My car's getting older, and I have recently moved to a new place with no garage. I'm worried about it starting in cold weather. More details inside! [more inside]
posted by Richat on Dec 11, 2009 - 13 answers

I own a 1997 VW Golf that threw a rod in 2004 and has been sitting (inside a garage) ever since. Donating it to charity has no tax benefit for me. It needs to go. Does it have any cash value at all? If so, how much? [more inside]
posted by anastasiav on Nov 10, 2009 - 14 answers

It's that time in my life where my family is outgrowing our vehicles, and we are looking for something larger. I'll be the main driver and I am pretty big (6'3" 230 lbs). So we want something both economical and comfortable. I looked at the Mazda5, but it is too tiny for carseats and me... So... Which 2009/2010 minivan/crossover should I choose? [more inside]
posted by fozzie33 on Sep 21, 2009 - 15 answers

I am looking to buy a used car for cash from a local (CA) private party, not a dealer. What do I need to know? [more inside]
posted by exceptinsects on Aug 3, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm looking for a new car mechanic in Melbourne, Australia and/or tips for finding a reliable one in general... [more inside]
posted by Silentgoldfish on Mar 26, 2009 - 4 answers

My car died far from home. What's the best way to get rid of it? [more inside]
posted by NortonDC on Nov 6, 2008 - 12 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

Where can I find a database of American cars? [more inside]
posted by pb on Jun 20, 2008 - 2 answers

Asking for Mr. Oflinkey: Where can he find reliable statistics about how many Americans are employed by various auto manufacturers (Honda, Toyota, Ford, etc.). This should not be limited to manufacturing jobs. He is seeking this information to answer a larger question: Does buying American-made cars really make much of a difference anymore?
posted by oflinkey on May 1, 2008 - 4 answers

I'm looking to replace the fuel filter on my 2003 Chevrolet Tracker. It's a relatively easy process, but I'm having some difficulty locating the exact position of the filter. Does anyone happen to have a diagram or link to where can I get this information?
posted by Aanidaani on Mar 31, 2008 - 4 answers

Changing sparkplugs: I have a 2003 Chevrolet Tracker, with an unusual ignition coil setup, and I want to learn how to remove the coils and access my plugs. (Pictures inside) [more inside]
posted by Aanidaani on Jan 25, 2008 - 5 answers

Is there any difference in performance between pre-gapped sparkplugs (such as these) and ones that you have to gap yourself? [more inside]
posted by Aanidaani on Jan 14, 2008 - 7 answers

Cars! I don't want to go to the mechanic as a female and say, "I have no idea what's wrong with my car! Please replace half my engine and overcharge me ridiculous amounts!!" I'm hoping to get some ideas on what might be wrong before I go... [more inside]
posted by veronitron on Jan 3, 2008 - 19 answers

Is it true that it is good for a car to fill it up with higher grade gas once in a while? I usually fill up at Shell, and there is 87, 89 and 91 kinds of gas, with 87 being the cheapeast and 91 being the most expensive. I usually get 87. However, I heard that if you own a car and want it to last longer, it is beneficial to fill it up with the most expensive gas, to "clean the engine". Is that true? If so, what is the explanation behind it? I drive a 2002 Kia Rio, if that makes any difference.
posted by esolo on Dec 22, 2007 - 22 answers

CarFilter: What cars on the market today (preferably more common models, not high end exotic vehicles) have potential to be considered classic in 20-30 years? [more inside]
posted by azpenguin on Nov 10, 2007 - 48 answers

Help me figure out what's wrong with my old crappy van. [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Nov 1, 2007 - 9 answers

What would an auto parts website call the flexible sheet of plastic bolted underneath the front corners of a car, just in front of the wheel well? It looks easy to replace, but I don't know how to go about getting a replacement.
posted by boognish on Sep 29, 2007 - 7 answers

UsedCarFilter: Is buying used from a rental car company, specifically Enterprise, a good idea? First hand experiences appreciated. [more inside]
posted by Cogito on Sep 14, 2007 - 26 answers

The key in my wife's Camry wouldn't turn until I jiggled the steering wheel. [more inside]
posted by codswallop on Aug 16, 2007 - 20 answers

My hatchback car (Honda Fit) doesn't have a separately-locking trunk or glovebox. Can I add a lock-box or secret compartment somewhere inside the car for stashing a few items, for those times I must turn over my keys (parking garage, valet)? Ideally I'd only be securing/concealing 3 deck-of-cards-sized items: iPod, GPS, EZPass. There are no official Honda accessories that do this, nor can I find any Fit-fanatic mods that have addressed it.
posted by xo on Aug 1, 2007 - 4 answers

Convertible Top Repair: Possible? [more inside]
posted by trinarian on Jul 29, 2007 - 6 answers

Autofilter: Should the windows on my '05 Volkswagen GTI roll all the way down? [more inside]
posted by wmeredith on Jun 12, 2007 - 2 answers

