jveryrad asked:


I am looking for a Toyota Dealer for car maintenance. Should I go to the dealer where I bought it? Is there a place I can look up customer evaluations? I live in the south San Francisco bay area.

KRAIG

Sue Jan asked:


Used auto parts are a great way to save money for maintenance and repair of your car. Used auto parts are fairly cheap and may cost anywhere between 20 to 80% of the cost of a new auto part. Used auto parts are environmentally friendly, as not using them would add to the junk in junkyards or consume scarce landfill space. Furthermore, manufacturing new components would also consume too much resource.

Availability

Used auto parts are available online or from local stores. . Most towns and cities have used auto part stores. Used auto parts can be purchased on online auto parts stores by credit cards, and the parts are delivered or shipped within 3 to 6 days. While purchasing online beware that the image shown on the site may not match with the actual part.

Identification

The car part can be easily matched with your car by having your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). This number provides the seller with lot of useful information, such as the make and year of manufacture, engines, transmission etc. If there is any confusion the used auto stores sales person are in a better position to help you.

Warranty

Ask the seller to provide warranty. It is prudent to read the terms and conditions of the warranty.

Age

It is necessary to find out the mileage on the auto part. Also confirm whether the part is being sold as used, repaired or remanufactured.

Duplicate

Auto parts can be duplicated easily and these are generally not safe and reliable. Usually it is easy to identify a duplicate part by visual inspection. If the part differs in look from a new part, has a mismatched logo, or typo or anything out of the ordinary then it can be assumed with high certainty that it is counterfeit.

Paint

Usually there is a mismatch between the used auto part color and your car body. Consulting your body shop is necessary before purchasing the part.

Maintenance and keeping your car road worthy is becoming costlier by the day. Used auto parts can reduce the maintenance cost to a great extent. However some caution should be exercised before buying used auto parts.



CARRIE

black_lable_socity asked:


i heard from a friend that the state of california is buying old cars and retiring them and give you money for it, just because its an old car and its along the lines of the SMOG deal

DARLA

bigjcpump asked:

In this video, we’re going to give you the must have tips for buying or leasing a vehicle. For more cool how to videos, please visit us online at brokedudes.com.

PEGGY

chastity p asked:


me and my 2 brothers have stories on need for speed most wanted and they both have between 15 and 17 cars a piece and they are both finish the game. I finished the game too and i only have 8 cars and it wont allow me to buy anymore. we all finished the game at 100%. can you tell me what the problem is?

REED

Steve M asked:


To get your vehicle be insured, these days, considered vital to give extra length to the life of it. Therefore various companies offer insurance for almost all the vehicles. Car insurance is central among all vehicles. Insurance companies require minimum amount of your money to pace up with every day problems and maintenance expenditure your car requires. Suppose you meet an unwanted accident and your car is not insured yet, then you will have to pay the whole expenditure of it. If you had an insurance company involved in you would not have to take a small loan from a bank or a friend for that compensation. In order to put repair and other belonging expenditure to the care of a caretaker company such as insurance company is quite an activity of a healthy mind.

Not only has that but auto insurance reduced burden from the head that someone is seriously concerned to the health of your auto. Nowadays no body knows what will happen after few minutes. No body is secured at all. So how could a car be? Therefore insurance is of pivotal importance to be gotten as soon as possible. Sometimes driving on crossroads or overtook by another moving vehicle you may meet an accident or your car in parking lot has been scratched even though you have nothing to do with it. But your chief concern is the price fall of your auto or it will reduce the beauty of it. Therefore insurance is most important for ones own benefit.

Car insurance quotes are available online these days. You can simply sit behind a desk and by typing a few words internet web will take you to us, Resultantly we will give the best services within short span of time with all the best services available near you to get repaired your car. However, no matter how badly your car has been damaged that expenditure can shoot sky high still we are with you to help you out. We offer various insurance quotes according to the strength of your wallet. The selection belongs to you to make. Besides if the car has been damaged to such an extent that it hampers value of the car still you can have a difference making damage-value with us.

Nowadays, a great many auto insurance companies promise every thing but after the car has met with an accident they just fly off. In conditions like such do not forget our cheap car insurance suggestions.  All the quotes are formulated in accordance to suit your taste and affordability. If you are keen to get the car insured then rely on our online services. We promise less confess much and provide all the necessaries an insured car needs.

