Auto Warranty News

After a lot of thought you have decided that you want your next vehicle to be an SUV. You are coaching little league and your wife does a lot of flea marketing and an SUV fits your family profile the best.

You’ve already looked into car loans and you have investigated auto warranties – new car warranties and extended warranties – and now you are simply trying to figure out what size and stye SUV is right for you.

Edmunds.com lists the following considerations:

• Size/Market Segment: Sport-utility vehicles are generally classified into three groups: mini/compact, midsize and full-size. As you move up in size you also move up in engine power, towing ability, passenger room and price.
• Price: Compact SUVs are the most affordable, with prices for base models starting at less than $20,000. Mid- and full-size sport-utility vehicles vary greatly, with base models starting in the mid-$20Ks and going all the way up to the mid-$40Ks. Luxury SUVs start around $40,000 and top out over $100,000.
• Engine/Fuel Economy: Compact SUVs offer both four- and six-cylinder engines, while midsize sport-utes typically come standard with six-cylinder engines, with V8s as options. All full-size SUVs use V8 engines. The most economical four-cylinder compact SUVs can achieve mileage figures in the mid-to-upper 20s, while most six-cylinder sport-utes average in the upper teens (though the handful of gas-electric hybrid models do much better than that). Full-size vehicles generally get between 12 and 20 mpg.
• Safety: Increasingly, important safety features like side curtain airbags, rollover protection systems and stability control can be had on all sizes of SUVs and in all price brackets. Even if you’re shopping for a budget sport-ute, you should be able to get full airbag coverage and stability control, at least as options. One thing to keep in mind is that even with all of today’s technology, the vast majority of SUVs still don’t stop or handle as well as cars. Savvy buyers should read up on the braking and handling performance of the models that interest them.
• Luxury Features/Convenience: Most compact sport-utility vehicles offer basic amenities along with simple upgrades like CD changers, automatic climate control and leather. Midsize SUVs typically come packed with convenience features, while offering additional luxury amenities as options. The full-size category offers the widest array of luxury SUVs, although several models also come in less opulent versions for more rugged use.
• Passenger Capacity/Interior Space: All but a few SUVs are designed to carry at least five passengers. The rear seats in most compact SUVs are tight for three adults (although many offer fore/aft adjustment to maximize the available legroom), while most midsize and full-size sport-utes offer comfortable second-row accommodations. Many SUVs, from compact to full-size, now offer the option of adding a third-row seat for additional passenger capacity — these rows are usually intended for use by small children only.
• Cargo Capacity: All sport-utes allow you to fold or remove the rear seats for more cargo capacity. (Many SUVs with third-row seats allow you to fold them into the floor.) Compact sport-utes top out at about 70 cubic feet of capacity, while midsize SUVs can expand to as much as 100 cubic feet. Full-size SUVs offer cargo areas in excess of 100 cubic feet.
• Car-Based vs. Truck-Based: Car-based SUVs generally provide sharper handling, a more comfortable ride and, in some cases, more interior room. Truck-based sport-utility vehicles are able to tow more weight, are more capable off-road and are generally sturdier all around due to their truck-derived hardware.
• 2WD/4WD/AWD: Two-wheel drive means that only the front or rear wheels provide power to the vehicle. Four-wheel-drive vehicles allow the driver to select between two- and four-wheel drive, and provide low-range gearing for off-roading. All-wheel-drive vehicles automatically distribute power in varying degrees to the wheels with the most traction.
• Operating Costs: Since compact SUVs are generally smaller, lighter and have less complex four-wheel-drive systems, their maintenance and fuel costs are generally lower. With higher sticker prices and larger engines, midsize and full-size sport-utes generally get poor mileage and are more expensive to insure.

Steve has heard enough horror stories from friends who had bought a used car only to end up spending over half the purchase price again on repairs. Just because you know how to handle a wrench doesn’t mean that you can keep up with the inevitable repair expenses that a used car may require.

So Steve did his homework, studied up on used car warranties, or extended warranties, and was glad he did so when his own car broke down after a month.

Here are some questions to ask while considering various used car warranties:

1)Are you a Member of the BBB and in good standing?

