Google wants its self-driving cars to prowl Nevada streets, so it’s lobbying the state’s lawmakers to make its cars legal, and also give them exemptions from a distracted driver law that forbids text messaging while at the wheel. [More]
vehicles
Ford Overtakes GM In Owner Loyalty
By 4.1.11
A cocktail of advertising, performance, customer service and social prominence leads to the elusive concept of brand loyalty. Judging from an R.L. Polk study of 5.2 million new vehicle-buying households, Ford has nailed the formula more effectively than its competitors recently, because the company has surpassed GM for the top spot it previously held. [More]
Kansas Lawmakers Consider Letting Motorcyclists Run Red Lights
By 3.1.11
Citing stoplights that run on sensors incapable of detecting diminutive vehicles, the Kansas House of Representatives passed a bill that will allow motorcyclists and riders of scooters and bicycles to legally run “dead reds.” Missouri has a similar law on the books. [More]
Are You Changing Your Car's Oil Too Frequently?
By 9.13.10
According to the consumer advice editor at Edmunds, if you bought a car in the last seven or eight years, you don’t have to change its oil every 3,000 miles. On these newer models, it’s fine to wait until 7,500 miles or more, although a Pennzoil employee tells the New York Times that you should stick with what your manual advises (which is still probably less frequent than every 3,000 miles). You can also check out this California State list of guidelines for different cars. [More]
Toyota Demands Quick Payment For Repo'd Car, Is Slow To Give Vehicle Back
By 8.2.10
Christopher came to his parents’ rescue, forking over $12,000 to Toyota to retrieve their repossessed ride. Toyota insisted it get the funds immediately, but days after Christopher’s check cleared it told him his parents might have to wait another week to get the car back. On top of that, the family is responsible for towing fees, which grow by the day. [More]
Toyota Stops Selling Lexus SUV After Consumer Reports Says "Don't Buy"
By 4.13.10
It’s a big deal when Consumer Reports awards a “Don’t Buy” rating to a vehicle, and when it announced earlier today that the 2010 Lexus GX 460 should be avoided because of safety risks, the story started popping up all over the web. Now only 12 hours later, Lexus has announced that it is asking dealers to temporarily stop selling the vehicle while it looks into the situation, and that it’s taking the Consumer Reports claim “very seriously.” [More]
GM's Money Back Guarantee Comes With Lots Of Fine Print
By 9.25.09
GM’s new 60-day money back guarantee (good through November 30th, 2009) on new car purchases sounds pretty straightforward—if you don’t want the car for any reason (it doesn’t have to be a good reason), you can bring it back. But it has a few rules that you should be aware of before your purchase, notes the Associated Press.
Mysterious Oil Change Ruins Transmission, But Walmart Won't Respond
By 9.2.09
Update: Walmart has responded!
California Is Having A Garage Sale!
By 8.26.09
This Friday and Saturday, the state of California is going to hold a massive garage sale (they’re actually calling it that) to try to get rid of surplus state property while also raising enough money to pay the bills for another month. If you’re in Sacramento you can attend the event in person. If not, you can still take a look at the things they’ve posted on eBay. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a cool car!
In The Market For A New Vehicle? Here Are The Details Of The New CARS Credit Program
By 6.24.09
Next month, the government will start handing out credits of $3,500 or $4,500 to owners who trade in low-mpg cars for higher efficiency models under the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), popularly called the “Cash for Clunkers” program. Here are the basic things you need to know to determine whether it’s worth it to you—and how to protect yourself from scammers.
Range Rover Protests Its Own Existence Outside Dealership
By 6.3.09
Sure, if you’re dissatisfied with your vehicle, you could complain to the company. You could write to Consumerist, or even start your own Web site. Or you could park it in front of the dealership that it came from, with a list of the vehicle’s flaws and a warning to potential buyers plastered on in vinyl letters. A man in Colchester, England did just that.
How Do You Get Out Of An EBay Auction? Say Killer Bees Attacked The Vehicle
By 7.25.08
Pat won an auction for an RV on eBay last week. He bid a little over $15,000 for a vehicle that was listed for sale by the RV company for $29,999 on other sites. Pat was worried that Nelson’s RV might try to find a loophole to cancel the auction since he’d scored such a great deal, so he immediately sent his required $250 deposit to them and asked for someone at Nelson’s RV to contact him. Eventually, after some run around, he got the following email—with one of the ballsiest excuses we’ve ever seen.
State Farm: This 1963 Chrysler Newport Is Not An Antique, Unless You Give It A Fresh Coat Of Paint. What?
By 7.13.08
Humphrmi’s 1963 Chrysler Newport has antique license plates, meaning he can’t drive to or from anywhere other than car shows, shops and parades; but State Farm won’t insure the car as an antique unless it gets a new coat of paint. “You have to paint the car,” they said, to avoid a 33% higher premium. Does this strike anyone else as insane?
No, You Should Not Save Money By Filling Your Rental Truck's Gas Tank With Water
By 6.28.08
Look, we know gas is expensive, but don’t save a couple bucks by topping off your U-Haul’s gas tank with water. We won’t pretend to care about U-Haul—not even U-Haul cares about their vehicles—but the next renter will want to bludgeon you with a rusty ice pick when their truck breaks down because you hosed the engine.
Beware The "MPG Illusion" When Comparing Fuel Efficiency
By 6.20.08
Sure, switching from a gas guzzler to a highly efficient (and probably much smaller) car is best for the environment, but it’s not a realistic solution for large families or people who can’t afford it. But don’t let the fact that you can’t buy a 40 mpg car turn you off of a trade up in efficiency anyway. A couple of economists have pointed out that “using ‘miles per gallon’ as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles.” Their point: if you’re driving a gas guzzler, even a small improvement in fuel efficiency can generate significant savings.
Toyota Announces Tacoma Buyback Program For Severe Rust Corrosion
By 4.15.08
If you own a Tacoma made between 1995 and 2000, Toyota would like to inspect it free of charge—and if the rust corrosion is severe enough, they will either repair the truck on their dime or buy it back as a vehicle in “excellent condition” no matter what state it’s really in. Toyota announced this a little over a month ago and said thy would start sending letters to Tacoma owners in the weeks to come, so if you haven’t received yours yet, be on the lookout for it.
SUV Sales Remain Strong In U.S. Despite Gas Prices
By 1.3.08
We guess the sort of person who wants a luxury SUV isn’t too concerned about the idea of gas approaching $3.50 a gallon in the coming months, because sales have only dropped 0.9% over the past year, reports BusinessWeek. “‘For a high-dollar car, people with that level of discretionary income can absorb gas fluctuations,’ says Brinley of AutoData.” But it’s not just the filthy rich who have SUV-fever: sales of small SUVs have increased by 22.7%.
By 12.6.07
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Ford is recalling 1.2 million vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks “because of a flaw in an engine sensor that could cause sudden stalling.” [Reuters]