There can be any problem with the car of yours. Ours is the most reliable source to bear the expenditure of maintenance of your car. Your auto is as important as your own being. So is its health and maintenance. Other insurance companies may do not offer more options for your car. In other case if you are not the one who looks forward to get his car insured you really are at a great mistake that you will realize soon when your car needs repair. We as an important car and auto insurance company stay open 24/7 to serve you and your car at cheap rates.



LINWOOD

Theodore Olson asked:


If you were handed an estimate to replace a water pump on your car, would you know if the price was fair? Could you trust the price? How about for a tie rod end, mass air flow sensor, or an evaporative emissions sensor?

Most of us don’t know what these are, never mind the price. Yet it is components such as these that are commonly used to over charge you, the car repair customer.

We no longer live in an age of trust, so how do we ensure that our auto repair costs are legitimate.

How many times have you suspected that you paid too much, but couldn’t prove it? How many times did the price seem exorbitant for even simple repairs?

To illustrate just how “At Risk” the everyday auto repair customer is to excessive car repair prices, here’s a recent real life example from a “reputable…?” dealer.

A client brought her Audi to an authorized Audi dealership for a standard timing belt maintenance service.

The price for this service averages $1575 at the dealership level, (including pulleys, water pump…etc) and about $1275 at the independent repair shop level.

Yet the woman left the dealer with a bill for $2025.68.

What happened?

According to the repair order, there were no abnormal circumstances, no problems noted by the technician such as rust or any other extenuating circumstances that would have perhaps increased the labor, or added additional parts.

In short, it was a straight forward service, but the bill was $450.68 higher than it should have been. There is simply no legitimate reason to have “that much” discrepancy.

How’d they get away with it?

The answer is very simple, and it’s a point that I don’t want anyone to miss:

They get away with it because they can!

Think about it. The average person doesn’t know how much auto parts cost. And who knows how much labor time a repair should take? To what sources does one turn to find out this information? Who even has the time to investigate!

Upon examination of this woman’s repair order, it was found that she was charged a full 4 hours “more” than the standard labor time. At $100 per hour, this added an additional $400. The remaining $50.68 came from the parts, which were billed higher than MSRP.

She was quoted $2,025 for a repair that tops out at $1575. The woman didn’t know. She just paid the bill and left.

How many times do folks just pay the bill and leave? Pretty much that’s all one can do given that there is no accessible information for the car repair customer to adequately question a repair bill. Furthermore, very few even know what questions to ask!

The auto repair industry has been over-charging for decades-sometimes subtly, sometimes boldly, definitely frequently. The evidence for this is overwhelming; yet, there are no easy solutions available for the car repair customer.

Government agencies can’t help. The Better Business Bureau can’t do anything. Even supposed “car repair experts or advocates” lack the understanding of the breadth and insidiousness of the car repair business at all its levels.

A dealership operates differently than an independent repair shop, and a franchise, like Midas, is totally unique. Who really knows what goes on in the underground of such a diverse and complex industry?

The Solution?

First and foremost, car repair customers need access to information on car repair prices. Without this, they’ve got nothing tangible in which to determine fair charges. They also need to be able to navigate the maze of parts and labor charges for car repairs and maintenance.

Like everything else, information is the key to ensure fair treatment. Without it, the car repair customer will continue to “swim with the sharks” without any protection.



LINDSEY

Andy West asked:


Auto repair coupons are a great way to save money on the required maintenance for your car. This maintenance is something you need to do anyway, so looking for and using coupons can only be a benefit to you.

There are a few ways to go about finding and using auto repair coupons.

Clip coupons as you find them. We all get coupon mailings from time to time. Usually these contain coupons or flyers from local businesses, including automotive repair shops. Keep an eye out for these auto repair coupons, and save them when you find them. Even if it’s a repair you don’t end up needing, and you just throw the coupon away when it expires, the worst that will happen is that the coupon will take up some space on your fridge or in your drawer for a little while.

The best thing that can happen, of course, is that you find the coupon at just the right time to save some money on something you were going to have to do anyway. Examples that you’ll probably see a lot of are coupons for oil changes, radiator flushes, air conditioning maintenance, alignments, and tires.

Go look for the coupons when you need them. There are a lot of resources online if you find yourself needing a specific repair or maintenance. For instance, coupon sites such as valpak offer a searchable coupon database. You just print the coupons you need, and take them with you when you go. Since many of these online coupon sites feature local businesses and allow you to search in your specific area, you should be able to find a wide selection.

