Automotive News Archives

The Cost of Owning a New Vehicle Climbs Significantly!

AAA has released new figures that boggle the mind when it comes to owning and operating a new vehicle. Take a look!

2023: $34,876 average sticker price 2022: $33,301 average sticker price

2023: $1,015 a month own/operate 2022: $894 a month own/operate

2023: $1,253 annual finance charge 2022: 90% lower annual finance charge

It is interesting to note that new vehicles are projected to depreciate $4,538 per year over a 5-year period. This is an increase of 24% over 2022.

It is believed that the global supply chain issues and a reduced inventory of new vehicles has contributed to the cost increase. Manufacturers are also concentrating on producing larger vehicles with many extra features, and all that costs more for the consumer to purchase and to operate.

We just wanted to share these numbers with you in case you are in the market for a new vehicle. It is always good to have the latest figures so you can make an informed decision.

While it’s awesome to buy a new vehicle, we suggest evaluating your existing vehicle to see if it might be better to keep it VS buying that new one. It’s always better to keep your vehicle if you like it, it suits your needs, and the condition and mileage are within reason. We can help you to decide if it’s cheaper to keeper.

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

How Green Can You Go?

Most of us are concerned with keeping our environment green. We buy reusable bags for our shopping trips, combine driving trips to be more fuel-efficient, and use the new style light bulbs to conserve energy. All these seemingly little conscious efforts add up to help our earth.

Hand holding a bubble of leaf with eco icon and Nature background metaphor sustainable lifestyle and Eco friendly

It may surprise you to learn that the automotive service and repair industry has been one of the leaders in keeping our environment clean…even before it was a popular theme with the general public. We are very careful with waste disposal in every way. As an example, one gallon of improperly disposed motor oil can contaminate a million gallons of drinking water! When consumers bring their car in for regular service it is one of the biggest benefits to cleaner air and the good news is…it saves you money too! In fact, it saves you money in more ways than one! It prolongs the life of the car you have, it saves money in fuel, and a regularly maintained vehicle saves you money on expensive repairs! It is a good deal all around.

A regularly maintained car can last 50% longer.
A properly tuned car keeps your engine firing properly…one misfiring spark plug can waste 30% in fuel efficiency!
Keeping your tires checked and rotated makes them last longer and can help your engine work better and easier.
Clean filters make a more fuel efficient vehicle.

Of course, it also helps not to drive like you are trying out for NASCAR or using it to transport or store heavy objects. All of this contributes to wear and tear on your vehicle too plus cuts way down on fuel efficiency.

Working together, we can all help our earth be a bit greener… breathe a bit easier… and save ourselves more of our hard-earned cash.

Certified Auto Specialists: the friendlier and more helpful auto shop! Feel free to contact us by calling us at 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help, or visit our website at CertifiedAutoCa.com.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Dipsticks – They are Disappearing

I remember when we checked engine oil and transmission fluid by pulling the dipstick out, wiping it clean, putting it back in, and pulling it back out. That simple process enabled us to check the fluid level. We could tell many things by that dipstick, but today it isn’t that simple. Many new models don’t even come equipped with an engine oil or transmission dipstick!

Modern automobiles have become marvels of precision and durability over the years. Many transmissions have 5, 6, 7 or even 8 speeds and do not have a dipstick to allow checking or adding to the fluid level or inspecting the fluid condition, unless you have specialty tools to do so. Some engines are following suit by removing the dipstick as well. These cars rely on the engine computer to check oil level and condition. Not sure about you, but that scares me.

Vehicles with dipstick-less engines and transmissions came about to keep people from adding incorrect fluid. A person or non-qualified shop would add or change the fluid using the incorrect type. The engine and/or transmission would fail prematurely because the less-expensive fluid did not lubricate properly, and failure was eminent. The consumer might put the fault on a poorly designed or defective car. This is happening more and more.

Some of these engines and transmissions are filled with what the manufacturer says is “long life” fluid, claiming it does not require changing for many miles. I recommend you find a trust worthy service center and use the manufacturer recommendations along with your service advisor recommendations to make the final decision on when to service your car.

