affects on their lives and the local economy.
A Balanced View Of The Right-To-Repair Debate
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008Don't even think about reading this story unless you're deeply concerned about the intricacies of how the service industry will look after your vehicle and how it might affect its reliability and your costs.
GM Tells You Not To Spend So Much On Service
Saturday, November 8th, 2008In an effort to stop consumers paying for more on service work than they have to, General Motors has outlined some "auto care myths" to bear in mind. You have to think that any company that offers advice has an agenda that involves gain for them, but it's hard to ...
Ignoring Car Recalls Can Often Put You In Danger
Thursday, November 6th, 2008Even when a recall notice from the manufacturer sounds mundane, the little problem can sometimes be the tiny spark that ignites a huge blaze, and we mean that literally as well as figuratively.
Small Cars Usually Mean Bigger Insurance Premiums
Monday, October 27th, 2008If you're thinking of going to a smaller car to save money on gas, you could end up paying more for insurance and that could wipe out the fuel economy gain. Most importantly, you'd be paying more for insurance because the smaller cars are likely to cost the insurance companies ...
Nine iPhone Apps For Your Car Have Various Uses
Monday, October 27th, 2008It's hard to imagine that anyone with a car and an iPhone couldn't use at least one of these software systems.
Less Is More When It Comes To Car Care
Monday, October 27th, 2008The important thing about servicing your car is that you strike a balance between doing too little and doing too much. The former could end in disaster, but the latter can cost you more money than required.
Car Crash Gives Miss Wisconsin New View On Insurance
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008Miss Wisconsin is unable to fulfill her duties because someone with no insurance crashed into her car, leaving her without any funds to pay for the repairs to get it back on the road.
You Should Use The Emergency Brake When Parked
Sunday, October 19th, 2008Most people don't bother uses the emergency brake when parking, but that could be setting them up for trouble or extra cost in different situations.
Consumer Group: Auto Repair Fraud Can Threaten Lives
Thursday, October 16th, 2008The message these folks (they're a fairly heavyweight group of people) are delivering here is sort of semi-sensationalistic because not all fraudulent auto repairs can put your life at risk, but some can and a lot more of them can cost you big money. This is advice you'd do well ...
God Throws A Brick At Jaguar And Its Driver
Monday, October 13th, 2008A blog about how to live you life and what's important and what isn't.
How One Family Dealt With Less Insurance To Save Money
Saturday, October 4th, 2008You can save money on your car insurance by reducing your insurance coverage to a basic level that covers damage to other cars, but that could put you at risk of having no coverage if your own car is wrecked. This family's story describes the issues involved.
Bad Gasoline Can Cause Engine Repair Problems
Saturday, September 27th, 2008The best way to avoid problems with bad gas is to stay away from "off-brand" stations (those that don't have a national name) that may charge you a few cents less a gallon. If you get a bad batch, it could cost you hundreds to repair the damage. This problem ...
Court Case Puts Carfax Value In Doubt
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008Thanks to a lot of really, really bad advice on the internet and from established writers who should know a lot better, too many consumers think a clean bill of health from Carfax or a similar firm means a used car is free of damage or other concerns. Well, that's ...
Can Feng Shui Stop Cars Crashing Into House?
Friday, September 19th, 2008To prevent another car crashing into her house, a Dallas woman addresses the negative energy she long ignored with some Chinese therapy.
Insurance Issues If Your Car Hits A Large Animal
Friday, September 12th, 2008If you live where the possibility of a collision with a deer or moose is significant, you might want to take a few minutes and check your insurance coverage before the fall mating season sends those poor beasts out onto the highway. Hitting an animal that large can do extensive ...
Small Car Fender-Benders Cost Thousands To Fix
Friday, September 5th, 2008You don't have to be going very fast in a small car to do a lot of damage, a study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) makes clear. For example, if you hit something (like the wall in a parking garage) with the rear end of a Prius ...
Single Moms, Widows Get Free Car Repair
Thursday, September 4th, 2008A faith-based organization has set up a program to help needy women get car repairs that can keep them on the road.
Police Warn Of Another Car Scam To Avoid
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008The scam artists keep coming up with new ways of cheating motorists but fortunately the method of dealing with it remains the same, as this article explains.
Should We Arrest The Automotive Service Industry?