2) Do you offer financing?

3) Can I choose the repair facility?

4) Do you pay the repair facility directly?

5) Where can I take my car for repairs? Your dealership, or any ASE Certified repair facility you choose.

6) Depending on the age and mileage of a used car, do you offer bumper to bumper coverage for vehicles out of manufacturers warranty?

7) Do you include Wear & Tear?

8) Is overheating covered?

9) Do you offer a per visit deductible?

10) Do you offer a Zero Deductible option?

11) Do you offer Road Hazard protection?

12) Do you offer Car Rental reimbursement with your extended auto warranty?

13) Is the agreement transferable / renewable?

14) Are High Mileage plans available for up to 102,000 miles?

15) Are claims handled by the same company that sells car warrantys?
from Buy-and-Sell-Car-Secrets.com

You have car insurance, your Volvo is protected by an excellent new car warranty, and if a group of male activists have anything to do with it, your male image as a Volvo driver will be protected too.

“In what appears to be a first, a male activist group is petitioning Volvo not to choose Arnold Worldwide of Boston as its new global agency of record, claiming that the shop has created ads for other clients that denigrate fathers.

National newspaper columnist and talk-show host Glenn Sacks is behind the push that started Tuesday, Feb. 27. His Web site, glennsacks.com, has a form letter to Volvo urging the Ford Motor Co.-owned brand “not to award the contract to Arnold Worldwide and instead award it to one of the other agencies, preferably Euro RSCG.”

The Web site lists names and contact information for Volvo officials in the United States and Sweden.

Sacks told Advertising Age on Wednesday, Feb. 28, tha 1,000-plus e-mails and faxes on the matter were sent to Volvo in the previous 24 hours. Other male groups, including HusbandsandFathers.org and Fathers and Families, are supporting the effort.

Sacks said “a lot of us in the fathers’ movement are upset” that dads are portrayed in advertising as “idiots, clowns,” while “the wife is always right.”

His site criticizes Arnold’s purported anti-father work for Fidelity — for example, a spot showing a man going to great lengths to parallel park in an empty parking lot — while praising a TV ad that Euro RSCG did for Volvo.

Sacks discusses his 2004 blitz against Verizon on the site, claiming success for getting the telecom giant to pull a TV commercial showing a bumbling father trying to help his daughter with her homework.

Richard Smaglick, co-founder of HusbandsandFathers.com, said Verizon pulled the commercial, although he added the advertiser explained at the time the campaign had run its course.

A spokesman for Volvo Cars of North America confirmed the arrival of an undisclosed number of e-mails, faxes and a “handful of voice mails” on the matter. “All were very polite,” he said.”
continue reading at Automotive News.com

Having a son with ambitions to one day rebuild a few cars, I took interest in the latest news from GM describing their decision to extend their warranty on their crate engines.

“General Motors’s Performance Parts unit is extending the warranty offered on its crate engines to 24 months or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Previously, the warranty was for 12 months or 12,000 miles.

A crate engine is a complete replacement engine packed in a shipping crate.

The new warranty periods cover thousands of parts, from spark plug wires to crate engines, and will be applied to GMPP crate engines, transmissions and components installed in or purchased for street legal automotive applications after March 1, 2007, and is transferable to subsequent owners (by providing required documents to any purchaser of the vehicle in which the assembly/component was originally installed), according to a GM news release.

GM also said it added a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty to its Performance Parts components, transmissions and short-block assemblies, effective March 1.

The warranty does not include any crate engines that are marketed and sold for race applications, including part numbers 88958602, 88958603, 88958604, 12498825, 12498826, and 12498827.

“When we develop crate engines, we put them through some of the most demanding durability testing on the planet,” says Randy Leininger, engineering group manager of GM Performance Parts. “We’re focused on exceeding the customer’s expectation, so if they don’t pass our tests, we don’t sell them, it’s that simple.”

GM Performance Parts crate engines undergo a 50-hour, full-throttle engine dynamometer validation, requiring that the engines perform from peak horsepower to peak torque. GMPP also installs crate engines in its own engineering vehicles for ongoing testing and continuous improvement, the company said.”
from The Daily Auto Insider

Your gorgeous new car is in the driveway and well, it is a babe magnet isn’t it? Your new car warranty is probably pretty comprehensive, but, there is not likely any new car warranty that will cover the scuffs and possible scratches from your well meaning, car washing friends.

