Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Ford and the Largest Recall Ever!



Luckily, some of the latest recall news doesn’t pertain to the vehicles at Aiken Chevrolet Dealers, but there is a good chance you could find one of the affected models in their used car inventory.  For the past ten years’ worth of vehicles, Ford Motor Company is recalling several of their models.  While you probably can get them fixed at Master Buick GMC Repair, if you contact Ford customer service they will direct you where to go to seek service.  The problem is related to a leaky cruise control switch that could catch on fire.  If that happened, you would definitely have to seek repairs at a shop like Collision Center Augusta, but we don’t know how much they could really help you. 

The truly bizarre thing in this recall is that the vehicle could spontaneously catch fire, even if the vehicle is parked and unattended!  When the cruise control switch leaks, the fluid drips into the antilock brake systems.  Once there, it is only a matter of time before the vehicle will burst into flames.  It has happened in the past, and Ford continues to urge people to check the VIN of their particular Ford to see if it has been repaired or not.  As of right now, out of 14 million vehicles that were part of the recalls, there are still 8.4 million out on the roads driving today that still haven’t been serviced.

The specific models include the larger vehicles; E Series, F Series, Rangers, Explorers, and Windstars.  The affected model years range from 1992 up until 2003, so you will want to be overly cautious.  This is good advice for anyone who has purchased a used car because you have no way of knowing for sure whether a vehicle has been repaired from a recall or not.  That is the problem Ford is encountering right now.  People have bought these older model vehicles for a very inexpensive price, and they don’t even think that a recall might still be in effect.



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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Defensive Driving Tips



In order to stay safe in the city or on the highway when you are driving your Honda Civic Coupe Oakville, you should practice defensive driving. Defensive driving is multi-faceted, and there are many ways for you to avoid accidents by practicing it. Being aware and practicing defensive driving with your vehicle purchased from Dayton Toyota or any other dealership will help you prevent accidents and reduce the severity of accidents should they happen. Even if you are driving a vehicle loaded with safety features like those sold at Kansas City Kia Specials, you should practice defensive driving.

One important tip to consider when you are driving is to be aware of vehicles that have slowed down or stopped. This becomes even more important when you are turning to perform a shoulder check or turning away even for a brief second. A vehicle that was ahead of you can quickly slow down, and you must be watching the road at all times if you are in close proximity to a vehicle nearby you. You should not perform a shoulder check unless you have adequate space between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you to avoid a potential rear end collision.

Another important safety tip to consider is to be aware of animals while driving. Deer and other animals can cause serious collisions resulting in injury and serious damage to an automobile. It is important that you are aware of animals crossing the street, and to improve your reaction time you should drive the speed limit. When you are on the highway at night and there are no oncoming cars you should use your high beams so that you have more reaction time to unexpected animals and so that they can see your vehicle from a further distance. Practicing these and other defensive driving tips will help you avoid accidents.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Safety Features on the Latest Model Cars

The Mazda 6 of Mazda Oil Change has a pre crash safety system that detects on coming obstacles, alerts the driver and if necessary, automatically applies the brakes and pretensions the seat belts to reduce the risk of injury. The radar cruise control system uses a radar sensor to measure the speed and distance of the vehicle in front and automatically controls acceleration and deceleration to maintian a preset distance. Both systems are available as a factory installed set option on the 25ex grade and the 25z grade with automatic transmission.

The 2011 VW Jetta at Peoria Volkswagen, has an anti lock braking system known as ABS, hydraulic brake assist, electronic stability control, anti intrusion side impact door beams, and daytime running lights. As for the air bags in the Jetta, this car features driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side thorax airbags and driver and front passenger side curtain airbags. For safety that adjust to your height, the Jetta comes with 3 point safety belts in all seating positions with emergency lock re tractors, also comes with front and rear out board pretensioners with load limiters, front height adjustment, rear center safety belt inerlock, rear seat Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children also known as the LATCH system, and child safety rear door locks. To add to all those safety features, the Jetta also comes available with tire pressure monitoring system, collapsible steering column, a trunk escape handle, and a dual note horn.