When buying exhaust flex pipes like these, to fit over an H-pipe with a diameter of 2.5", would you buy the flex pipes with the 2.5" outlet diameter or do you need something bigger? [more inside]
posted by Venadium on Jun 2, 2007 - 1 answer

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

Do I have to stop and render aid when witnessing an accident? [more inside]
posted by chitlin on Apr 2, 2007 - 16 answers

My 1991 Jeep Cherokee automatic seems to be "trembling" while it idles. The shaking decreases once it's moving, but persists- albeit in a much reduced state. On top of that, the engine just sounds like it's working harder than it used to. Help! [more inside]
posted by Waffle_King on Feb 21, 2007 - 7 answers

Can anyone help me find some OBD-II software for the Mac? [more inside]
posted by Jon-o on Feb 1, 2007 - 4 answers

Does anyone know how, where, how much anythign about replacing the dashboard of a 1998 Tj Jeep Wrangler? [more inside]
posted by Justin Ryan on Jan 29, 2007 - 5 answers

We're looking to buy a new or pre-owned car. We have a pretty good idea of what we want from a car, but not what exact model. So I was looking for suggestions on which one we should get. [more inside]
posted by zavulon on Nov 25, 2006 - 21 answers

My current auto insurance policy expires in 11 days. At the beginning of the month, I bought a policy from another company to start on the same day my current policy ended. Today, I was in a car accident. How would the fact that I'm not renewing my current policy affect me? [more inside]
posted by Darke on Sep 18, 2006 - 10 answers

Should I get a car part at a junkyard/salvage yard/auto recycler, and how do I go about it? [more inside]
posted by matildaben on Sep 5, 2006 - 18 answers

Auto Insurance: What? [more inside]
posted by schroedinger on Aug 1, 2006 - 22 answers

Sometimes when I try to start my car, it doesn't seem to "catch". This only happens sometimes, and when I took it to the shop, they couldn't find anything wrong. [more inside]
posted by exceptinsects on Jul 3, 2006 - 17 answers

My car's engine heat indicator suddenly began soaring anytime I idle. This can't be good. What is the cause, and how do I fix? [more inside]
posted by donmayo on May 21, 2006 - 12 answers

Is there an online outlet/store to find spare parts for cars? [more inside]
posted by skechada on May 9, 2006 - 8 answers

Dodgy charges for a car repair and recommendations for extended warranties? [more inside]
posted by Mave_80 on Feb 16, 2006 - 11 answers

What kind of car is the safest to drive? There are lots of studies on which cars are best in a crash, but I suspect that some cars crash less often than others, so I am interested in statistics that take the rate of accidents as well as crashworthiness into account. [more inside]
posted by procrastination on Dec 27, 2005 - 24 answers

What are some good wheel and alignment shops in or around Montclair, NJ? [more inside]
posted by jclovebrew on Nov 30, 2005 - 6 answers

I just inherited a 1998 Mountaineer that has only 20,000 miles. It's never been tuned up and still has the original tires. I'm pretty sure the spark plugs are fouled because it's never been driven at highway speeds. Everything appears to be in great shape. What kind of problems can I expect from this car? [more inside]
posted by Slap Incognito on Nov 28, 2005 - 7 answers

I'm thinking about getting a tiny car, and using a roof-top luggage carrier for trips. Good idea? [more inside]
posted by MrMoonPie on Nov 26, 2005 - 18 answers

Any good online references for finding an auto repair shop? Reports, reviews, horror stories? [more inside]
posted by intermod on Oct 24, 2005 - 9 answers

Do I want to sell my car to a salvage yard? If so, how do I do it? [more inside]
posted by rkent on Aug 10, 2005 - 13 answers

Does anyone know of a good mechanic in Chicago? [more inside]
posted by xammerboy on Apr 3, 2005 - 3 answers

How can I figure out what's leaking from my car? (And other maladies...) Does anyone know of a site -- like WebMD, but for cars -- where I can type in symptoms and narrow down what might be wrong with a car? I know that I can go to a mechanic, but sometimes the first question is whether it's even safe to drive the car to the mechanic. [more inside]
posted by xo on Mar 31, 2005 - 10 answers

Car Repair filter. Leaking radiator help needed. [more inside]
posted by bystander on Mar 4, 2005 - 12 answers

My sister-in-law is looking for a low-priced new or used car, probably a Toyota, but she's also looking at a Kia or a Hyundai. We're in the metro Atlanta area [MI]... [more inside]
posted by jpburns on Nov 19, 2004 - 26 answers

How do I protect my car from thieves? I headed out to work this morning and was confronted by this. (that would be all four tires and wheels - $750 worth) I have a Clifford alarm system, I always park in highly visible areas, I stay out of "bad areas", there is a police academy 100 yards from where this picture was taken. What do I do to make this never happen again? [more inside] [more inside]
posted by y6y6y6 on Feb 19, 2004 - 29 answers