When you buy a car from a dealer, you expect it to work and run at its best. Sometimes bad things happen too soon. The clear coat or paint fades. The body is prone to rust. Misfires keep happening to everyone’s bewilderment. A haunting check engine light reveals the same codes that just won’t go away. You’ve taken it to the shop or dealership under warranty, and after several tries, nothing works. The car is no longer driveable, safe, or as valuable. Now you have a sour taste in your mouth. So, what do you do?
At 1A Auto, we just don’t sell parts, we live and love everything automotive. That’s a big part of why we’ve been putting on a charity car show for 9 years. Of course, the main thing is to give back to some great causes, but it’s always fun to show off our favorite pieces of machinery. If you come out to the car show in Pepperell, MA on September 9, there’s a good chance you’ll see some of these cool cars that belong to members of the 1A team.
Cracked 1998 Ram dash, shared on carcomplaints.com.
The dashboard is about the last thing you’d expect to break on your car. It’s just a big piece of plastic after all. What could go wrong? Well, hundreds of Dodge Ram owners have experienced this problem. Some Ram dashboards develop cracks and can eventually break into pieces.
How Common is it for the dashboard to crack on Dodge Rams?
The New York Times found over 200 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration about the problem. Keep in mind these numbers just represent the people who took the time to file a complaint.
How Bad Is It?
The problem can start with hairline cracks, but in some cases entire chunks of the dashboard come off. One of the NHTSA complaints the New York Times found noted that a piece of dashboard flew off and hit the owner in the face. Holes in the dashboard can also let moisture and debris into the equipment underneath. In one report, this resulted in shorted wires, horn, and lighting failures.
Having a child safety seat is necessary, and legally required, for keeping infants, toddlers, and children safe while driving. According to Mass.gov, “car crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among children.” A federally approved child safety seat can help protect children in the event of an accident, so it’s important to choose the right one and make sure it’s installed correctly to keep your child safe. Here are some tips that will help you pick the right car seat and install it properly.
Picking a Car Seat
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a government agency in the Department of Transportation responsible for a wide range of automotive safety standards, recommends that a car seat be picked based on the child’s age and size.
Podcasts are a great way to indulge in your favorite topics and hear enthusiasts talk about the subjects they know best. Whether its news, current events, stories, interviews, history or more, we’ve got a list of favorite automotive podcasts covering all kinds of car-related topics, recommended by a couple of our very own car experts here at 1A Auto, Andrew and Jeremy.
A few extremely talented and smart drag racers talk about what it takes to make drag racing cars move down the track. Power and Speed gets incredibly technical with data, and brings some heavy-hitting guests on the show to discuss various aspects of engine design, including ways to make more horsepower. From cam lobe design to rear gear choices, these guys discuss the topics that nobody else does.
Premature rear brake wear is a common problem on 2008-2010 Honda Accords. There are over 1,000 reports of premature brake wear for the 2008 Accord alone on carcomplaints.com. Keep in mind that only includes people who took the time to note their complaint.
What Causes the Accord Brakes to Wear Out So Fast?
Car ads are big business. Automotive News noted that car companies are some of the top spenders on advertising, shelling out billions of bucks on ads. Most car ads are slick and well-produced. Some are funny, some are exciting, and a handful are really weird. Not that that’s a bad thing. Sometimes oddvertising is especially memorable. Here are some of the weirdest and wildest car ads that stand out in my mind.
Dogs Making Out (Subaru)
Everyone loves dogs, but especially Subie owners. Subaru knows from market research that roughly 67% of their drivers have dogs. This notable when comparing to the American average of 44%, according to the ASPCA. So, the company launched an ad campaign called “Dog Tested. Dog Approved” that showed dogs doing people things in Subarus. Weird, but cute. Then there’s this one with two pooches on a hot date. Gross? Funny? You be the judge.