As For the Chevy Equinox at Chevrolet Dealer Wichita, the safety of this vehicle has advance technologies to help you avoid collisions including the stabilitrak electronic stability control system with traction control and roll over mitigation, available all wheel drive and four wheel anti lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution. For protection during a collision the Equinox has features like the steel safety cage, six airbags (ten with roll over sensors), and the LATCH system. The equinox comes standard for the first six months with OnStar. In a crash, built in sensors can automatically alert OnStar even if you can't respond.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Be Safe This Winter!


As winter months are approaching, it is important to remind ourselves how to drive safely in snow and ice.  Truth be told, your new car from Chattanooga Ford Dealers can be equipped with every gadget and safety gizmo in existence, but driving in snow and ice is always unpredictable.  There are some simple things you can do to keep your new car from San Diego Toyota Dealers in good working order for the winter months.  And if after reading these tips and you don’t feel comfortable driving in the snow, then don’t!

One of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do to winterize your car from Stamford Nissan Dealers has to do with your wipers and tires.  First, clean your windshield inside and outside, making sure to apply a Rain-X type solution to the outside to help the water bead up.  Opt for the tougher windshield wipers and fill your wiper fluid with fluid that won’t freeze.  Go to your local tire store and make sure you have 6/32-inch tread on the tires; typical tires have 10/32-inch tread, which is too shallow for snow.  Your safety is worth the extra money for snow tires! 

While driving, it is most helpful to be familiar with the area.  Some places around your town are slightly higher in elevation and are likely to freeze first.  Snow isn’t as dangerous to drive in as ice is.  Pay special attention while driving over bridges or though intersections, as these areas tend to get icy first.  Also, keep an eye out for shady spots because they will be icy until the sun hits them.  Hitting black ice is one of the scariest things drivers will encounter, and the best thing you can do is to remain calm.  Don’t over-correct your steering or you will crash once you are past the black ice. 




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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Safety Features of the 2011 New VW Beetle


The 2011 VW Beetle now has some of the best safety features than most in its class. Almost like the Toyota Matrix at Lexington Toyota, which locks when you put it in gear, the Beetle will automatically lock once you reach about 8 miles per hour. This keeps passengers safe inside the cabin. Just pull the handle twice to unlock the doors or press the unlock button. With this VWs Iconic round shape, it gives you a stronger feeling of strength and ridgidity for safety. Almost like the Ford Fiest's rounded shape at St. Cloud Ford Dealers. The new advanced airbag features includes side airbags in front along with head airbags as well. The Toyota Prius at Seattle Toyota Dealerships has these same airbag features in the front just a few more in the back as well.

The VW Beetle comes standard with signal mirrors. The signal mirrows have blinkers built right into them. This helps vehicles to the left or right of you know when you're turning or changing lanes much more easily. As an added bonus, its easier to spot when you've left your blinker on.

To help prevent other injuries, this car comes with the deformable steering column which is designed to actually collapse upon impact. With the immobilizer 3, part of the theft deterrent system, this system will allow the vehicle to start only if a key with the appropriate coding is inserted into the ignition. Some other standard features are the daytime running lights, truck release, electronic stability control, 4-wheel ABS, and a tire pressure monitor.

Safety Features of the Infiniti QX56

The new and improved Infiniti QX56 now comes equipped with some of the newest, and safest safety features. You might think with all these features, that the QX56 might be way over your budget range, but you can find this SUV at used car dealer Manchester for a lot cheaper than the brand new ones. It comes standard with the Infiniti Advanced Airbag System (AABS) includes dual-stage supplement front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification sensors which adjust their inflation rate depending on crash severity, seat occupancy and seat belt usage. This system is much like the system used in the Chevy Traverse at Chevrolet Dealer Louisville. If the front-passenger seat is empty, a sensor will deactivate the air bag. Most of the newer Honda Accords do this as well. You can compare the two systems at Honda Dealer Louisville.

