Best second hand small car under AUD$20,000? Fuel efficient. Reliable. Low maintenance. 4 doors. No older than 4 years. Automatic. Suit young couple in Australia. [more inside]
posted by simplesharps on Jul 20, 2009 - 20 answers

Why do cars have such vast wiring looms...? [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Apr 29, 2009 - 14 answers

Can I buy a old car now and then claim a credit under the (seemingly likely to pass) incentive scheme to buy a new one? [more inside]
posted by TrashyRambo on Apr 5, 2009 - 3 answers

The batmonkeymobile was in an accident today (everyone's ok) and will be totaled. My last car-buying attempt worked out splendidly and I want to repeat it, but I'm having a harder time figuring out which makes/models will best fulfill my desire to have car happiness many years into the future. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by batmonkey on Mar 12, 2009 - 24 answers

Somebody loaned me their car for a week. I managed to ding the bumper. Help me figure out if this is something I can fix myself or if I need to take it to a body shop. Pictures inside. [more inside]
posted by floam on Nov 1, 2008 - 19 answers

You are seated in a Cheverolet Celebrity, model year anywhere between 1982-1990. The engine is off, the key is not even in the ignition. You step on the brake pedal. Do the brake lights go on? Do the brake lights always go on when the pedal is pressed, no matter what? No matter what make, model, year of car? [more inside]
posted by sol on Sep 10, 2008 - 19 answers

Do women sing about cars? [more inside]
posted by GrammarMoses on Jul 12, 2008 - 33 answers

I need help buying a used car, and I'm on a budget. [more inside]
posted by King Bee on Jun 21, 2008 - 14 answers

Tall guy + short car: I have a chance at a great deal on a like-new 2001 Nissan Altima. Trouble is, I'm a little tall for it and am not really comfortable. The seat mounts look unneccesarily high to me, but local dealers know of no seat-lowering kits. I'm having no luck on the web. I'd even consider a swap for a power seat if I knew it would lower more. Any suggestions?
posted by Tubes on Jun 11, 2008 - 9 answers

I want to trade in my SUV for a station wagon. I think I've narrowed it down to the BMW 328i and the Audi A4. Can those of you who've driven those cars (or anything from from a similar line; any bmw 3 series, any Audi A4 or TT) share your experiences with me? [more inside]
posted by Peecabu on Oct 1, 2007 - 23 answers

I've recently purchased a standard because I used to drive one and loved it, but I've never really been properly trained in how to drive one. The car I bought is much more powerful than the one I've learned on, and I'd appreciate some answers to a few questions and any general tips you've got to help me get the most of out my new clutch (and car). [more inside]
posted by patr1ck on Sep 21, 2007 - 37 answers

Do I need to follow Chrysler's service schedule to the letter, or risk having my warranty voided? My 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a fine car, but it's quite expensive to have all the Chrysler-scheduled service items done at the designated # of miles. However, the service manager says that if I don't do all the items, Chrysler may refuse to honor my warranty. How much choice do I really have? Can I delay or ignore some of the scheduled service items?
posted by JimN2TAW on Jul 27, 2007 - 11 answers

What is the REAL life span of auto spare parts compared to what the manufacturer or the auto mechanic tells you? Is there some sort of graph showing risk of failure of parts versus time out there? Specifically I am interested in Peugeot cambelt life spans. How dead am I if it fails? [more inside]
posted by vizsla on May 24, 2007 - 11 answers

In three cars I've driven, I get about 300 miles per tank of gas. But with all three cars, I can get up to 200 miles by the time I hit 1/2 tank. But invariably, by the time I near the 300 mile mark, I'm on E. Am I nuts or do gas seem to burn faster in the lower 1/2 of my tank? Is this mental or by design? [more inside]
posted by mathowie on Apr 7, 2007 - 22 answers

Help me find and buy my dream car. [more inside]
posted by blueplasticfish on Feb 9, 2007 - 8 answers

Why do American cars apparently lurch forward when the the driver gets out? [more inside]
posted by twine42 on Nov 26, 2006 - 35 answers

I drove for about nine months on a bad oxygen sensor. Will my car suffer any long-term ill effects? [more inside]
posted by donpedro on Oct 8, 2005 - 12 answers

Have you ever been to an auto auction? [more inside]
posted by NoMich on Sep 7, 2005 - 9 answers

What are the necessities for a person to have in their car? [more inside]
posted by matildaben on Apr 1, 2005 - 46 answers

AccountingFilter:
I purchase a car for 10,000. with a $1000 rebate
The state levies a 5% sales tax of $500 . Am I not entitled to to a tax refund of $100 ?
My good buddy Google is uncharacteristically mum about this query.
posted by Fupped Duck on Feb 13, 2005 - 7 answers

I've just purchased my very first new car. However, in the process, I visited nine dealerships - 7 of them asked me for a cash deposit before they would even discuss prices with me. The one dealership that I gave a $500CDN deposit to (I later changed my mind on it) took almost 2 hours to refund my deposit. What are my rights, and what are strategies to get around this deposit requirement?
posted by burhan on Jan 15, 2005 - 39 answers

I would like to buy a car. Fun to drive (think handling, not necessarily pickup) is paramount, everything else is negotiable: 2-seaters are fine, I'm willing to shift for myself. My price tops out at $16k and I live in Los Angeles. Recommendations? I'm leaning towards a Porsche Boxster, which Consumer Reports says is surprisingly reliable. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by lbergstr on Dec 14, 2004 - 57 answers

I have a 99 Hyundai Sonata, that we purchased used from a Hyundai dealer. The remainder of the manufacturers warranty remains...and we purchased the extended warranty. I Took it to my friendly neighborhood repair shop to have the rotors replaced. They mentioned to me that we also might need to have a bearing replaced. Here's the question... if I take it to the dealer they want to charge me $75 just to look at it to tell me if it's covered by warranty. Does replacing the bearing sound like something that might be covered by my warranty?
posted by TuxHeDoh on Dec 6, 2004 - 5 answers

Is it safe to always keep the car air conditioner on, and on recirculate? A good idea? Because apparently that's what people in Taiwan do, but I've never seen it done in the US.
posted by calwatch on Oct 26, 2004 - 10 answers

Is it bad for a car's air conditioner to leave it running while idling for 15 minutes or so? Does the fan setting matter? Also, is it bad to have the a/c going hard while driving around in the heat everyday? [more inside]
posted by callmejay on Jul 5, 2004 - 8 answers