Auto Warranty News

Many motorists don’t realize that a little bit of routine maintenance can keep you free of expensive car repairs.  And most maintenance takes no more time than refilling the fluid for your windshield wipers.  Here are a few tips to help keep drivers safe and free of trouble.

Make sure to change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.  However, you should check your oil at least once a month.  You want the oil line on your dipstick to be between the marker lines.  If the oil looks dirty or black, it is time to have it changed.

If you’re having trouble shifting gears you are probably having transmission problems.  Check the level of the transmission fluid to determine if it is low.  Low transmission fluid could indicate a leak.  You should refill it with the lubricant your car recommends.  If you see leaking on your driveway take your car to a mechanic.

Also, check your coolant levels.  You should have your radiator flushed every two years and change your coolant.  In addition, make sure your radiator is corrosion free.

Finally, check your tire pressure every two weeks.  Consult your owner’s manual for the correct pressure, and fill your tires accordingly.  Remember, both overinflation and underinflation affect safety and fuel efficiency, so it is important to maintain tire pressure.

These simple maintenance tips can keep you from having major, costly repairs.  However, it is important to purchase an auto warranty because you don’t want to be faced with unnecessary expenses down the road.

College students who live a long distance from their school find it hard to commute on a daily basis.  It can be tough to wait for a bus, as well as time consuming.  Having a vehicle can help a great deal in this situation.  But students are usually tight for cash, so they need to get auto loans for students.

Students must plan their budget well.  Purchasing a pre-owned vehicle is a great option for students because they are cheaper than new vehicles.  Of course there are other expenses, such as insurance, maintenance, used car warranties, and fuel that come along with car ownership.  So, it is necessary to consider these factors when calculating the cost of buying a car.  Car loans for students are designed so that students can repay them without problems.  Loans such as these are offered through banks and financial companies.

Students with bad credit are even eligible to apply for car loans for students; however, their interest rate will be high.  To make the interest rate lower, students can arrange to have a co-signer.  Auto loans for students are considered secure because if the student can’t repay the loan, the lender will take the car, and sold to recover the loan amount.

If you’re purchasing a pre-owned car you need to find out as much history as possible about it.  The car may have problems that are not apparent from a visual inspection or a test drive.

A car history report is a good way to find out what you’re getting.  This is a report prepared by a third party that is a compilation of information from DMVs, RMVs, and other sources.  A car history report will give you an overview of what the car has been through.

When getting a car history report look out for the following things.  This is not to say that you shouldn’t buy the car based on these issues, but certainly ask questions.

If a car has had a lot of owners, chances are it hasn’t been cared for lovingly.  These cars have probably endured more abuse.

Some areas of our country are easier on cars than others.  For example, extreme winter conditions are tough on vehicles, as are flood areas and extreme heat.

Make sure the name and description of the car match up with the actual car.  Read the description carefully to avoid vehicle fraud.

Car history reports, such as those from CARFAX are comprehensive and can save you from purchasing a lemon.  Also, to protect yourself, purchase an auto warranty to avoid unnecessary expenses down the road.

Automakers have been redesigning vehicles so that they are stronger than ever.  They have achieved this by using lightweight materials, allowing cars to be more fuel-efficient. This technology makes vehicles more durable, cutting down on road service calls.  Also, it is saving numerous lives.

The only disadvantage to these new, stronger materials is that rescue workers are having a difficult time cutting into vehicles that are mangled from wrecks.

According to experts and rescue officials around the nation, vehicles designed with safety measures, such as reinforced steel, are creating a challenge for rescue workers to get motorists out of cars.

One answer to this problem is investing in rescue equipment that is better.  Heavy-duty cutters are necessary to release motorists.  A cutter such as this from Hurst costs approximately $25,000.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it is well worth the tradeoff of tougher cars because many lives are saved.  In fact, the rate of fatalities for passenger cars is lower than it has ever been in history.  Consumers are becoming more concerned with car safety features and are protecting themselves by purchasing new car warranties.

There have been several Front Range companies who have been trying for years to improve upon auto batteries.  For them, John McCain’s offer of $300 million to the developer of the battery responsible for leapfrogging electric and hybrid vehicles was very enticing.

Allowing vehicles to run on batteries instead of engines would reduce the consumption of gasoline and cut down on our country’s oil dependency.

However, the batteries aren’t cheap.  In fact, a lithium-ion battery is tens of thousands of dollars, and its technology hasn’t even debuted in a commercial car.  This is why consumers may want to invest in a good auto warranty.

Even without McCain’s prize, there are plenty of incentives to improve batteries.  People are already putting a great deal of money into researching and developing batteries because technology is in high demand.

However, the U.S. needs to urge for additional battery research because China, Korea, and Japan have already forged ahead.

With the improvement of battery technology, people will soon forget the days of dead batteries and calls for emergency roadside assistance.  Instead, batteries will be associated with electric and hybrid cars.

