First Ford Mustang family celebrates 50 years
Gail Wise didn’t know she was making history nearly 50 years ago. In 1964, the 22-year-old elementary school teacher knew that nothing...
Fix cost: what the beep?
Q: We have a 2008 Volkswagen Touareg we purchased used from a dealer with 40,000 miles on it. Now we have 80,000 miles and have dealt...
Electronic tolling turns 20 in Illinois
On Nov. 18, 1993, your dial-up internet service from America Online would inform you that "You've got mail!" Northern Siberia recorded a...
Worst car residual values
There's nothing worse than taking your car to a dealer and finding how little you're offered for that trade-in.
Mercedes 600 defined future a half-century ago
Mercedes-Benz stunned the automotive world 50 years ago when, at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, it debuted the Type 600 (W100). Arguably the...
What it's like to drive a police car
Note: Impersonating a law enforcement officer is a felony. Do not try this at home.
Separate problems spur GM recalls of Chevrolet Malibu sedans
General Motors Co. is recalling about 60,000 Chevrolet Malibu sedans sold over the last two years for two different problems.
U.S. traffic deaths up for first time since 2005, safety agency says
Traffic deaths are on the rise for the first time in many years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Are head-up displays the answer to driver distraction?
Head-up displays, which project vehicle speed and other information in front of the driver's field of view, have been available since...
Luxury car condos pitched in Naperville
Some luxury cars are living a less-than-glamorous existence in Chicagoland garages, surrounded by kids' toys and garden tools while...
How to store your car for winter
From washing and waxing to detailing the interior, people baby their cars in all sorts of ways. But it's equally important to take care of...
Sonata sluggish after soaking
Q: My 2004 Hyundai Sonata has 124,000 miles on it and is very well maintained. Two weeks ago I ran it through a carwash that also...
Does a car's color affect resale value?
Yes, it does, according to Eric Ibarra, residual value analyst for Kelley Blue Book.
Clear-coat upkeep tricky
Q: I have a black 2013 Nissan Murano SL. My issue is that the clear coat on this vehicle scratches so easily and shows swirl marks...
Jeep Liberty investigated for fire risk
Federal safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into the 2012 Jeep Liberty SUV for a possible fire risk in the driver&...
Designer dreams up zombie-slaying Santa Fe
A custom Hyundai Santa Fe has everything one might need to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Car insurance canceled? Know your rights
The unwritten rules for dating are not unlike the written rules for car-insurance carriers.
A fix for chipped tires
Q: For years I have been driving a Pontiac Grand Prix with a head-up display. Trust me, once you get used to this feature, the...
Does your car have a name?
More than one-fourth think of their car as a girl, with women more likely to have a "baby" girl. Men are more likely to name their car after...
Adaptive cruise has come a long way since '58
QUESTION: How about a tutorial on the GM adaptive cruise control system? Specifically, I'm curious as to whether the GM system uses engine...
Oldsmobile flashes lights when it's least expected
QUESTION: The headlights on my 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette turn on and off unpredictably, whether it's running or not. All lights work...
Figuring out oil filters
Q: The check engine light came on in my 2009 Ford Explorer with 51,000 miles and the local dealer diagnosed it as a cam position...
KFC's cupholder-friendly Go Cups put to the test
KFC's Go Cup fits chicken and fries in your car's cupholder. Or does it?
Midwest fall drive destinations
Here are some of the top places to travel to by car in the Midwest, suggested by followers on Facebook and Twitter.
Windshield air pockets: Cracking open a mystery
Q: On my 2011 Dodge Charger, about a month ago I noticed at the upper corners of the front windshield what appears to be air pockets...
Antique cars
A trip to the Chicago Tribune photo archive recalls some of the oldest and most unusual turns in automotive technology.
Dealer provides uncool response to A/C problem
Myriad relays, pressure controls and sensors can affect a car's air conditioner.
Cut the cost of car insurance
Q. I'd like to lower my car insurance premiums. What are some of the most common discounts?
Government shutdown puts brakes on car recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not be posting any new recall notices as of today.
Top 10 dream cars
This is a crowd-sourced list of models frequently viewed at Cars.com but rarely sold.
Designer's 1963 Corvette on auction block
If you stepped into any U.S. car in the first half of the 20th century, it’s likely the late Harley Earl directly or indirectly...
Rare Rolls-Royce headed to auction, with machine gun
Rolls-Royce cars from the 1920s often roll into auctions. But they rarely do it while towing a hand-cranked machine gun, or with an elephant...
Protect your car's paint job
Grunge clings to microscopic imperfections on the surface of car paint. The result: new grunge, in the form of rust.
Tips to pick the right insurance
You're thinking about getting car insurance, but you don't know where to start. You're not alone; millions of people just like you have...
