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Everything is more expensive now, and that includes car repairs. Labor shortages, parts and supply chain disruptions, and inflation have collided, creating a perfect storm of high maintenance costs for car owners. NetCredit, a personal loan and financing company, recently released its findings for the most expensive and least expensive states for car repairs, and the numbers are discouraging but not all that surprising.
Among the less fancy, but nevertheless critical safety systems on your car are your taillights. Anyone who's seen a car with their lights off at night understands how extremely hard it can be to see such a car. And that's why it's important that NHTSA and Ford are recalling 2022 to 2024 Ford Mavericks — 242,669 of them — after discovering examples with taillights not working.
Take it from someone who has done even just a small amount of automotive paint work, it's a time consuming process and thus one that can be pricey to do right. As such, you want to avoid problems with it, from paint that easily chips to clearcoats that start peeling, because it's a pain to fix. Consumer product testing and advising publication Consumer Reports tracks issues with paint as part of its vehicle surveys, andit ranked the 10 vehicles with the most paint problems, so you have an idea of what models to be particularly wary of. They're listed below
In this era of rampant inflation and high interest rates, the challenges of acquiring a car or SUV have been well documented. And so it has never been more important to protect that expensive investment by maintaining it.
One of the first questions potential buyers ask about hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and EVs is, “How long will my battery last?” Naysayers always quote the steep battery replacement prices as a reason to steer clear of electrified vehicles, but a recent study from Recurrent and data compiled by the government shows that you might not have to worry. This week’s Energy.gov Fact of the Week noted that plug-in hybrid batteries have shown striking resilience after the 2015 model year, with a tiny number of replacements outside of recalls.
Buying a car can be fun and bring a lot of freedom, but things can go sideways when it comes time for repairs. Some car brands are better than others, however, and Consumer Reports recently ranked the least- and most-expensive brands for owners to repair. There are few surprises on this list, but the cheapest new car and the runner-up might come as a shock. Tesla and Buick were the cheapest new car brands to maintain and repair over 10 years, followed by Toyota, Lincoln, and Ford.
Car maintenance has got to be one of the least fun things you can do with your free time, right behind going to the dentist and filing your taxes. However, depending on the brand you buy, your time spent at the shop could be much more than you bargained for. Consumer Reports’ new study on the most- and least-expensive-to-maintain car brands found that European car companies are most likely to break your wallet with costs nearly five times that of the automakers at the other end of the spectrum.
A new form of sticker shock has hit American car buyers like Darin Davis.
With technological advancement, car locks have gotten much more convenient. Now, rather than put a key in a cylinder to unlock your car, you can press a button, or even just walk up to the car with a fob or phone in your pocket. With that extra tech, though, comes extra complexity, which means it's not as easy to pinpoint the issue when something goes wrong.