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Study: East Coast states pay more for Check Engine light repairs

Filed under: Etc., Earnings/Financials

CarMD repair costs

Has it seemed like the cost to keep your older car on the road has gone up? Well, we have good news (you’re not going crazy) and bad news (repair costs are indeed going up all across the country). According to an annual study by CarMD, average repair costs have increased by 10 percent in 2012, with drivers in New Jersey paying the highest prices and those in Vermont paying the lowest.

Interestingly, states on the East Coast are paying more on average for common repairs, including diagnostic services when the dreaded Check Engine light comes on. Our nation’s capital saw the largest year-over-year increase at an alarming 20 percent, while Wyoming saw repair prices drop an average of 17 percent.

CarMD analyzed more than 160,000 individual repairs, targeting those that began with a Check Engine light. A full listing of the most- and least-expensive states can be found below, along with additional commentary from CarMD.

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East Coast states pay more for Check Engine light repairs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Why some Nissan Juke owners are getting a $400 check in the mail

Filed under: Crossover, Hatchback, Nissan, Earnings/Financials

2011 nissan juke

2011 Nissan Juke – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Nissan Juke is offered in two different drivetrain flavors: front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. When marketing the Juke early on, Nissan listed the gas tank capacity at 13.2-gallons. That’s true… for the front-wheel-drive model, however, the all-wheel-drive Juke has a smaller 11.6-gallon tank. Nissan caught the error and corrected it, but not before approximately 4,000 Juke owners purchased the all-wheel-drive Juke and assumed they had the larger tank.

Not content to simply issue an all-encompassing apology, Nissan is sending out letters to each one of those 4,000 Juke owners (out of the 22,000 folks who have so far purchased a Juke). But there is more than just a letter inside the envelope. Nissan is also including a check for $400. Head over to ConsumerSearch.com to read the letter that Nissan sent, then feel free sound off in the ‘Comments’ regarding the 400 bones.

Do you think this is a cool move by Nissan or would you still be upset as a Juke owner?

Why some Nissan Juke owners are getting a $400 check in the mail originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CarMD’s Vehicle Health Index deciphers the ‘check engine’ light

Filed under: Etc.

Is your Check Engine light staring you in the face? That bright orange warning serves as a beacon that something is wrong. Problem is, it doesn’t convey anything more than that. For years, the prime culprit of an illuminated CEL has been a loose gas cap. In fact, according to CarMD.com, the gas cap has ranked as number one on the CEL hit list for the last 12 years. Recently, however, it seems people are either giving their gas caps an extra twist or the Check Engine Light has had enough because the new CEL king is the engine misfire.

CarMD has an extensive database of Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC), which date back to the 1996 introduction of mandated on-board diagnostic technology. Now, CarMD is using that data to shed some light on the oft-misunderstood Check Engine light, and it’s produced its first-ever Annual Vehicle Health Index Report.

Set to be released each April, the Vehicle Health Index Report examines the most common repairs or fixes required as a result of CEL warnings. The gas cap has fallen to number two on that list, while replacement of the O₂ sensor has risen to the top spot. Taking home third place is the always-expensive DTC that alerts you to replace your catalytic converter.

Click past the jump to read the full press release from CarMD.com, and to glean more insight into what our Check Engine lights are telling us. Unless, of course, you own a Volkswagen from the mid ’90s, in which case you should simply get a piece of black tape and cover up the CEL because it’s always on.

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CarMD’s Vehicle Health Index deciphers the ‘check engine’ light originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 07 May 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: We check out VW’s new Fender audio systems

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Technology, Volkswagen

2012 Volkswagen New Beetle

At the 2011 New York Auto Show we experienced the 400-watt, nine-speaker Fender premium audio system in the Volkswagen Passat, Jetta GLI and Beetle, the three models in which it will be offered. When VW announced the partnership last December, the company said “Volkswagen and Fender put the concert in the car.” That wasn’t just a reference to getting good sounds in your ride, it was also a clue to how you’d get that sound. But before we even sat down in the Passat for a listen, our first question was: why Fender?

