Flipboard 2025 Car Tips

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My Family Shares One Connected Car, But The Profiles, Apps, And Keys Keep Causing Chaos. Are Smart Cars Too Complicated For Practical Use?

Modern connected cars can remember far more than a traditional seat position. Driver profiles can store settings for seats, mirrors, climate controls, navigation, media, displays, and driving preferences. That sounds perfect for a shared family vehicle until the wrong profile loads and the car confidently prepares itself for somebody else.
August 19, 2026 Jane O'Shea
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I Started Driving Much Less After Retiring, But Ownership Costs Haven't Gone Down The Way I Expected. Is Keeping A Car Still Worth It?

Retirement often brings a welcome change of pace. Daily commuting disappears, errands become more flexible, and many people find themselves driving far fewer miles each week. It is natural to assume that lower mileage will lead to dramatically lower ownership costs.
August 19, 2026 Jane O'Shea
Internal - Extended Warranty

My extended warranty won’t cover a known defect. Isn’t that what extended warranties are for?

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.
December 15, 2025 Jack Hawkins
AI-generated image of a man worried about his shattered panoramic glass roof.

My panoramic roof shattered while I was driving, and the dealer wants me to file an insurance claim instead of using the warranty. Are they right?

One second the roof looked normal, and the next there was a deafening bang followed by broken glass. Now the dealer says it’s an insurance issue, while you’re wondering why a factory-installed roof wouldn’t fall under the warranty.
August 18, 2026 Peter Kinney
Rss Thumb - 1980S Suburban Cars

Forgotten Family Cars From The 1980s That Once Filled Every Suburban Driveway Before Times Changed

Remember the family cars that ruled suburban driveways in the 1980s, from wood-paneled wagons to boxy sedans and practical hatchbacks now rarely seen.
August 17, 2026 Jack Hawkins
Tree branches over fence, man looking at camera

My neighbor’s tree hangs over my driveway and drops sap all over my car. I’m allowed to cut the branches off, right?

It started with a few sticky spots on the windshield. Now the hood looks like somebody glazed it with maple syrup every time you park in your own driveway. The tree belongs to your neighbor, but the branches are hanging over your property. So surely you can grab a saw and make the problem disappear. Right?
August 17, 2026 Jesse Singer
AI-generated image of a man who wants to back out of his insurance tracking.

My insurance company offered a discount for tracking my driving, but now I regret signing up. How do I back out?

At first, the trade seemed simple: let the insurer monitor your driving and get a lower rate. Then came the constant trip scores, braking alerts, phone-use warnings, and the uneasy feeling that every commute had become part of an insurance test.
August 18, 2026 Peter Kinney
AI-generated image of a man worried about his neighbor using an extension cord to charge their electric vehicle.

My neighbor keeps running an extension cord across our shared driveway to charge his EV. Is that not a safety hazard?

Charging an EV at home is supposed to be one of the easiest parts of owning one. But when the setup involves a cord stretching from a house, across a shared driveway, and into a parked car for hours at a time, it’s reasonable to wonder whether convenience has crossed into a safety problem.
August 18, 2026 Marlon Wright
AI-generated image of a man sitting in his car, worried about reliance on his backup camera.

My new car has a tiny rear window, and now backing up without cameras feels impossible. Are manufacturers making us too dependent on screens?

The rear window is narrow, the roof pillars are thick, and the head restraints block what little glass remains. The backup camera provides a clear view, but one blank screen suddenly makes the car feel almost impossible to reverse.
August 17, 2026 Marlon Wright
AI-generated image of man worried about his insurance tracking app.

My car insurance app says I brake too hard, but I drive in city traffic every day. Am I going to lose my discount because of this unfair disadvantage?

Before accepting the score, it’s worth knowing what the insurance app actually measures and which parts of its judgment you can challenge.
August 17, 2026 Marlon Wright
Motorist distracted by touch screen.

My Car's Touchscreen Controls Almost Everything, I Feel Like It's Very Distracting To Use While Driving. It Was Standard, But Is It A Safety Issue?

A factory-installed touchscreen can be legal, attractive, and convenient while still demanding too much of a driver’s eyes and concentration. The real issue is not whether the screen came standard, but whether essential tasks can be completed quickly without losing awareness of the road.
August 18, 2026 Miles Rook