Auto Warranty News

After a great deal of excitement for several months about the new El Camino looking vehicle by Pontiac, and a lot of speculation that the vehicle might even use the El Camino name, Pontiac has chosen a name: G8 ST.

G8 comes from the fact that this sporty truck has been based on the car platform of the G8, and ST means that it’s a sport truck.

Pontiac had a national contest to come up with a name for the truck.  They had to sift through approximately 18,000 names by almost 90,000 submissions in its contest called ‘Tame the Name’.  G8 ST was one of the suggestions that were the most popular, which kept with a trend for easy-to-remember, simple names.

The new G8 ST will be sold late in 2009 as a model that is 2010.  Although information about the price of the car and the auto warranty haven’t been released.  This vehicle has a 361-hp, 6.0-liter V-8, and has active fuel management that has the ability to shut off four cylinders if they aren’t needed.

According to The American Consumer Satisfaction Index, the results from its Q2 aren’t good for domestic auto manufacturers.  The people at ASCI claim that customer satisfaction is higher than ever for the whole industry, however there aren’t any American automakers that made the top four.  And the bottom three on the list are made in America.

Domestic car companies are having problems because they are lagging further behind their counterparts overseas.  This will be of no help when the Big Three lose more power with pricing.  They will have to continue their dependency on discounting and rebates, in a car market where consumers are deciding to turn to foreign cars.  People feel foreign cars are more reliable, and with the addition of an auto warranty, they enjoy the peace of mind that they get with them.

The ACSI is a representation of a customer’s overall satisfaction, which includes customer service and doesn’t necessarily determine the quality of cars.  In addition, carmakers don’t have any control over a dealership’s customer service.

Gooding & Co. just released the closing tally for its auction in Pebble Beach. This sale follows the Concourse d’Elegance and is among the most elite auto auctions in the world. It is also an important barometer for the market of collectible cars.

The auction this year concluded Sunday and made $64.2 million, which tops last years tally of $60 million. Twenty vehicles went for over $1 million, which is triple the 2006 number. Five vehicles were sold for over $2 million, and Peter Williams sold the Bugatti collection, which is made up of 12 cars, for above $15.5 million.

However, the news wasn’t all good. One in five vehicles didn’t sell.

Still, the large amount of price records crushed over the weekend implies that the business of rare cars remains strong.

In addition, there was the highest price ever paid for a car in North America. A 1937 Bugatti Type 37SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million. This is the kind of car you wouldn’t dare drive out of your driveway without an auto warranty.

The collectibles boom probably won’t last forever, after all, most people are opting for used cars with used car warranties, but for now, it’s still strong.

Recently, J.D. Power and Assoc. revealed that Toyota is the best car company when it comes to keeping its customers coming back for more.  Their data also shows that GM comes in second place in this category.

Among recent shoppers of new vehicles who have owned a Toyota, Lexus, or Scion, 69% bought another car from Toyota Motor Co.

Meanwhile, motorists who owned a Chevrolet, GMC, Saab, or other cars by GM bought another car by GM 65% of the time.

This shows an improvement for GM of 3% from last year.

Isuzu scored the lowest for retaining customers in the study.  In fact, only 1.6% of Isuzu owners purchased another one.  The next lowest was Mitsubishi, who kept approximately 31.7% of their customers.

There are typically a few things that hurt car companies in customer retention.  These include poor dealership service and poor vehicle quality.  Yet, no matter what brand of car you buy, you never know when repairs will be necessary.  This is why you should always buy an auto warranty.

Do you feel apprehensive about shopping for a new car?  Are you worried you don’t know enough about financing and new car warranties?  Or that you will say something that will give the dealer the upper hand in negotiations?  Car shopping doesn’t have to be stressful.  Here are some things that you shouldn’t tell a car dealer.

Don’t discuss monthly payments.  Your focus should go into negotiating the purchase price of the car.  It can get very confusing when you start talking about monthly payments because it can be unclear whether the payment is for 24 or 36 months.

Don’t tell the dealer right away that you have a trade in.  If the dealer realizes this he will know that you are hoping to get as much as possible for your trade-in.  The dealer may tell you he is going to give you a lot for your trade-in, but it’s actually a smokescreen because then the new price won’t be negotiable.

Don’t tell the dealer if you’re planning on paying in cash.  A lot of their money is made in financing, and if they realize they won’t be able to make that money, they probably won’t negotiate the car’s purchase price.

It is important to do your homework before purchasing a car.  Arrive at the dealership with knowledge about new car prices, financing, and new car warranties.  This will allow you to stand ground with the dealer.

