Author: Jerry Reynolds

News broke last week that next year Nissan will make automatic braking systems standard equipment on more than one million of its most popular models.  Lexus has said all its 2018 models will also have automatic emergency braking.  The question is, like all technology in vehicles, how well does it work? Although some folks are skeptical about new features on vehicles, the government and automakers have agreed that all vehicles by 2022 will have this safety feature, so Americans are going to have to get used to this technology.  Today, roughly 10% of cars on the road have automatic braking.  … Continue reading →

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Prior to 2017, the Dodge and Ram trucks had only outsold the Chevrolet Silverado on a monthly basis two times.  This year, however, five months into 2017, the Ram has outsold the Silverado three times, in three consecutive months.   After 40 years of the Ford F-Series being the #1 selling truck in America, the coveted position is actually the number two spot. Year-to-date, Ford has sold almost 352,000 pickups, Chevy has 212,425, and Ram is sitting on 207,370.  In percentages, Ford and Ram are both up over 8% year-to-date, while Chevy is down 5%.  So, why the sudden fall for … Continue reading →

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No one likes to see their check engine light come on. There’s just never an opportune moment for it to happen. But it will serve you well to heed the warning when it does. Addressing problems early on can save you money on costlier repairs down the road. That said, CarMD is out with the top five reasons the red light comes on in its 2017 Vehicle Health Index of check engine-related car repairs, costs and trends. They are listed below along with associated average repair costs, including parts and labor. If left unrepaired, each can hurt fuel economy and … Continue reading →

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It must be spring. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming, temperatures are rising, and gas prices are going up. All are telltale signs of summer being just around the corner. In some parts of the country, like Los Angeles, gas prices are averaging $3.03 per gallon, passing the $3 mark much quicker than even last year. The current national average is $2.40 per gallon, up from $2.06 at the same time last year. When gas prices escalate, people always start to ask the question, do I REALLY have to put premium fuel in my car? It is a legitimate question, especially … Continue reading →

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I am not sure why, but I have had a lot of people ask me recently about flex fuel vehicles, what they are, and if they should use E85, since it is cheaper than gasoline. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline or gasoline-ethanol blends of up to 85% ethanol (E85). Except for a few engine and fuel system modifications, they are identical to gasoline-only models. FFVs experience no loss in performance when operating on E85, and some generate more torque and horsepower than when operating on gasoline. However, since ethanol contains less energy per volume than … Continue reading →

The post Another Algore Fraud appeared first on LewRockwell.

If you do a lot of highway driving, you can’t help but see a lot of 18-wheelers.  You see the big rigs with brand names splashed all over them.  Walmart, Swift, Old Dominion, UPS, and hundreds more freight companies travel millions of miles per day along America’s highways.  Have you ever noticed an 18-wheeler rolling along with no markings?  If you do, give it some space, you might be surprised what that semi is carrying. The United States Department of Energy has a little-known department called the Office of Secure Transportation (OST), even though the Department of Energy’s website doesn’t … Continue reading →

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We had a caller to the radio show last weekend wanting to know if he could purchase a car these days without start/stop technology.  He was concerned about the long-term affect on a car’s engine.  As I explained, the technology is still so new, it is hard to say whether it will cause problems or not, but I have had the same concerns. How They Work If you are not familiar with this system, simply put, when you come to a stop, like a red light, the engine shuts down, but essential other components continue to run, like the air … Continue reading →

The post Greens Messing With Your Car appeared first on LewRockwell.

I have been talking on my radio show about December being a great time to buy a new car. In spite of that, I hear from people who say “I am going to buy a new car right after the first of the year.” Generally, this will cost you more money than buying in December, let me explain why. In December, you have a lot of positive factors coming together as a car buyer. One big factor is automakers and dealers looking to pad their sales numbers to improve market share and rankings. Both dealers and car companies push for … Continue reading →

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It is that time of year.  As if distracted drivers and people who are drinking and driving aren’t enough of a hazard this time of year, now we have to fear the deer.  They just seem to come from nowhere, and as you know, they are extremely fast. Although virtually none of the lower 48 states are immune, some states are worse than others.  West Virginia tops the list of the most deer and car collisions, Montana, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and South Dakota round out the top five.  Although a deer can jump out at any time, it is worse this … Continue reading →

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If your car is going to get egged, it will probably be Monday night. Lots of things can happen on Halloween, but getting your car egged is one of the WORST. It happened to me a few years ago, and I am sure it was random, but the results could have been bad had I not known what to do. Thank goodness I saw it before I left for the day. As harmless as eggs seem, they can actually wreak havoc on vehicle paint surfaces and cause long-lasting, permanent damage. The yolk that’s now smeared all over your car has … Continue reading →

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No matter which side of the fence you are on politically, it was poor timing on the part of Ford to announce it was moving production of the Ford Focus and C-Max to Mexico.  After all, this is an election year and one Presidential candidate or the other is going to take offense to any major announcement.  In this case, Republican candidate Donald Trump has been outspoken on American jobs going outside our borders. I have tried to look at both sides of this issue, and on the air during the Car Pro Show, I never show any political leanings, … Continue reading →

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As we age, the comfort level of our cars becomes increasingly important.  People tend to keep cars longer as they get older, and that means you have to make sure the vehicle you choose is the right one.  I hear it all the time from people who say “this may be the last car I will ever buy”.  If that turns out to be true, you not only want to make sure the vehicle is comfortable, but also that it is equipped the way you want it. Of course, safety should be a high priority, but the truth is, all … Continue reading →

The post No Longer a Kid? appeared first on LewRockwell.

Flood damaged vehicles in Louisiana are going to be an even bigger problem than expected. The National Insurance Crime Bureau now estimates as many as 100,000 cars and trucks were soaked in last month’s historic flooding. That’s a much higher number than first estimated. And keep in mind, the count only includes insured vehicles, not ones that aren’t insured because they are older. Consumer Protection Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana rolled out measures to protect consumers from purchasing flood-damaged vehicles, the NICB added in its press release. Once insurers determine a vehicle is damaged, it’s towed to an auction and a new title is issued noting its … Continue reading →

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Many people have leases coming to termination this time of year. I have heard from many of my listeners recently wanting advice on what to get for their next vehicle. Several times lately, when I ask them what they plan to do with their current vehicle, the reply was something to the effect of “just turning it in and walking away.” None of them had done any homework to see if they actually had equity. In fact, for years, people who leased over and over just turned their leased vehicles in without even checking the value. Everybody in the industry knew … Continue reading →

The post Don’t Leave Your Money on the Table appeared first on LewRockwell.

We had a caller to the Car Pro Radio Show this past weekend who said his wife was wanting a new Jeep Wrangler.  I asked, as I always do if she had owned one before, and what her current vehicle was.  She had a Jeep, but it was not a Wrangler.  This always raises red flags with me.  Personally, I like Wranglers, but it is not a vehicle I would want as a daily driver, and my experience tells me that they are not for everyone, but those who love them, REALLY love them. I suggested that they rent one … Continue reading →

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