Car Insurance

The new-car warranty is designed to protect both the carmaker and consumer. It warrants certain parts of the vehicle for a specific period of time or a specific number of miles. It also limits the carmakers’ liability beyond those points.

Knowing what’s covered, and what’s not, is important for all concerned. The specific items covered are explained in detail in the warranty statement or booklet that comes with each new vehicle.

Some car owners fear they’ll void their new-car warranty if the car isn’t serviced by the dealer. According to the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, you can have your car serviced by any competent independent service station, shop or garage and still maintain your warranty. In addition, you can use any name-brand, quality parts to service the car. The carmaker cannot require you to use original equipment brand spark plugs, filters, oil, belts, hoses, brakes, wiper blades or any other parts unless they’re supplied for free!

All you have to do to keep your warranty in force is have the car serviced at the intervals specified in your Owner’s Manual or Warranty Booklet, and keep careful records. Read all the fine print about service requirements. Note that the carmaker’s definition of “severe service” may be what you consider normal driving.

Service receipts should list the date, odometer reading, make, model and vehicle identification number, and show the brand names of all parts used. If there’s a service log in your Owner’s Manual or Warranty Booklet, fill it in for each service visit.

If your car breaks down and the defective parts are still covered by your warranty, the new-car dealer should make the repairs. Carmakers rarely reimburse customers directly for warranty work done at independent shops, other than in emergency situations where a new-car dealer is not readily available.

Many warranties are a package of different coverages for different time periods. The Basic Warranty covers most parts on the vehicle. Tire and battery warranties, on the other hand, vary by year and manufacturer. Other equipment groups may be covered for varying periods of time.

On some earlier models, a separate Powertrain Warranty may cover the engine, transmission and driveshaft for a longer period, but may have a $50 or $100 deductible the car owner must pay.

The Corrosion Warranty pays for the repair of body parts, but only if rust eats a hole all the way through the metal. Paint bubbles, cosmetic rust or damage from paint scratches or industrial/ environmental fallout are not usually covered.

Chrysler Group said it will concentrate on improving its overall product quality and reducing its warranty costs in Europe before expanding its seven-year/ 70,000-mile U.S. warranty program to European markets, WardsAuto.com reported.

The car maker may even postpone exporting its standard U.S. extended warranty until a new generation of vehicles are developed for the European market, Jim Schroer, executive vice president of Chrysler Group global sales and marketing, told Ward’s in an interview. “We’re working on our quality costs in Europe right now and we really need to have the same kind of progress on our actual quality and our warranty (costs) that we’ve demonstrated in the last three to five years here in the U.S.,” Schroer told WardsAuto.com.

According to Ward’s, Schroer admitted it may take several years before Chrysler’s European products meet quality and warranty cost marks similar to those in the U.S., where the car maker said it has reduced warranty costs by 50 percent over the last three to five years. “Our warranty costs are down 50 percent in the U.S. and we need that kind of progress in our international business to get (the seven-year/70,000-mile) kind of warranty,” Schroer told WardsAuto.com.

Chrysler imports some products such as the Neon, PT Cruiser and Jeep Liberty into Europe from U.S. plants while the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Voyager minivan are locally assembled in an Austrian plant recently sold to Magna Steyr.

EVERY time Vassor-Johnson, a Philadelphia-based film/video producer, drives between Los Angeles and Philadelphia she makes sure, before getting on the road, that her car will survive the journey.

Vassor-Johnson took the 3,000-mile trip three times in three years in compact cars that were 10 to 15 years old. She usually stops in to see a mechanic before the trip to get the tire pressure checked and to change the oil, oil filters and air filters. If needed, she gets a tune-up, new belts installed and the brake pads changed.

“When you drive cross country, it pays to do this before you leave,” she says. She occasionally has her tires, oil, antifreeze and wiper fluid levels checked again when she stops at service stations along the way. She gets the oil changed again when she reaches her destination.

The newlywed says it’s also a good idea to belong to a motor club and to travel with a cell phone in case of emergencies on the road.

Automotive professionals agree that Vassor-Johnson’s trip precautions are a good idea.

Cleveland Johnson, owner of an automotive and auto body shop on the South Side of Chicago, says drivers shoed also have their cooling systems flushed and a thermostat installed if they haven’t done so in the past two years or up to 50,000 miles, according to what the car’s owner’s manual calls for. “If they don’t do this, the ear could overheat,” Johnson says. “The thermostat triggers everything.”

Johnson doesn’t recommend mixing water with antifreeze, although some mechanics say to use a 50-50 mixture. “The car gets a little hotter with water in the cooling system, but if you want the cooling system to run normally, you should use all antifreeze,” he says.

J.T. