Take out the keys, throw open the garage, gas prices may soon end their wallet-busting ascent. Analysts armed with charts and calculators think gas prices may camp for the rest of the year around the $3 mark. Of course, hurricanes or explosions can wreak havoc on estimates and refineries, but barring interference from terrorists, careless workers, or Mother Nature, the worst may be over. From the L.A. Times:
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Beware Nationwide Locksmith Swindle
By 7.20.07
Takeaway: AAA membership has perks. Or, consider taking a few to find a locksmith with a good local word of mouth and putting their number on your cellphone. The fire department can unlock cars, but only if it’s on fire or there’s a baby trapped inside. And of course, try not to lock your keys in your car.
Resolving The Insurance Woes Of Optimus Prime
By 7.10.07
This “LETTER TO OPTIMUS PRIME FROM HIS GEICO AUTO INSURANCE AGENT” from McSweeney’s strikes an all-to-familiar note. Poor Optimus.
Hybrid Mileage Claims Spur Lawsuit
By 7.7.07
A California man shocked that his Honda Civic Hybrid’s gas efficiency didn’t match EPA estimates has decided to file a class action suit against Honda for false advertising. John True spent an extra $7,000 on the hybrid model after seeing advertisements that claimed average city fuel efficiency of 49 mpg. True was horrified to discover that after 6,000 miles of driving, he only averaged 32 mpg.
The lawsuit claims American Honda Motor Co. has misled consumers in its advertisements and on its Web site. The suit notes that while the Environmental Protection Agency and automobile window stickers say “mileage will vary,” some Honda advertisements read “mileage may vary.” That implies that it’s possible to get the mileage advertised, said William H. Anderson, a Washington, D.C., attorney for True.
By 7.6.07
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Man blogs effort to get Kia car that randomly turns off while driving it returned under Oregon lemon law.
Now This Is A Car Salesman
By 6.28.07
A guy walks into a dealership and wants to buy a $30,000 truck for $19,900, according to this blog entry by car salesman, “Bloodraven” (pictured). The mark gets with one salesman but then calls over to a second salesman he’s bought from a few years ago. Now the second salesman has to sell the truck for the first salesman. Read how salesman #2 fends off the seemingly unstoppable customer’s quest for a deal with a good jerk of the patriotic heartstrings…
Automakers Offer Unadvertised Incentives To Recent Graduates
By 6.23.07
Recent graduates shopping for a new car may be eligible for incentives offered by several automakers. The incentives are rarely advertised, unknown even to most dealers.
Credit Card Companies Limit Gas Station Purchases
By 6.16.07
Thanks to gas prices reaching $4 per gallon and credit card limits on the dollar amount that can be spent at gas stations, some consumers now need more than one credit card just to fill up their tank.
“When I go to the gas station, I now have to use two credit cards just for one tank of gasoline,” said Paul Brisgone of Oxford, Pa. “Kind of defeats the convenience of pay-at-the-pump.” Brisgone, a field operations manager for a telecommunications company, said that he alternates among three credit cards when filling up the 32-gallon tank in his Ford F-150 pickup.
If you see a Hummer owner futzing with several credit cards at the pump, it’s because they are hitting the $75 limit set by MasterCard, or the lower $50 limit used by Visa and Discover. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Great Moments In Commercial History: Augusta Express
By 6.13.07
Reader and commenter JPropaganda is responsible for this week’s GMICH: “I have this week’s classic commercial moment,” JPropaganda says,”Shazaaaam!”
Crash Test Your Car!
By 6.8.07
Ever wanted to see what your car would look like if a dummy drove it into a wall (a dummy other than the cousin who borrowed your car for a joyride)? Admit it, you think about it when you get a lousy trade-in price. Thankfully, there’s the Consumer Reports Crash Test videos, where you can see how your car will hold up against things like short concrete walls and other typical objects found along a highway.
Should Automakers Be Required To Install Stability Control Systems?
By 6.4.07
A California lawsuit is accusing GM of negligence for not including a stability control system as a standard feature on the Chevrolet Suburban. The lawsuit stems from a 2002 rollover involving a Suburban that killed a woman and her stepdaughter. GM paid the stepdaughter’s family almost half a million dollars to settle out of court.
“The safety benefits of stability control have been known to auto manufacturers since the mid 1990s,” Avila said. “But they delayed implementing because they felt that safety was not marketable, so instead of installing on the SUVs that needed it most because of their rollover problem, they put it on luxury SUVs and cars as a performance item.”
The federal government will require the inclusion of stability control systems by 2012, but GM will offer the systems on all models by 2010. Should automakers be required to install stability control systems? Tell us in the comments. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
AAA: The Number One Waste Of Gas Is…
By 6.3.07
Running the air conditioner on full blast, keeping the trunk full, and idling excessively are all great ways to waste gas; but, the number one waste of gas may surprise you:
The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the average driver can improve mileage by 3.3 percent simply by inflating their vehicle’s tires regularly. In fact, according to the AAA, under-inflated tires are the No. 1 way we waste gas. One out of every four cars and one out of every three pickups, vans, and SUVs have at least one extremely low tire.
Next time you pull into a gas station, whip out the old tire gauge and see if your tires need some air. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Like A Good Neighbor, State Farm Wants To Steal Your Money And Send You To Jail
By 6.2.07
Greg writes:
Why Is Gas So Freakin' Expensive?
By 5.29.07
Did you know that gas price gouging almost never occurs as prices rise? Rather, it’s most often when dealers keep prices artificially high even as their costs fall.
Insurers Cut Out The Middleman, Open Own Repair Shops
By 5.27.07
Insurance companies are opening their own in-house repair shops to avoid haggling with your local mechanic. Local mechanics consistently complain that insurance companies are cheapskates that would rather save a buck than authorize the repairs needed to safely return a car to the road. By opening their own shops, insurers have found the corporate equivalent of sticking your finger in your ear while mouthing “I can’t hear you!”
Rather than putting the onus on customers to find a body shop, get an estimate and arrange a rental car, Progressive, Geico and others are setting up one-stop service centers to handle every aspect of the claim.
Progressive and Geico guarantee their repairs for life, though it’s difficult to trust someone who has a direct interest in keeping the repair bill low. Two customers interviewed by the Times found obvious defects in the insurance companies’ workmanship. Still, the customers left happy, not because their cars worked, but because they were treated well by smiling insurance company representatives. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Cellphones Are Kryptonite To Nissan's I-Key
By 5.26.07
Our pocket holds two things: our keys and our cellphone, so it’s a good thing we don’t own a 2007 Nissan Altima or Infinity G35. The intelligent I-Key used to start those models can be turned into a paperweight if placed within an inch of an active cellphone.
Dollar/Thrifty's Unwritten Rule For Mechanics To "Find" Problems Covered By Warranty And Bill The Manufacturer
By 5.24.07
An unverified reader report has an interesting claim that should grab the attention of every auto-maker. Dudes, Dollar/Thrifty Group car rental is totally ripping you off.
10 Confessions Of A Progressive Insurance Rep
By 5.22.07
A former Progressive car insurance customer service rep has stepped forward into the light to give us the low-down on how his ex-employer works: [More]
