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

Our family has grown 50% this year. Sadly, the laws of science are a harsh mistress, and my Toyota Echo is unable to grow at the same rate. What car would you recommend to replace it? [more inside]
posted by nickmark on Nov 17, 2009 - 26 answers

Theoretical brake wear: Do brake pads wear out faster, slower, or at the same rate if you brake later and harder than normal? [more inside]
posted by Liver on Oct 15, 2009 - 17 answers

Front-wheel drive car. Back tires worn and will be replaced. Front tires okay for now. Where should the new tires go? [more inside]
posted by Opposite George on Sep 15, 2009 - 25 answers

Is supermarket petrol bad for my car? [more inside]
posted by Lorc on Aug 30, 2009 - 14 answers

In order to find it if it's worth scratching a new web development itch, I'm looking for some links to websites that relating to cars that offer the following functionality... [more inside]
posted by newformula on Aug 13, 2009 - 4 answers

[Autofilter] My brakes make a grinding sound when I first start driving. After I use the brakes several times, usually after 5-10 minutes of driving (sometimes more), they're back to normal. In addition to the grinding sound, it's much harder to push down on the brake- this also disappears after using my brakes enough. What's up? [more inside]
posted by spaltavian on Aug 9, 2009 - 17 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

good research materials on the subject of electric cars, 3d modeling and/or entrepreneurship? [more inside]
posted by groovinkim on Jul 20, 2009 - 4 answers

Can I Still Get a Cash-Back Car Rebate After Buying a Car? [more inside]
posted by Elsie on Jul 18, 2009 - 4 answers

My boss wants me to research GPS units for him to use since he'll be traveling a lot more in the near future. Any recommendations? I really don't know what I should be looking for in a good GPS unit. [more inside]
posted by chiababe on Jul 14, 2009 - 18 answers

Help me find/decide on options for a new, family-friendly car. [more inside]
posted by dellsolace on May 14, 2009 - 24 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

I'm driving around, it's not even 70 degrees outside, and the inside of my car feels like a greenhouse. [more inside]
posted by luckyveronica on Mar 18, 2009 - 13 answers

Please help find a gently-used, luxury-ish sedan. [more inside]
posted by fieldtrip on Jan 25, 2009 - 8 answers

Asking for a friend. 2005 Lincoln LS - bought secondhand. There are a set of buttons to open the door (as opposed the key). How do we get them to work / program it? I know we have to enter the factory preset code - how do we find that out.
posted by Towelie on Dec 23, 2008 - 9 answers

How long can I wait to replace a purge valve in my '98 Toyota Corolla? How much is a reasonable price for getting this done? [more inside]
posted by lblair on Dec 15, 2008 - 3 answers

The digital odometer on my 2000 Honda Accord is not displaying numbers fully. Any way to fix this? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Nov 18, 2008 - 1 answer

Help me decide if I want this 98 Neon to be the first car I buy, for use in the rest of this year of high school, and college next year. [more inside]
posted by Precision on Nov 10, 2008 - 29 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

I live in a busy downtown area with street cleaning every other night. As such, I am required to move the car each night, and sometimes end up parking it on a street that is notorious for car theft/etc. Lately, somebody has been somehow popping my hood, wrenching off the battery cover, and stealing my car battery. [more inside]
posted by prior on Sep 25, 2008 - 8 answers

My friend's car was totaled in January by a drunk driver. She sold it back to the insurance company and bought a new car. Somewhere, someone screwed up: her car insurance was never switched from her old car to her new car. She was, however, able to switch her tags to the new car and register it. Nonetheless, until last month, she was paying insurance on a totaled car that she no longer owned. She just got a fine from Maryland Vehicle Administration for 2K+ for having tags on an uninsured vehicle. What should she do? [more inside]
posted by spaltavian on Sep 23, 2008 - 4 answers

Looking for an antique automobile renter/dealer in Florida panhandle, South Alabama, or South Mississippi? [more inside]
posted by bamassippi on Sep 18, 2008 - 0 answers