With rules regulating the automotive manufacturers that mandate fuel mileage be increased every year, vehicles require very specific synthetic fluids. The cost of today’s fluids can be staggering, ranging from $6.00 to $26.00 per quart. Adding the wrong fluid will damage the internally lubricated parts over time.

Please do your homework when having any service performed; it can be devastating if the wrong fluid or incorrect fill procedure is performed.

Certified Auto Specialists wants to be your GO-TO place! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help.

Hometown Service You Can Count On!

Hyundai Car Warranty May Be Illegal

Do you drive a Hyundai? If so, you’re probably familiar with one of their major selling points – the “America’s Best” warranty, which is one of the best in the industry. It offers drivers 10-year, 100,000 mile warranties, which is almost unheard of from any other make. However, there’s a catch. According to the fine print, to keep the warranty intact, Hyundai owners must use only Hyundai parts.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, this is illegal. Based on previous precedent and current law, a company can’t force consumers to only purchase and use their own proprietary products in order to keep a warranty intact without permission, or without offering those products free of charge. This stipulation is in place to prevent monopolizing the system. A company can’t directly tie a consumer to their products in this way without any wiggle room or prevent them from seeking auto care from a third party if they choose.

The FTC has sent Hyundai a warning, along with several other companies who had similar policies. This is a disreputable practice that has only one goal – make the parent company more money by keeping repairs in house. There’s a reason we disapprove of this practice. In a free market, consumers need to be able to choose how they spend their money and which businesses they want to frequent. It’s not acceptable and is, in fact, illegal to offer a benefit like a warranty but only with the stipulation that your company is the only option.

Other companies who received a similar warning are ASUS, HTC, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Much like Hyundai, they also had practices that required consumers to use only their parts to maintain a warranty, as well as other stipulations. This sort of behavior is damaging to competitors and smaller third-party businesses that are trying to eke out a living in a highly competitive industry. For a healthy consumer economy to exist, people need to have access to options. Warrantees like these limit or completely eliminate those options.

If you have any questions about whether you can have your car looked at by an independent auto shop or have specific parts placed in your car without voiding your warranty, feel free to come see us. We’ll be able to advise you on how to protect yourself and your car’s warranty. We can be reached by phone at 626-541-2149 with questions or to schedule an appointment.

Are You Driving with Recalled Takata Airbags?

Takata airbags are a specific type of airbag manufactured by the Takata Corporation and they’ve been subject to recall for about ten years. However, millions of people are still driving around with these defective airbags in their car. Are you one of them?

To date, fifteen people have died from injuries sustained from these defective airbags and many more have been injured, sometimes after very minor collisions. Takata airbags have been known to explode, sending shrapnel at drivers and causing serious and sometimes deadly injuries. Millions of the airbags have been recalled, but only a small fraction of drivers have had theirs replaced. Even people who have been informed of the recall may not realize their car is affected.

These airbags are used in dozens of makes and models of car, including both economy and luxury makes. Among the brands affected are Toyota, Volkswagen, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Subaru, Lexus, Jeep, Jaguar, Honda, Acura, Ferrari, and many more. The years most frequently affected are 2006-2013, although cars made earlier or later may also contain the airbags. Some models from as early as 2001 or as late as 2016 may also be affected.

Is your car one of those subject to the Takata airbag recall? There’s a simple way to tell. Visit the website safercar.gov and input your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) into their recall look-up search. Also make sure to take a close look at all your mail before you toss out “junk” because there may be a recall notice that you’ve missed included in there somewhere.

Thirty-seven million vehicles have recalled airbags and only about 40% of drivers have actually heeded the recall and brought their car in for a replacement. Airbags are meant to be explosive in nature, expanding quickly to prevent injury to drivers and passengers. In these particular airbags, however, the chemicals causing that explosion are cheap and/or defective, releasing dangerous shrapnel. Please check to see if you need a replacement – it could be a matter of life and death. It’s so sad to hear stories of minor accidents that turned deadly because a recall warning wasn’t heeded.

An airbag replacement procedure is relatively simple for a professional but very dangerous for an inexperienced auto mechanic. Especially in the case of airbags with a known defect that could cause a serious explosion, you’re going to want to bring your car in to a reputable auto service center for replacement. Our technicians are highly trained and able to take all the necessary precautions to prevent damage to themselves and your car while replacing the airbag.