So now that the crowd has gone home and you notice a few scuffs, what do you do?

Here is the answer from a car detailer’s point of view.

AUTO DETAILING 101-Removing Paint Scuffs and scratches

Hey Detailer-
Got paint?
Got client cars with scuffs or scratches?

Today is your lucky day!

I am going to tell you how we remove scuffs with the blink of an eye,…so simple and easy, and cheap to do

And the funny thing is-most detailers have no idea how to do it. They buff a car, they rub hard with wax and the scuffs go nowhere..so they just leave them and ignore them.

Dont. They are money waiting for your profit piggy-bank.

So- here it is. Here is the magical potion that will get your paint scuffs removed from your clients cars, with the easy wipe of a terry..

ANSWER: LAQUER THINNER.

Now that was easy, huh?

Go to your local Home Depot, get a gallon, some terry’s and start making more money.

Simply wipe, and your scuffs are gone!
fromAuto Detailing Blog

“General Motors Corp. said Friday it will extend its five-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty to used cars going back to the 2002 model year, another move to convince customers that its cars and trucks are as reliable as those made by its Japanese rivals.

The warranties apply to all GM Certified Used Vehicles and are fully transferable. They become available March 1.

“This is what you’d expect from a company like GM — a company that wants to remain a leader,” said Troy Clarke, president of GM’s North American operations who announced the deal in Las Vegas at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual convention. “Quality will not be a reason for people to not buy our cars.”

The world’s largest automaker has made strides in improving quality, but its cars and trucks still are widely perceived by consumers as inferior to Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

The new warranty covers hundreds of components that comprise the engine, transmission and final drive assemblies. It applies to all GM Certified Used Vehicles from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile and Pontiac sold in the United States.

A similar offering soon will be made for Saturn vehicles, Clarke said.

The warranty will help GM in its fight to maintain its lead over a surging Toyota and keep its title as the world’s No. 1 automaker because, Clarke said, a strong reputation translates to sales.

Dealers had been pushing GM to back used cars with a warranty, and the automaker wanted something that would help it stand out in a market where overall vehicle quality is good.

“The No. 1 thing a used car buyer is afraid of is problems,” said Ed Bozarth, a Chevrolet dealer with eight Chevrolet outlets in Topeka, Kan., Grand Junction, Colo., and the Denver area. “This is a safety net. It’s huge.”

More importantly, the move is a statement that GM is confident its vehicles, even used ones, will hold up, said Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at J.D. Power and Associates.”
fromAuto Insider/Sharon Terlep

Before there were auto warranties or extended warranties, or any kind of reassurance at all, folks use to jump in cars like this 1929 Model A, pictured here, and take to the road without a any protection at all. It had to be exhilarating to be one of those folks who experienced the freedoms of the road for the first time.

Little could they imagine what the auto industry would become what it has in this country, nor could they foresee how the American highway would become myth and legend. And my guess is if they had seen a hybrid back then, they might have never started driving at all, but, be that as it may, thanks to restoration services such as those available at Select Motor Company, the beauties of that era are being preserved.

Here is a bit of the story on the car depicted here,taken from the Select Motor Company website. But be sure to visit this page to see all 28 pictures.

1929 Model A

Restoring History One Step At A Time

“This 1929 Model A has been in the same family since the early 1960’s. The current owner actually learned to drive on it. As you can imagine, this Model A has great sentimental value. However, the owner has become quite frustrated with drivability issues relating to the fuel system. Our number one job is to make the rusted fuel system new and reliable. No simple task because the fuel tank encompasses the firewall, dashboard and fuel system all in one component. Oh, and did we mention, not reproduced! Stay tuned as this project unfolds.

After beating the bushes and calling numbers of suppliers we accepted the fact that Model A gas tanks are not being reproduced.

Cutting the old tank apart was our first step in building a new Model A tank. We salvaged all of the useable pieces and brackets including the cowl shell. After sandblasting the cowl shell it was chemically treated with rust guard.