Driver and front passenger seat comes with mounted side impact supplement air bags, it also comes with roof mounted curtain side-impact supplemental airbags with rollover sensor for outboard occupant head protection for all three rows. For even more head protection, the front seat has active head restraints also known as AHR.

For safety that adjusts to your height and weight, there is 3-point height adjustable front seat belts with pretension and load limiters, drivers seat emergency locking re-tractor (ERL), passengers seat ERL and automatic locking re-tractor (ARL). The third row also comes with the 3-point seat belts with both ELR and ALR. Front row seat belts with pretensioner, load limiters and seat belt reminder. The second row also has the 3-point adjustable seat belts with ELR and ALR.

For more driving safety, the QX56 has the electronic brake force distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and 4-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS). Ever find yourself almost in an accident due to not being able to see out of your blind spots? Well this infiniti has the Blind Spot Warning system. It helps alert the driver to a vehicle that your car detects in the blind spot area.

The QX56 comes standard with the intelligent cruise control, distance control assist (DCA), and vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with traction control system (TCS). For extra brake safety, it has the slide-away brake pedal assembly. Thanks to the Auto hazard warning signals, in the event of the airbags being deployed, the hazard lights will be turned on automatically.

When it comes to the safety of your tires, the QX56 has tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) with individual tire pressure display and tire inflation indicator.

Most importantly, the QX56 comes with Child safety features as well. Its equipped with child safety rear door locks, and comes with Snug Kids, which is the online guide to selecting and correctly installing a child restraint seat for you Infinti automobile. It also has the LATCH system also known as the lower anchors and tether for children, and it helps simplify proper installation of compatible child restraint seats.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Latest GM Recall: 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet Impala


In recent news, there has been a recall early last week by the GM company for the 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet Impala's for a possibly safety defect on the seat-belts. While most will go ahead to their dealer or car repair Costa Mesa, others may have had enough of this recall business altogether. After all, surely not all car companies have faulty vehicles that miss the fine-tooth comb inspection we all wish every car had, but Smail Pontiac Cadillac GMC does deserve some slack at the same time. Not all car dealerships deserve the brunt end of what the manufacturers are not providing for their consumers.

Cars like Nissan Altima Coupe New York can be more reliable, but it really is just a matter of picking the needle out of the haystack when it comes to the automotive industry and finding the right car company and car. In this case, the 2009 and 2010 Chevrolet Impalas are not the right needle. 322,409 to be exact, are not the right needle--the amount of Chevrolet Impalas that are being recalled.

Most do not realize that there may be a safety hazard, and while there haven't been any injuries or deaths related to this safety belt issue, it is still a very serious matter that you want to treat with caution. The best way to handle such is to either wait for your letter in the mail that should be arriving around October 25th explaining the situation in a more formal matter, or just stop by your nearest Chevrolet dealer and they will check both front seat-belts for you.

What most dealers are looking for is an installation problem with the front seat-belts webbing that may have not been properly secured to the lap-belt anchor pretensioner that is mounted to the side of the seat. This is a safety problem because if a crash were to occur with these faulty seat-belts, the anchors may separate in a crash and thus cause injury to the passengers within the car.

If the dealers find an error with the original installation then manufacturers have instructed the dealers service departments to re-install the anchors free of charge and to also make sure any repairs related to the condition are also to be done free of charge. We will keep you posted with the recall as more news is released.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Prevent Teenage Driving Distractions


Teenage drivers may frequent places like Auto Repair Indianapolis more often than they should be doing.  Young drivers are more distracted than they were even ten years ago, and the rate of teenage drivers who admit to driving while distracted is astonishingly high.  Sure, we still see drivers of Palm Bay Mercury Grand Marquis driving while talking on their cell phones, and it is that exact kind of behavior that makes teenagers think it is ok to do.  There is nothing scarier than driving next to a new driver who is busy trying to text and drive while it is pouring down rain.  No matter how safe the vehicles are at Burlington Volkswagen, if the driver is distracted, then an accident is going to occur, and it is one that could easily be prevented.

