Mechanics and Service

Another month, another survey from J.D. Power. The firm's 2017 U.S. Customer Service Index examined how satisfied (or unsatisfied) vehicle owners and lessees were after taking their cars in for service. The brand-by-brand rankings probably won't surprise you, but let's take a look anyway. To gather...Read More»

How do you feel about your local garage -- the mom and pop place on the corner with the faded, hand-painted sign and the lot full of cars waiting to be fixed? Your answer to that question will color the way you feel about a new survey from Hiscox, an insurance provider for small businesses. The...Read More»

The internet has done some great things. It's allowed us to shop for riding lawnmowers in our underwear. It's changed the way we enjoy television by encouraging us to binge-watch our favorite shows. And where would cupcakes, bacon, pizza, or cats be without internet memes to fuel their popularity?...Read More»

Few people enjoy taking their car to a garage. Fewer still enjoy it when they know they're car needs extensive, expensive repairs. A new survey from AutoMD suggests that women hate it so much, they'd rather go to the dentist. ALSO SEE: What Car Should You Really Drive? The survey was conducted in...Read More»

No one likes taking in a car for repairs. We have to carve out time to drive it in or have it towed, we have to arrange for transportation back home or to a car rental shop, and of course, we have to shell out our hard-earned cash -- cash that could be better spent on vacations or groceries or bolo...Read More»

At some point in your adult life, you begin to see red flags -- flags that shout, "Achtung, baby! This thing ain't all it's cracked up to be." Common red flags include, "I would like to share my Nigerian fortune with you!", or "Apple will give you a free iPad for evaluation!", or "It generates more...Read More»

Trips to the mechanic are rarely cheap, but does it seem like those visits have become even pricier than usual? You're not imagining things. According to a new survey, repair costs returned to pre-recession levels last year -- though the news isn't all bad. The survey in question is CarMD's 2013...Read More»

How long has it been since you've taken your car in for service? Three months? Six? A whole year? Don't be ashamed: lots of people put off regularly scheduled car maintenance, especially during the winter months. Between the pressure (and cost) of holiday celebrations and the often nasty weather...Read More»

The way that Americans shop for goods and services has seen a lot of changes over the past two decades. Many companies have kept pace with the times, but auto dealers? Some, yes, others, not so much. Thankfully, a few in the industry are shaking things up. Tesla and Audi are tinkering with the...Read More»

As much as we cover vehicle shopping, and aspects of the ownership experience, we don't get as much exposure to what's for many busy commuters a twice-a-year experience: taking your late-model car in to the dealership for maintenance. That's one of the reasons why we're keeping Six Month Road Test...Read More»

Do you have trouble assembling IKEA furniture? Or do you sometimes take things apart and then realize you have no idea how to get them back together? If these questions ring true, they’re signs that you should probably leave your car repair to a qualified pro, advises Brett Bodas, an ASE...Read More»

If you’ve ever spun a wrench on your own car or motorcycle, chances are good that you did so with the assistance of a Haynes repair manual. Available at libraries, auto parts stores and mass retailers alike, it seemed that there was a Haynes manual printed for any vehicle older than five...Read More»

If you have a nearly new vehicle or one with specialized technical demands or cutting-edge features, is it fair to assume that only the dealership can repair it, or should an independent mechanic be able to get the tools and know-how, too? The American Automobile Association (AAA) has come out in...Read More»

Just as Washington is winding up for another round of Congressional hearings Tuesday, news of yet another Toyota mechanical issue has spread. In affected models equipped with V-6 engines, an engine oil hose might degrade to the point of leaking, potentially causing engine failure. According to...Read More»

With auto repair chains ever expanding and dealership service becoming more consistent and predictable, you might think that repair costs are becoming much more standardized than they used to be for car repairs done at independent shops, with very little variation, once you average a few shops...Read More»

Since last year, over 2,000 dealerships have been cut from the Chrysler and General Motors networks, and there's been a great deal of discussion about what to do for these businesses and their employees -- reinstatement? restitution? nothing at all? Today, things are moving forward with a...Read More»

There's an unwritten rule that every promotional website must include some kind of flash game. That sounds great in theory, but in practice, the integration of product promotion and gaming endeavor usually ends terribly. Volkswagen's latest effort continues that noble tradition -- with identical...Read More»

Although this summer's Cash for Clunkers (CARS) program provided the right kind of push for some owners to replace their guzzling jalopies with new cars, it's probably not so surprising that new-vehicle buyers plan to hold on to their vehicles longer than ever before. So-called "rapid replacers"...Read More»