closed dealer

Why don’t people get their recalls done?

December 14, 2018 David Zatz 0

A few years ago, the NHTSA hit Fiat Chrysler with a huge fine because so few people have had their cars fixed after they were recalled. The company isn’t being punished because some people are lazy, or for political reasons. Chrysler has tended to be slow in providing service parts, even as assembly […]

BMW resale value

Have imports lost their resale-value edge at last?

June 15, 2018 David Zatz 0

Jalopnik recently ran a story on the cars with the highest depreciation, based on a site/company called “iSeeCars.” Years ago, imports would rarely show up on such a list, which would be dominated by the domestics. Now, though, there were just four domestic cars on the list, out of ten […]

output sensor fix

The universal “hidden warranties”

December 25, 2017 David Zatz 7

Every car sold in the United States comes with a warranty you may not be aware of, which covers a variety of components for up to ten years or 100,000 miles. This is a set of “emissions warranties,” designed to ensure that cars do not over-pollute. This mandated warranty was […]

dealer service bay

Avoiding dealer scams and unnecessary maintenance

July 8, 2006 David Zatz 3

Updated September 2018. Dealers have many ways of making money, and selling cars is just one of them. Today, with manufacturers making warranty work a “loss leader” and Internet sales squeezing price premiums, ripping off existing customers probably seems more attractive to even well-intentioned dealerships. Let’s start with the humble […]