How to get best rate on auto loan
To get the best possible interest rate on a car loan, it's important to understand two things: the current marketplace for interest rates,...
Put 2 new tires on the back
Installing tires with the best tread on the rear will improves stability.
How Cars.com conducts car seat checks
We underwent 40 hours of training and participate in car seat checks events sponsored by the police in the Chicago area.
3 million miles in a Volvo: 'I couldn't stop driving'
Three million miles is six round-trips between the Earth and the moon. Or, for the more local travelers, it’s 537 schleps from Los...
Crash tests yield mixed results
Of a dozen 2013 and 2014 models vying for the five-star safety club in the latest round of testing, less than half made the cut
'Check engine' light could be caused by several conditions
QUESTION: We have a 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt with standard transmission. The "check engine" light has been coming on, and the dealer has...
Suzuki recalls nearly 200,000 cars for airbag defect
Suzuki is recalling nearly 200,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix an airbag sensor that could cause it to deploy improperly during an accident.
Can't fix sidewall damage
Two shops would not patch a tire. "The screw is in the sidewall," they said. Is everyone doing this to sell tires?
Ford F-250 pulls duty promoting Tonka trucks
For those who regularly visit our PickupTrucks.com Facebook page (and if you don'...
Porsche 911 through the years
The 911 has one of the most storied private and factory racing histories of any production car.
Edmunds.com tweaks its car-shopping website
Edmunds.com, a website popular with car shoppers, is preparing a new home page and layout. I was recently directed to the site as a randomly...
How long should a car's light bulbs last?
It stands to reason that the more often you use the various lights on your vehicle, the sooner you will have to replace them. If you...
Will your warranty be honored if maintenance is done by a shop that's not the dealership?
Absolutely. As long as you have records of routine maintenance (such as oil changes) and have not altered the vehicle with non-factory parts...
Those tiring rotations: Sync with oil change?
Q: My daughter and I bought 2013 Hondas; both have four-cylinder engines and both use synthetic oil. They both have oil-life...
Honda Odyssey rates as safest minivan
The 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan is the first vehicle in its segment to be named a Top Safety Pick Plus.
Have warranty, will travel
Q: I have a 2005 BMW 325xi with 83,000 miles. Since I had an extended warranty that was expiring this March, I had given the car...
Solution could be simple for shaky engine
Q: I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX 44cylinder with 137,000 miles. My problem or concern is when lugging at 1,500 to 1,800 RPMS, the...
Big Hyundai recall to fix rust problem
Hyundai is recalling about 239,000 Sonata and Azera sedans because the rear suspensions in the cars can rust and fail.
Rare Ferrari sets $27.5 million auction record
The auctioneer opened the sale at $10 million. The first bid pushed that to $16 million. Minutes later the final gavel fell for the ultra-...
Honda starts drive to save drive-in theaters
The movie industry’s plan to stop distributing 35-millimeter films by the end of this year threatens to shut down the roughly 300...
Riding brakes causes wear
Q: After reading the item about brake lights staying on, it conjured up old memories of an occurrence I had as an equipment...
Expensive oil changes are here to stay
Automakers including Honda and Toyota are almost exclusively switching from well-known 5W-30 and 10W-30 oils to low-friction, and pricier,...
Toyota recalls 342,000 trucks to fix seat belts
Toyota announced Wednesday that it is voluntarily recalling approximately 342,000 of its midsize Tacoma pickup trucks to fix an issue with...
Average age of cars on U.S. roads hits record 11.4 years
The average age of the cars Americans are driving has reached a record high.
How to manage a flat tire
It's funny about flat tires: They never seem to occur at a convenient moment. Invariably, you're either headed to an important appointment...
How to handle a car fire
Even if you just smell burning wires or see smoke, don't assume that flames aren't close behind.
How to escape a car underwater
Do not try to open the door till water has stopped flooding into the car.
Can gas go bad?
How long can gasoline sit in the tank before it becomes stale, rotten, yucky or whatever happens when it goes bad?
Oil pressure gauge gets jumpy
Q: My oil pressure gauge has begun to get the jitters. It seems to work normally for a while then jumps around like...
Inspect lights on and off
Q: My husband and I were driving behind a beautiful late-model Corvette with all its brake lights on. When we came to a stoplight,...
What to do when you get pulled over
Here are some pointers about what to do when you're pulled over to make the experience as painless as possible, whether you were in the...
Groaning brakes could be from rusty rotors
Q: In March, I had new front (rotors/pads) and rear (rotors/pads/calipers) brakes installed on my 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. I...
Chrysler recalling nearly 46,000 Ram 1500 trucks over software glitch
Chrysler is recalling nearly 46,000 Ram 1500 trucks to fix a problem with the vehicles’ stability control software.
Right time to replace belt?
Timing belt replacement can be expensive, but need not be done before the owner's manual recommends it.
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