Last month, AAA, Seventeen Magazine, and the Department of Transportation held National Two-Second Turnoff Day.  On September 17th, young drivers were urged to take a mere two seconds and turn off their cell phones before starting their vehicle’s engines.  When a survey conducted by AAA and Seventeen Magazine found that 86% of teenagers admit to driving while distracted and that 84% of them realized it was dangerous behavior, there is an obvious disconnect going on.  We all know that teenagers operate under the belief that they are invincible, but parents and other adult drivers on the road need to be good role models.

According to a representative at AAA, taking your eyes off the road for only two seconds doubles your risk of having an accident.  For teenagers who are of driving age, motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death.  The surveys conducted also revealed that 36% of teenagers are aware that their distracted driving caused them to have a near-crash and 28% admit to texting while driving.  An impressive 60% admit to talking on a cell phone while driving.  It is frustrating to hear these statistics given the amount of vehicles that come equipped with Bluetooth or some other hands free system. 




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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

NHTSA Ratings More Stringent


Out of 34 of the new 2011 car models tested under the new NHTSA crash test rating system, only two earned a perfect five stars: BMW 5 Series and Hyundai Sonata.  That doesn’t mean that your older car from Wayne Mazda Financing that did well in their relative year crash test wouldn’t do well in the new ones or that your vehicle is any less safe.  Out of the 34 cars that have been tested so far, the Nissan Versa received only two stars, the Toyota Camry received three, and the remaining 22 received four stars.  All of this is good news for places like Dodge Butler Rebate because the new crash test scores will help auto engineers make their vehicles even safer than before. 

It can be confusing looking at the crash test ratings while you are shopping at Peoria Chevrolet.  We are no longer able to compare straight across the board the ratings from 2010 to 2011.  A model that got a perfect 5 stars in 2010 is likely only going to get 4 stars for the 2011 model year.  The new car is not less safe, but too many vehicles were getting perfect scores all the time.  While that is good news for consumers and auto engineers alike, it also means that the test was too easy and was due for a face-lift.

The main changes to the crash test ratings include issuing a vehicle an overall score of one through five stars.  Also, a side-pole crash has been included in the data.  This new test will give engineers a new way to look at data rather than the traditional T-bone accident.  The NHTSA is incorporating a wider selection of shapes and sizes for the test-dummies.  The different size dummies will alert engineers to more areas of weakness in the event of a crash. 




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Theft Prevention Tips!


Now that you have finally bought that new car from Hartford Chrysler Jeep that you've been wanting for the past few months, you will want to keep it safe.  Besides the usual routine maintenance, there are some easy to do tips and tricks to help prevent your car from being stolen.  It is estimated that approximately 1.2 million vehicles are stolen annually in the United States, and that statistic includes vehicles from Worcester Nissan and other dealerships.  So keep reading and pass on the advice to your friends.

The best advice to prevent theft of any vehicle, including the ones from New York Hyundai, are to park it in your secure garage at night.  Many of us store tons of other items in our garages besides our car, but when you purchased your home you likely didn't plan on using the garage to store old junk (like you are doing now).  So, clean it out and start protecting the second most valuable asset you will likely purchase in your lifetime.

Another simple thing you can do is to make sure there are no valuable items visible in your vehicle.  There is no reason to taunt thieves passing by your car.  Use the trunk, glove compartment, or the under the seat bins that many cars come with or you can purchase after-market.  Many vehicles these days come with some kind of anti-theft system already installed.  If your car is older or doesn't come with one, consider installing an alarm system

In case your vehicle does get stolen, it would have been in your best interest to make sure that your VIN (vehicle identification number) is written on the inside of your hood, trunk, and car battery.  These items are some of the first to be scrapped by thieves trying to make some extra money, but if the VIN is written on them, it might act as a deterrent so that your car will be in one piece when you get it back.  Lastly, make sure you park in a well-lit area and lock your doors each and every time you leave your vehicle unattended.



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