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New York 2011: We check out VW’s new Fender audio systems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stalk your old car like your old girlfriend with Check My Ride

Filed under: Technology

1976 BMW 2002

I found it. After more than four years and 3,000 miles, my 1976 BMW 2002 is currently residing in Newberry, Florida, just ~~east~~ west of Gainesville. How did I track it down? A new website that allows you to plug in your long lost love’s VIN (that’s Vehicle Identification Number for those acronym averse) and spits out its last registered location.

Check My Ride from AutoCheck is a social network for cars, allowing you to build a profile, add vehicles, find your old hoopties and connect with their current owners. You can also import some of the data into Facebook and get a free history report on your current car.

Admittedly, AutoCheck is a big buggy at the moment (it took several tries to get the info on some of our past rides), but we’re currently scouring our file cabinets for old maintenance folders and I’m trying to track down the VIN for my very first car, a (God help me) 1991 Plymouth Horizon. After that, I’ve gotta find the 1984 Supra, the 1970 510, the 1972 2002, the E36 318i…

[Source: Check My Ride via Wired]

Stalk your old car like your old girlfriend with Check My Ride originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan to check radiation levels on cars tabbed for export

Filed under: Japan, Nissan

Nissan Cube

As fears of radiation from Japan’s severely compromised Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant seem to be growing by the minute, automakers have tried to assure car buyers that most of their products are produced far enough away from the crippled facility that fallout won’t end up on vehicles, but a report from Kicking Tires shows that Nissan wants to go a step further.

Nissan will reportedly perform a radiation inspection on all vehicles imported from Japan; a process that will continue until all threats of contamination have subsided. Nissan is following through with the inspections even though The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association announced that it has found no harmful levels of radiation in any vehicles destined for export.

Nissan, along with other Japanese automakers, is also trying to better assess any potential supply disruptions that could come as a result of the quake and ensuing tsunami. The automaker claims that its current supply of vehicles here in the U.S. stands at 50 days worth of cars, trucks and SUVs. That number could dwindle, however, as current estimates show that the carmaker has at least seven days worth of parts. After those seven days are up, the company will reportedly reassess its situation.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

Report: Nissan to check radiation levels on cars tabbed for export originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ducati Superbikes gain features, keep prices in check

Filed under: Motorcycle

2011 Ducati 1198 SP

2011 Ducati 1198 SP – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ducati’s range-topping sportbike gets a pretty substantial upgrade for the 2011 model year, gaining a bunch of new standard equipment and seeing the introduction of an SP model as a replacement for the discontinued 1198 R. Perhaps the best news of all, though, is that pricing has pretty much held the line, even with the new features.

At the low end, not that any Ducati 1198 is exactly a stripper, is the standard 1198 for $16,495. For 2011, Ducati graces its superbike with Traction Control, a Ducati Data Analysis computer and a new quick-shifter. Stepping up to the next rung will get you the $21,995 1198 SP, which boasts the same updates as the standard model plus a sexy aluminum tank that weighs less and holds a gallon more fuel than the old steel unit, seven-spoke Marchesini wheels, slipper clutch and finally an Ohlins front fork and TTX rear shock.

Though the SP seems expensive, it’s actually a pretty good deal considering it comes in at just a $100 premium over last year’s S model. Still, if you want to save some coin, we doubt you’ll be disappointed by the new 2011 848 EVO and its 140-horsepower engine for $13,995. See more details on the 848 EVO here, and be sure to check out our high-res image galleries below.

Gallery: 2011 Ducati 1198 and 1198 SP

2011 Ducati 1198 SP

Gallery: 2011 Ducati 848 EVO

[Source: Ducati]

2011 Ducati Superbikes gain features, keep prices in check originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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