Why do people buy sports cars?  They aren’t designed to be practical, they are designed for fun.  They are available in different models, such as hatchbacks and two-seat roadsters.  Most models have very little cargo space, while others provide rear cargo room that is ample.  If you’re looking to purchase a sports car, here are some important considerations.

Even similar car models can vary a great deal in fuel-economy.  In order to save money on gas, make comparisons on gas mileage.

Many sports cars have limited head-room and smaller doors that can make it difficult to get in and out.  If you’re looking for a car with a little more ease, it might be smart to consider a sedan or four-door hatchback.  Often, they have easier access.

Sports cars will have between two and five seats; depending on the model.  Even sports cars with five seats usually have a rear seat in the middle that is too small for adults.  It is wise to try out all of the seats and make sure they are comfortable.

For motorists who want a thrill ride, a sports car is an excellent choice.  However, make sure you purchase an auto warranty in case of unforeseen repair costs down the road.

When people are renting cars from companies like Hertz and Enterprise, they are now asking for a hybrid.  To meet demands, the rental car industry is adding more and more hybrids to fleets.

In the next several months, Enterprise will have a hybrid fleet of 5,000, while Hertz, is planning to add 2,400 hybrids to its current 1,000.  Is this all because of high gas prices?

Not really.  Hybrids actually cost approximately $24 more per day to rent than non-hybrids.  The rental companies believe that people want more eco-friendly cars, not just cars that will save people on gas costs.

Now offered by National, Enterprise, and Alamo are a carbon offsetting option.  In other words, for an extra $1.25 you can pay so that the average carbon emissions from your rental are offset.  The money is donated by the companies to programs that aid in removing carbon out of the atmosphere and plant trees.

The increased hybrid demand for rental fleets will make it even harder for consumers to find hybrids to purchase.  However, at some point the rental car companies will end up selling their hybrids to consumers.  This is beneficial to consumers because the cars will most likely still have an auto warranty.

When the Toyota Highlander was redesigned for 2008, it only had a V-6 drivetrain, and defended it by claiming that people wanting four-cylinders would instead buy a RAV4. Apparently, that has all changed. With fuel prices through the roof, it seems like a smart move to have a four-cylinder Highlander.

The new 2.7-liter four-cylinder comes from the Venza, and with 189 hp it is a strong gain over the current 157-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder. The fuel-economy will be 20/26-mpg city/highway for a four-cylinder FWD, which is approximately 10% better than the 18/24 rating for the FWD V-6.

The four-cylinder version of the Highlander comes in a FWD two-row, base model. It has the option for a third-row seat and a stereo upgrade. Also, it can become equipped to tow approximately 3,500 pounds compared to the V-6, which can tow 5,000 pounds. The four-cylinder Highlander is expected to start at just under $25,000, and comes with an impressive auto warranty.

Brake pad vibrations that result in a high-pitched noise are the cause of brake squeal.  When pads don’t have proper insulation from the caliper, vibration occurs.  The factory will equip brake pads with insulator shims, clips, and even a silicone backing that allows the pad to stay glued to the caliper.  This helps to prevent vibrations.

Often times when brake pads become too hard brake squeal occurs.  The hard and smooth surfaces then rub together to produce a noise equivalent to nails on the blackboard.  When this occurs, it is necessary to resurface the rotors and replace brake pads.  This will eliminate the squealing.

You should also have your rotors resurfaced when you have your brakes done.  Not doing this will result in squealing.  When replacing brake pads, the rotor refinishing should be done with a non-directional finish.  This will make sure that brake pads are broken in properly.

Act immediately if brake squeal occurs.  Take your car to a highly trained technician to make sure that your brakes are treated appropriately.  And, make sure you have used car warranties to cover repairs performed.  After all, you don’t want to end up paying unnecessary costs.

People are always asking their dealership service departments, “Isn’t that repair covered by my auto warranty?”  A lot of motorists make the assumption that an auto warranty covers all kinds of repairs regardless of important things, such as environmental conditions, car mileage, and maintenance requirements.

What many people don’t realize is that an auto warranty is actually an agreement between the car manufacturer and you.  As the purchaser of the auto warranty, you must follow maintenance requirements that are specified.  The car manufacturer is only obligated to have repairs performed if you do the maintenance.

Auto manufacturers tend to scrutinize each auto warranty claim since dealers have done questionable practices in the past.  This leads consumers to believe that manufacturers are trying to get out of paying for the cost of repairs.  Yet, the reality is actually that the repair may not be covered under the auto warranty terms.  For example, car abuse, expiration, or parts that aren’t covered could cause the repair to not qualify.

When purchasing an auto warranty, people should read the terms of the agreement carefully.  You need to fulfill your part of the agreement in order to get repairs paid for.