Check with your favorite auto repair shop. If you have a favorite place you take your car, don’t go someplace else just because you have a coupon. There’s a reason why that shop is your favorite, and you may end up being dissatisfied if you take your car anywhere else. Instead, check with your favorite shop and see what offers they are running. They may have flyers with their current coupons in the store, so they can give the special deals to customers when they ask, particularly loyal returning customers like you. Or they may be able to tell you how you can get your hands on their specific coupons online, in the local paper, or in a mailing they sent out recently.

There’s also another possibility you might consider. Sometimes one shop will honor another shop’s auto repair coupons, just to get (or keep) your business. So call your favorite local shop or pay your favorite mechanic a visit, tell them about or show them the discounted service offered, and see if they can do anything for you. It’s always worth a shot.

Maintaining your car can be expensive, so it pays to find all possible ways to save money. A great way to save money is to clip auto repair coupons for expenses you’ll have one way or another. Hopefully these suggestions have given you some ideas for how and where you can save money on automotive repairs.



CASSANDRA

Colin Ayres asked:


If you’re thinking about a purchase or just looking for a little advice, this guide can help. The following information will help you begin to research, compare, build, and price new cars quickly and conveniently. In the end, you’ll get better prices on any of the models you are interested in. That means, for example, obtaining multiple quotes, from multiple dealers, before you ever step foot in a dealership. (Of course, you can do it all via the Web.) Having at least three different quotes during negotiations gives you a distinct advantage. Think of these quotes as a reference point - the difference between a good offer and a bad one.

In less than a decade, buying new cars has become a much easier process via the Internet. There are two types of sites. The first will sell you new cars directly. The second doesn’t sell directly, but will provide referrals to hundreds of the most credible dealers. Both sites, however, are going to save you money. They’ll display invoice, MSRP, options, incentives and rebates clearly. The most credible online resources will have no hidden fees and virtually eliminate the inevitable haggle with salesmen.

But there’s more. The following is a step-by-step breakdown of the entire buying process from beginning to end.

New Car Buying Guide Step One - Research prices online Search for new cars to determine what average prices are, so you know the difference between good and bad offers. Be sure to do thorough research, so that you’re paying a price near the invoice and never over the average MSRP. Many sites offer invoice pricing as well.

New Car Buying Guide Step Two - Request price quotes After figuring out fair prices, request free quotes for your favorite new cars from as many credible dealers as possible - you can do this online. Afterwards, the most qualified companies will have their dealer internet sales managers contact you, requesting more details on the new cars you may be interested in purchasing. Request prices with all applicable taxes and charges included (not simply the MSRP).

New Car Buying Guide Step Three - Get your credit report Your credit score is what is used to determine the APR you’ll pay on your loan. You should get a copy to ensure there are no errors, and that you are receiving the rate you deserve.

New Car Buying Guide Step Four - Get rate quotes With your FICO score in hand, you should apply to online lenders for the best auto loan rates. Your bank, other banks, other lenders, the dealership, and even your family. Shopping around for financing can save you thousands over the life of your loan.

New Car Buying Guide Step Five - Research insurance companies You should research insurance companies thoroughly as well. Some specialize in offering plans to people with not-so-good driving records and others (sometimes the same company) offer less expensive plans for drivers with better-than-good driving records.

New Car Buying Guide Step Six - Get insurance rate quotes Insurance can be expensive, especially if you’ve been unlucky in the past with accidents or citations, but it is necessary precaution. Request quotes from the preferred companies you found, and much like the search for the lowest car price and loan rate quotes, pick the plan that offers the best protection for the most reasonable price.

New Car Buying Guide Step Seven - Figure out your trade-in value Use Kelly Blue Book to estimate the trade-in or private resale value of your car. This will assist you when you are negotiating the new car price, as the trade in value of your current car will affect the new car price.

New Car Buying Guide Step Eight - Negotiating your new car purchase Ready to negotiate? With the lowest quote on the make and model you chose from your list of new cars, contact your preferred dealers and see if they’ll beat it - they tend to compete with each other because they want your business. Utilizing the Internet can provide you with hassle-free process of creating a dialogue with dealers. For example, it is a lot easier to stop emailing than it is to walk out of a dealership.

This guide will help speed the entire purchasing process up. And probably, more importantly, save you money.



MARCOS

cats asked:


Does anyone know if there are any basic car maintenance courses that a woman can take either in person or online? I live in the New York/New Jersey area? I have a new car and want to learn as much as possible since I don’t want to be ripped off by mechanics.

STEVEN