While performing routine maintenance on my car, my mechanic noticed a hum coming from the (standard) transmission. He then changed the transmission fluid and noticed pieces of metal when draining the old fluid out. Crap. This car only has 85,000 miles. How many more can I realistically get out of it? [more inside]
posted by Rewind on Dec 4, 2009 - 11 answers

Should I bother fixing my catalytic converter? [more inside]
posted by zvs on Nov 17, 2009 - 10 answers

Calling those w/ more knowledge of cars than I... 1999 Toyota Camry with a well-documented Check Engine light problem. How can I convince people/mechanics that the problem is a low-percentage systemic design flaw and not something that needs replacing if there's never been a recall issued? [more inside]
posted by Lacking Subtlety on Nov 5, 2009 - 11 answers

Car rental insurance: what should I get? [more inside]
posted by cgs on Nov 2, 2009 - 15 answers

I need to get a car, but I don't do much driving... so I don't want to spend a lot. That means I'm looking at the new Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3 class of cars (all 2010). Of the group, the Mazda 3 is my favorite by far. Thing is, I don't really know much about cars + I'm a 26 year old guy = is the Mazda 3 a chicks car? [more inside]
posted by creative on Oct 24, 2009 - 70 answers

I'll be regularly flying in to ski near N. Lake Tahoe this winter. Which airport should I fly into and which rental agency should I use to be most assured of getting an AWD vehicle? [more inside]
posted by brain on Oct 23, 2009 - 4 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

[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

Hypothetical Cash for Clunkers question - If I brought in a clunker, how much of the clunker must be there? [more inside]
posted by datacenter refugee on Jul 29, 2009 - 19 answers

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

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

MeChanics, a moment, please! Could wheel bearing failure be caused by improperly replacing brakes/rotors on my car? [more inside]
posted by Jinkeez on Jul 15, 2009 - 9 answers

Is there and GOOD and CHEAP way to replace a Prius battery? [more inside]
posted by SLC Mom on Jul 6, 2009 - 10 answers

Foolproof way to prevent registration sticker theft? [more inside]
posted by oinopaponton on Jun 23, 2009 - 16 answers

I don't drive and I need to figure out how. [more inside]
posted by FunkyHelix on Jun 10, 2009 - 16 answers

Someone I know (cough me /cough) put antifreeze in a transmission. Will it blend? [more inside]
posted by toomuch on May 12, 2009 - 10 answers

We bought a brand new car a couple of weeks ago but the windscreen is scratched. We're pretty sure that the dealer did this but we don't really have any proof. What are our options? [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 on Apr 28, 2009 - 6 answers

Having had such luck in my last AskMe post, I trying again. I want to find if anyone recalls the title of another science fiction short story I read when I was young*. It involved a nightmare scenario where sinister predatory aliens were snatching drivers and passengers from speeding vehicles on a fast moving freeway. [more inside]
posted by y2karl on Apr 14, 2009 - 9 answers

If one car engine makes 3 revolutions on the starter engine before it runs, and (the same spec) other car engine takes 10, does the starting time cause one engine to sustain more wear than the other? [more inside]
posted by wildatheart on Feb 26, 2009 - 7 answers

Autofilter: Is there any other part of a car that I can replace and give a decent boost of performance like K&N Air Filter? Also my trunk door does not stay up. [more inside]
posted by jstarlee on Feb 9, 2009 - 17 answers

How can I retrieve my CDs from my broken car stereo? Better yet, how can I make it work? [more inside]
posted by junipero on Dec 2, 2008 - 7 answers

The heater core in my 2001 Ford Taurus has just failed for the third time in less than 18 months. The car has about 90K miles on it. What could be causing these repeated failures? [more inside]
posted by maurice on Nov 6, 2008 - 6 answers

When I lived in LA a few years ago, I heard about a short-lived craze among status-seekers in the entertainment industry. [more inside]
posted by AngerBoy on Oct 19, 2008 - 20 answers

I broke my car driving to a location, for work. I just got the bill and it's nearly $900 to fix it. What sort of recourse can I take as far as company reimbursement is concerned? If so, how do I approach this discussion? [more inside]
posted by dearest on Oct 16, 2008 - 13 answers

I am going to buy a used car for my teen. I have the cash. The economy is in shambles. Cars are not exactly selling like hotcakes now. Shouldn't I be able to go to a car dealership and get a helluva deal now? What am I missing here?
posted by sandra194 on Oct 7, 2008 - 24 answers

How reliable are small Suzuki cars? [more inside]
posted by TheyCallItPeace on Sep 30, 2008 - 9 answers

How do I replace the driver’s side low-beam headlight on my 2004 Honda Civic LX? [more inside]
posted by vkxmai on Sep 29, 2008 - 6 answers

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

How to get rid of this scrapheap in Port Phillip, VIC, Oz? [more inside]
posted by activities not in keeping with my status on Jan 30, 2008 - 6 answers

What are your best tips and techniques for driving in a big city? [more inside]
posted by barchan on Aug 27, 2007 - 52 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

My six-month old Scion had smelled like moldy laundry ever since I turned on the heat this Fall. What is going on and how can I fix it or more precisely, how can I get Toyota to fix it? [more inside]
posted by octothorpe on Nov 27, 2006 - 16 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

I need to fix up my brother's POS car to sell it. How much effort should I go to? My brother is moving out of state, and since my parents are also no longer in the area, it has fallen on me to sell the car and send the money on to my Dad. (My parents actually paid for the car.) [more inside]
posted by voidcontext on May 5, 2006 - 21 answers

There is a piece of lose plastic hanging down near the passenger side tire of my girlfriends car. Need some advice on what it is and how much it may cost to fix. [photos inside] [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000 on Apr 28, 2006 - 8 answers

My company recently moved to Silicon Valley, and since I live in San Fran and the commute via public transit is 1.5 hours (vs 30 mins in a car) I've decided to buy a car for the first time ever. But I am totally flummoxed by the range of possibilities. I know I want a used compact 4 door that gets good mileage. Seems like it would be good to get it from a dealer so I can get extended warranty. But I don't know where to go from here. Any advice for a first time car buyer would be greatly appreciated. My price range is flexible but would like to spend no more than 15k. Also, I would love to hear recommendations-- some people have told me to go for a Civic or a Corolla, are there other cars 'equivalent' to those? I am not a fixer-upper so reliability is key. I know older cars are cheaper but seems like they'd be more prone to mechanical trouble-- not sure how much of a trade off it is to go old vs new.
posted by jcruelty on Apr 12, 2004 - 33 answers