If you’re looking to buy a cheap used vehicle, you might want to look on the Internet.  One website that is a great place to start is Car-Auction.com.  This is an auction website featuring seized vehicles by the government.  Consumers can select what type and model of vehicle you are looking for, as well as the price.  Results will appear within a few seconds.  This is a lot more convenient than attending an automobile auction and waiting to see if the car you want is up for auction.

When you are looking to buy a cheap used vehicle follow these simple tips.

The most difficult part of the process is finding a quality car that you would like to purchase.  People make the mistake of buying a car because they like the way it looks.  You need to get the full history of the vehicle before making an agreement.  Also, get the VIN of the vehicle and do a search of the number through a local agency.  You want to get the vehicle inspected by a professional.

An online auction is a great place to buy a used car. However, beware.  To protect yourself, do your homework to get a good buy and make sure to purchase used car warranties.

Often motorist get sticker shock or experience buyer’s remorse after buying a new car.  However, you can avoid this by considering the expenses that you will encounter in the future.

According to experts, most consumers anticipate the price of the purchase, registration and taxes.  However, many people forget to factor in the price of insurance and new car warranties.  Fortunately, by doing your homework you can get good deals on insurance and an auto warranty.

To control car costs drivers should consider these tips.  First of all, decide before you get to the dealership the amount of money that you can spend.  Also, decide on what type of car will suit your needs. It is also beneficial to get quotes from several dealers, because then you are in the position to negotiate.  Finally, check insurance and auto warranty prices on the vehicle that you want to purchase.

You don’t have to go broke purchasing a new car.  But, be smart and consider all of the costs involved.  It isn’t just the purchase price that you will be paying.

Americans need to take action immediately to help the nation’s economy improve and bring back American jobs.  Americans have purchased 11 million foreign vehicles over the last 10 years.  That is equal to about $25.5 billion exported out of the U.S. economy.  Buying American cars with an auto warranty would improve the economy greatly.

It seems that Americans have become numb to the on-going announcements that the “Big Three Auto Makers” are cutting jobs and closing plants.  This year alone, Ford Motor Co. announced that they were closing three plants and cutting more jobs.  Chrysler Motors had to close three plants and cut approximately 12,000-15,000 jobs.  GM announced a loss of $11.8 billion in the first quarter of 2008, which is its second largest loss ever, and also had to close plants.

Over the last 10 years American cars have improved greatly in quality.  In fact, J.D. Powers has recognized that American cars have had substantially higher improvement in comparison to their foreign competition.  It’s time for Americans to change their way of thinking and buy American cars.  And consumers can always rest assured that they won’t be paying unnecessary costs if they have new car warranties.

Here is some information that parents hate to hear: the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested booster seats for safety and found that 13 models out of the 41 that were tested rated so poorly in the area of seat belt fit that they aren’t recommended by the IIHS.  Parents try to do everything possible to keep their kids safe, such as maintaining their cars with the addition of an auto warranty and buying safety seats, so this news is unfortunate.

According to Adrian Lund, the IIHS president, the 13 seats not recommended don’t provide kids with the full benefit of an improved lap belt fit.  She claims that these boosters may make children more comfortable, but they don’t allow seat belts to be positioned in such a way that provides optimal protection.

The IIHS puts out a reminder to parents that booster seats aren’t intended to provide extra crash protection; instead they allow for a better fit and make the seat belt more effective.  Seat belts were designed with adults in mind and until a child is 4 feet 9 inches tall, they won’t fit correctly.  An efficient booster seat reroutes the seat belt across the bony parts of a child’s body and away from the abdomen, which is a vulnerable injury area.  However, the IIHS did say children are better off riding in any booster seat, rather than unbuckled.

Here are the tested seats that aren’t recommended:

• Cosco/Dorel (Eddie Bauer) Summit
• Graco CarGo Zephyr
• Compass B505
• Compass B510
• Evenflo Generations
• Dorel/Safety 1st (Eddie Bauer) Prospect
• Cosco/Dorel Traveler
• Cosco Highback Booster
• Cosco/Dorel Alpha Omega
• Evenflo Chase Comfort Touch
• Safety 1st/Dorel Intera
• Safety Angel Ride Ryte backless
• Evenflo Big Kid Confidence

The United States House of Representatives recently voted to add additional funding of $2 billion to the Cash for Clunkers program. The vote in the House was 316-109.  The bill will be voted on by the Senate next week.

At first, there was a $4 billion allotment for the plan, and later it was reduced to $1 billion.  Problems came about when car dealer organizations began telling the government about the backlog of trade-in deals that were unprocessed and exhausted the funding by the program.

The House quickly took an emergency vote in order to add additional funding to the Cash for Clunkers program before the August recess.  Lawmakers were concerned that the program was going to run out of funding and therefore leave auto dealers with broken down clunkers and government IOUs.  Nobody really knows if the program is going to remain as-is with the cut off date of Nov. 1 intact.

Since the bill passed and the White House is assuring the Cash for Clunkers program, it’s pretty safe to say that people can go out and buy a new vehicle complete with new car warranties, using this program this weekend.