Please don’t leave a potential time bomb in your car because you’re not sure whether it’s part of the Takata recall. Do a quick check or reach out to us and we’ll be able to let you know whether your vehicle is affected. It’s always to better to be safe than sorry! You can reach us at 626-541-2149 with any questions.

Can Your Car Read Your Mind?

I was finally sitting down after a long day, hoping to relax a little. I turned on the news and heard that Nissan was researching technology where your car could read your mind! Whaaaattttt? I thought of road-rage drivers, under-the-influence drivers, and those who just aren’t the best drivers! Scary. I then started researching to learn more as I couldn’t believe this could ever be a good thing! Here is what I discovered:

The driver would wear a skullcap that measures brainwaves and activity.
The autonomous car would analyze this activity in real time.
The system would then alter steering, acceleration and braking based on the driver’s brain analysis…basically knowing what you want before you do.
This supposedly improves reaction time and increases driving enjoyment.
This also enables the car to respond to the driver’s needs to improve the comfort of the drive such as heating/air conditioning. This keeps the driver relaxed.

Why is this important if a car can drive itself without human interference? According to Nissan, we humans enjoy the driving experience and do not wish to give up that pleasure to “a machine.”

We will see…

Certified Auto Specialists wants to be your GO-TO place! Feel free to call 626-963-0814 with any questions and we will be glad to help.

Home Town Service You Can Count On!

What’s the Real Cost of Owning a Car?

Do you know how much your car really costs? We do! Lucky for you, we’re happy to share. Here’s what you need to know.

Let’s talk about True Cost to Own (TCO). If you’re wondering exactly how much your car is costing you every year, visit this cost calculator and enter your information. Does the number surprise you?

Now you have your number. What does it mean and where do those costs come from? We’ll explain.

What Your TCO Means

There are a number of factors that go into the cost of your car, from monthly payments to depreciation to insurance and more. In fact, here’s a quick list of all the monthly costs that you need to factor into car ownership.

Car payment
Insurance
Gas
Maintenance and repairs
Registration fees
Taxes
Depreciation

In 2017, for vehicles driven 15,000 miles per year, the average ownership costs were found to be almost $8,500. “Yikes,” you may be thinking. You had no idea your car could be costing you so much.

Thankfully, your car gets less expensive the longer you own it. This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s true. The biggest chunk (40%) of your yearly car cost comes from the depreciation hit, which is big in the beginning but decreases more and more over time. While it’s not a cost you “see,” it still impacts the overall value of your car, which is something to keep in mind.

Relatively speaking, maintenance and repair costs aren’t actually that much in the grand scheme of things, even though a repair bill can seem like a big chunk of change at the time. It’s certainly more cost-effective to keep up with your maintenance and repairs than buy a new car every few years and deal with car payments and the depreciation hit all over again.

Have more questions about the True Cost of your car? Drop us a line anytime!

Abraham Lincoln and Tire Tread

Customers look at me strangely when I tell them they can use the Abraham Lincoln method to test their tire tread. Actually we are talking about using a penny. Place the penny within the tire’s grooves and channels. Insert the penny so that Abraham Lincoln’s head faces downward. If the tire tread hides his face, your tires don’t need to be replaced. If you can see all of Abe’s face, it is time to replace your tires!

Keeping tires properly inflated increases their service life. Under-inflated tires lose tread around the outside edges. Over-inflated tires loose tread near the center. Your car care provider should rotate the tires every six months to help prevent tread wear.

Also with record gas prices, properly inflated tires with save you more than a penny, improper inflation can cause a loss of

1-3% of you fuel economy. Many cars have tire monitoring systems to ensure correct pressure, please don’t ignore them.

When it is time to buy new tires, make sure they match the specs listed on the car’s placard that can be found in the glove box, the gas filler door, on a car door edge or on a visor. All four tires need to be the correct size, all the same size; all have the same construction and speed rating. All four tires need to be balanced and aligned. Last note on tires: shop smart and ask questions, less expensive tires can also cost MPG, so explore all your tire brand options.

Your car care provider will keep an eye on your tires, most times for free, and know exactly which tires are best for your vehicle when it is time to replace them.

Please call us with any questions at 626-963-0814.

Happy Motoring!