Flipboard 2025 Car Tips

Discover why extended warranties often refuse to cover known defects—and what you can do about it. This in-depth automotive guide breaks down warranty loopholes, TSBs vs. recalls, consumer rights, and effective strategies to get your repair approved. Learn how to fight back, document your case, and understand your true coverage so you’re never caught off guard at the service counter again.

Do new cars track your location? Learn how vehicle telematics systems work, what data manufacturers collect, and whether you should be concerned about privacy.

If a shop told you a transmission flush and fluid replacement will cost $2,500, your skepticism is justified. For many mainstream cars, a basic transmission fluid service often lands in the low hundreds, not the thousands. The catch is that some advisors use the word “flush” to describe a much larger repair package, and that is where the number can explode.

You are signing paperwork, you glance at your credit report alerts, and you see five “hard inquiries” from the dealership process. It is a fair question whether your score just took a beating. The answer depends on what kind of checks they were and how close together they happened.

Settling minor accidents privately may be convenient, but you lose some of the advantages of using insurance.

You park your rental car for what you think will be a quick stop. When you come back, the window is smashed and your luggage is gone. It's already a stressful moment but then a few days or weeks later, the rental company sends you a bill for the broken window. Unfortunately, this is a pretty common situation with rental cars. The good news is that being charged does not automatically mean you'll end up paying out of pocket.

Discover 25 easy car repairs mechanics overcharge for—and learn how to do them yourself to save hundreds on maintenance and repair costs.

You have a small crash, the car still drives straight, and then your insurer says it is “totaled.” That can feel like someone is trying to take your car away for no reason. In reality, “totaled” is usually a math decision, not a drivability decision.

You are at the service counter and the advisor drops a line that makes your stomach sink. “If you do not service here, you could lose your warranty.” It sounds official, and it sounds expensive.

These 20 pickup trucks are trusted by mechanics for their durability, reliability, and proven performance, making them some of the least problematic trucks on the road today.