Where can I wash my convertible? I bought a '92 Infiniti M30 convertible recently. The original soft top (plastic window) is on it. I live in an apartment building, and can't wash my own car, except at a wash-it-yourself place, which is kinda far from my house. That said, there are tons of car washes here in LA at all levels of automation. Can I bring my car to a traditional carwash? The kind that drop the soap on the car from on top but they wash it with towels? What about the automated kind? I've never owned a convertible, I need some guidelines.
posted by YoungAmerican on Jul 12, 2008 - 6 answers

We want to rent a car in Las Vegas, and drive it on dirt roads in Arizona and Utah. What is the cheapest company that allows this (or who will be unlikely to notice we've been doing it)? Bonus points if they provide reasonably-maintained cars. Also, should we get a "Standard SUV" rather than "Mid-Size"? Do they use GPS tracking, and if so does it just check that we stay in permitted states, or do they also check that we stick to paved roads?
posted by thirteenkiller on Jun 2, 2008 - 11 answers

What's the best 1-2 yr old 4WD-capable car? Best for us means: fuel economy, reliability, non-behemoth-SUV-ness, aesthetic and reasonable cost (<$25k). Also: any knowledge about Subaru Outbacks and SoCal 4WD dealers. [more inside]
posted by lalochezia on Apr 29, 2008 - 26 answers

Why don't car manufacturers make pink cars? [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero on Apr 24, 2008 - 44 answers

I am trying to sell a car privately and am afraid of getting scammed. What forms of payment should I accept? [more inside]
posted by ShootTheMoon on Feb 4, 2008 - 35 answers

I need to buy a low-mpg, reliable, manual transmission, four-door used car for under $3500. What models should I look at besides Civics and Accords? And do you know of any other major car classified websites besides Cars.com, Carmax, Autotrader, Edmunds, and Craigslist? [more inside]
posted by schroedinger on Jan 18, 2008 - 22 answers

Help me figure out what to do about my driver's license and my car's tag & title (mainly FL but also GA). [more inside]
posted by dondiego87 on Jan 11, 2008 - 1 answer

Are there any websites that compile historical MSRPs for cars? Like if I wanted to know how much a dude had to pay for a new Camaro in 1979. [more inside]
posted by punkfloyd on Jan 4, 2008 - 3 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

I have a 1995 Ford Thunderbird in NYC/upper Manhattan. I suspect my battery is dead. Where can I get it replaced? [more inside]
posted by ofthestrait on Oct 24, 2007 - 5 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 unmarked black cars cars: why is their existence a secret? [more inside]
posted by univac on Sep 8, 2007 - 14 answers

car question: timing belt replacement on Hyundai 2003 Accent at 60k? [more inside]
posted by advil on Sep 5, 2007 - 13 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

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

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

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

We got a great deal from a car dealership. What should we get the salesperson as a sign of gratitude? [more inside]
posted by zavulon on Dec 20, 2006 - 19 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

How hard/expensive is it likely to be to get a ten-year-old Jeep to pass California emissions standards? [more inside]
posted by fuzzbean on Oct 19, 2006 - 8 answers

How hard and expensive it would be to import a Toyota from Canada into the US? We're looking at the Yaris, but the love of my life wants the 5 door hatchback and Toyota only sells the 3 door in the US. This is new for us, so please help out! [more inside]
posted by NortonDC on Aug 21, 2006 - 25 answers

Installed a cold air intake on my car. How does one maintain a CAI?
posted by donmayo on Jul 27, 2006 - 4 answers

How do I mount a front license plate on my Scion XB? I got a fixit ticket for having only a rear plate, but there's no holes to screw on a front plate. [more inside]
posted by YoungAmerican on Jul 24, 2006 - 12 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

Was there ever a plan for a public art project which would placed a giant rearview mirror next to Chicago's Lake Shore Drive? [more inside]
posted by Xalf on Jun 29, 2006 - 3 answers

Buying a used car. Basically paying the buyout of a lease. Am I getting a good deal? [more inside]
posted by eurasian on Jun 3, 2006 - 16 answers