Monday, September 1st, 2008Well, Theodore P. Olson (Ted) certainly thinks we should, and he has a great long list of reasons to support the idea. The trouble is, it's pretty hard to understand his case with any clarity, as you'll see when he visit his blog. For example, he notes that "You strength ...
A Woman Talks About Going Into Auto Service
Monday, September 1st, 2008Fixing cars for a living is still overwhelmingly a job done by men, but when a woman does move into auto service it seems to work out well. It certainly did for this young woman in Connecticut.
What To Do If You Buy A Really Bad Car
Sunday, August 31st, 2008Cars that have endless problems are called "lemons" and there are programs pretty much everywhere in the US designed to help the consumer if she gets one. This story provides a general overview of the situation and a link to the various agencies involved.
Less Maintenance Means More Breakdowns
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008The AAA is reporting an upsurge in calls to help drivers with broken cars and is ascribing this situation to the fact that more people are ignoring regular maintenance items to save money so they can afford gas. Some people are even ignoring the famous "check engine" warning light, often ...
Buying New Can Be Smarter Than Repairs
Friday, August 1st, 2008This angry screed comes from a woman near Ottawa, Canada, but the lesson she learned about how it might make more sense to buy a new car than have an old one repaired applies everywhere.
Ford Says Parts To Fix Cruise Control Now Available
Thursday, July 24th, 2008"The Ford Motor Company says the parts needed to fix the fire-prone speed control system in millions of Ford cars and trucks are available at dealerships around the country. "Affected customers should contact their dealer to schedule a service appointment to have final repairs completed," according to the automaker's Web site."
Reduce Chances Of Auto Repair Ripoffs
Thursday, July 24th, 2008While finding an honest auto technician is never guaranteed no matter how much research you do, there are ways to minimize the danger that you'll be ripped off.
Dodgy Practices At Auto Repair Chain
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008California newspaper The Modesto Bee has a report today on the State's Department of Consumer Affairs and how it's seeking disciplinary action against the owner of 22 Midas auto repair shops. It states "After a three-year investigation, the state Department of Consumer Affairs announced Monday that it has found inappropriate practices ...
Hybrids And Small Repair Shops
Monday, July 21st, 2008"Rising fuel prices have been a headache for consumers, but the cost of gas has done wonders for sales of hybrid vehicles. It might also signal hard times ahead for some smaller auto repair shops. At least one expert predicts half of the independent repair shops in the nation could be ...
Satisfaction With Service Departments On The Rise
Saturday, July 19th, 2008"Vehicle customers say they like their dealerships' service departments more this year than last. And that may be a silver lining for dealers--most of whom are seeing less revenue from new-vehicle sales, warranty and routine service. According to J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service Index, a yearly study in its ...
Preventative Maintenance Is Important
Saturday, July 19th, 2008Arizona's AAA regional office reports that it has received an increased number of call outs even though fewer trips are being made due to people delaying preventative vehicle maintenance. "The vast majority of vehicles that required tow service were taken to automotive repair facilities, including the AAA-owned auto repair facility in ...
Vehicle Maintenance And A Church
Friday, July 18th, 2008Shari Braendel, at A Beautiful Place, writes about the church she is thinking of joining. "Every 6 weeks, this sunday school class provides free oil changes and car checkups to single moms and widows of all ages. The men from the class and other volunteer mechanics check cars and maintain them ...
Woman Losses Cool With Mechanic
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008"A Flowery Branch woman admitted to Channel 2 that she lost her cool over the repair of her car's air conditioner. Cathy Parks is accused of firing a gun up in the air and driving off in the auto repairman's truck. The incident happened at a repair business on Carter ...
Brake Safety
Saturday, July 5th, 2008The Car Enthusiast at Car-Spin has an informative post today on brake safety. He starts his post: "A lot of cars have been involved in accidents because of brake failures, one leading indicator is the feel of the brake pedal, so if your car pulls left or right when braking, ...
Vehicle Repairs On The Increase
Thursday, July 3rd, 2008ABC has a short post, and segment, on the trend of people taking their cars in for repairs instead of buying a new vehicle. The report starts "While auto makers are hurting, auto mechanics are seeing a strong increase in customers." Also, Business Week had a story on two websites that ...
Dealers Vie For Auto Service Profits
Monday, June 30th, 2008There's a story in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger about dealerships upgrading their repair centers. They are doing this to improve customer service and satisfaction but also to boost their profits. The article states "But with new car sales plummeting - the average dealer lost money on new cars in 2006 ...
