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Car companies can now remotely shut off a factory remote-start feature if you stop paying for their subscription, even if it's built into your car. This is official policy of many large automakers, but there are still options for subscription-weary consumers.

A windshield chip that once meant a quick resin fill can now involve cameras tied to automatic braking, lane keeping, adaptive cruise control, and other safety systems. Recalibration after a simple chip repair is not universally required, but modern cars have undeniably turned some formerly cheap fixes into much more technical jobs.

If a dealership tells you a missed recall appointment killed your warranty claim, that sounds alarming. In most cases, though, a missed recall by itself does not automatically void unrelated warranty coverage. The key question is whether the unrepaired recall defect actually caused or contributed to the problem you want fixed.

They tell you valuable things about occupant protection and crash avoidance, but they do not promise that the vehicle will be inexpensive to repair. A modern car can perform brilliantly in a severe crash and still produce a painful bill after a parking-lot collision.

Modern windshields carry more technology and cost much more to replace than the simple panes many drivers remember. That does not automatically make the glass more fragile, but it makes every crack feel considerably more painful.