Our tank began by fabricating the panel to hold the dash bezel, fuel gauge and serve as a dash board. A raised ridge was rolled into the metal to duplicate the original dash board. The bottom section of the tank was added to the face panel and then baffling was installed.

A new top section of the tank was installed to fit inside of the original cowl shell. The top section was chemically sealed before being welded to the cowl shell.

The filler neck was brazed into the top section. Original bracketry was brazed back into place as well.

Pressure testing, chemical sealing inside and out and a preliminary test fit was preformed prior to the finish work.

Finish work, a new fuel gauge, fuel lines, and a fresh dash bezel and we will be ready for installation.

Our 1929 Model A Ford will soon be busting bugs and burning gas.
Without leaks!!”
Source

You’ve saved and scrimped to buy the new car of your dreams. You have reviewed all of your new car warranty options and have secured the best new car warranty plan available for your vehicle. You have good insurance coverage and your feeling pretty darn well protected. But have you ever wondered if the parts that you will eventually need to buy are genuine or counterfeit? Well,3M has.

“The automotive industry is constantly dealing with counterfeiting and parts piracy. These sub-par and unsafe products wind up with unknowing consumers, putting lives at risk and exposing shop owners to potential liability. Besides safety and health concerns, counterfeiting leads to shrinking profit margins, increased warranty costs, financial investments in intellectual property protection and brand damage. In most situations, these products look almost identical to the originals. However, they are usually full of errors, inferior and don’t meet appropriate standards. To combat this, 3M has launched a new format of the 3M Confirm authentication products featuring floating image technology that helps protect against counterfeiting and tampering. The new format offers multi-layered overt and covert security features, and allows for the incorporation of security and tracking features into the same label. The product can be used on virtually any auto part.”

An innovative 3M technology enables auto part manufactureres to apply a lablel that will allow the consumer or auto repair shop to quickly detect any counterfeits that nay be in their stock.

“This fully customizable strip is ideal for any market segments that are known victims of counterfeiting or fraud, such as automotive parts,” says Bill Markovitz, marketing development manager, 3M Security Systems Division. “The additional functionality of the new format allows manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to use one label for easy authentication, bar codes, tracking and other additional security features, which cuts costs and increases efficiency and security.”

from ABRN

Used cars have warranties and extended warranties. New cars have warranties. Don’t you wish that drivers had warranties too? Something to certify that a driver is guaranteed to possess courtesy, common sense and good driving skills before they are licensed?

Alas, that is not to be. All of the cars around you are protected by warranties but their drivers come with no guarantees. That is why it is incumbent upon you to learn to drive defensively.

What follows is an abbreviated list of defensive driving how-to. Go directly to the article for more details.

1. Allow enough space ahead.
2. Look ahead.
3. Have an escape route.
4. Don’t depend on other drivers.
5. Keep your speed down.
6. Adjust for hazards.
7. Avoid frequent lane changes.
8. Use lights and signals.
9. Keep a proper driving position.
10. Wear your seat belt.
11. Cut out distraction.

Be sure to pass these along to your teenage driver too.

Back “in the day”, the word most frequently associated with used cars was “lemon”, not warranty. Any type of guarantees or warranties for a used vehicle was unheard of. With the passage of consumer protection laws and an educated consumer base, you can now purchase a used vehicle with a great deal more confidence then in days of yore.

With that reassurance in mind, which manufacturer’s used car is the best bet? Auto Warranties.com will help answer that question by regularly featuring vehicles that have been noted for their features, quality and longevity in the world of used cars.

If you are in the market for an economy car, the Honda Civic comes well recommended.

“For years, it’s been the Civic and Toyota’s Corolla fighting for the title of best economy car. Both are wise choices from a strictly utilitarian point of view; they’re frugal with fuel, require minimal maintenance and are reliable. That said, the Civic gets our vote because it offers a few things that the Corolla line lacks: a sportier driving feel, a coupe body style in addition to a sedan and, in 1999, 2000 and 2004, an Si version of the coupe that boasts a sizzling 160-horsepower inline four and a taut handling-biased suspension.”

from Edmunds.com