It’s no secret that every DMV office is like a relocated bit of Soviet Mother Russia on U.S. soil, or that the people who work there really do talk and act like Patty and Selma. SmartMoney lists 10 other things that may not be as well known, though. For the most part, the list is light on advice and heavy on anecdote and scandal—but there are still a few good lessons to be learned from it. They include: visit the nondenominational dmv.org before you go; don’t ever buy vanity plates (especially ones that announce you’re a female); and flood-damaged cars, which are dangerous to drive, are being fraudulently sold as “used” via unscrupulous dealers who take advantage of lax DMV title rules, so always “screen the car’s VIN through the free database at carfax.com/flood.”
cars
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How one blogger bought a used minivan without borrowing a dime, just straight-up cash on the barrelhead. [No Credit Needed]
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Home Automation 64 Zone Wireless Receivers (failure to receive security signal), Toyota Siennas (faulty door lock).
1/3 Of South Florida Gas Pumps Failed State Accuracy Tests
More than a third South Florida’s gas station pumps have failed the state’s accuracy test in the past three years. An analysis of state inspections reveals that slightly more than half of the broken pumps err in favor of the consumer. The state inspects all pumps every 12-18 months.
The Sun-Sentinel analyzed state inspection reports from 2004 to 2006. The analysis found 580 of more than 2,500 stations in South Florida had at least one pump dispensing more gas than customers paid to purchase, while 477 provided less fuel than they should.
25 Safest Cars Of 2007
These are the 25 cars you’re least likely to die in, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Picks 2007. They do front and side crashes at high speeds. They see how much of a crick in the neck you get after being hit in the rear. One thing that stands out is that cars with optional electronic stability control are getting good grades.
Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars
Here’s the top 10 most fuel efficient cars, according to the 2008 Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy’s fuel economy guidebook, published this Saturday. Prius tops the charts.
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Nitrogen in your car tires can marginally reduce air-loss, just don’t use it to replace regularly checking tire pressure. [ConsumerReports]
Progressive Apologizes, Sort Of, For Leaving Customer Stranded Last Weekend
We’ve received a follow-up email from Chuck, who has spent the better part of the week trying to determine why Progressive’s Roadside Assistance service—for which he pays an additional monthly fee on top of his normal insurance premium—sucks so badly that they’d leave a motorist stranded for 45 minutes on a busy Interstate on a weekend morning.
Progressive Roadside Assistance Strands Lady On Roadside
According to a reader, Progressive—the insurance company that sends private detectives to secretly tape-record church support group meetings—took 45 minutes this past weekend to put a live person in contact with a woman who was stranded on a busy Interstate in Nashville after a tire blew out on her car. Eventually, a Tennessee Department of Transportation officer stopped and helped her.
Predatory Tow Trucks Steal, Sell Cars To Junk Yards
Predatory Tow trucks are prowling about Florida, looking to gin up extra cash by hauling perfectly good cars to salvage yards. The tow truck operators make up to $100,000 each year by preying on seemingly abandoned cars. By the time the rightful owners start asking questions, their cars are already cubes.
Investigators say salvage yards aren’t held responsible as long as they get the proper paperwork.
Should Car Insurance Rates Be Based On Your Credit Score?
For a decade now, all the major auto insurers have used a customer’s credit rating to some degree in determining premiums. They claim that it results in lower rates for “most” customers, and that the data prove that people with lower credit scores make more claims and for higher amounts. The FTC released a report this summer that validated the practice—but also confirmed an unpleasant truth critics have been saying for years: because a higher percentage of Hispanics and African-Americans have low credit scores, there’s a good chance they’re disproportionately affected.
Unable To Overcome Stain Of Breaking Into Mentally Disabled Customer's Home And Stealing $70,000, Dealership Closes
Remember that Seattle used car dealership that broke into a mentally disabled customer’s house and stole $70,000, and turned out to have a history of on the job drug-use, shady tactics, and abusing mentally handicapped customers? Seems the new owners were never able to overcome those little besmirches on its good name and the dealerships are closing. Huling Bros, consider this your auto de fe.
Pep Boys Apologizes For Bilking Customer Over Tire Warranty Replacement
After sending a complaint via Executive Email Carpet Bomb, Arnie says the Pep Boys Vice President of Service called him and has apologized and refunded all his monies.
Beware The Tow Truck Pirates
This ’05 KNBC investigation uncovered a rogue industry of pirate tow truck drivers in Southern California. A system of spotters kept watch for any driver who left the premises attached to a parking lot, and got paid $25-50 for calling in targets. In some cases, drivers were gone from their cars for less than 15 minutes.
Are Manual Transmissions Still More Fuel Efficient Than Automatics?
For drivers in everyday situations, a manual transmission is not likely to provide any difference in fuel economy over an automatic transmission. The reason is that to achieve the optimum fuel efficiency a driver has to execute shifts at precise engine rpms (revolutions per minute). Given the challenges of city driving conditions, most drivers won’t be able to realize greater fuel economy with a manual gearbox.
Michael Vick Sued For Not Paying Car Loans, Bank Repossesses Cars
Vick signed loan agreements as the CFO of Divine Seven, which bought at least 130 vehicles, including many Kia Spectra and Ford Taurus cars, through 1st Source Bank loans, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in South Bend on Wednesday.
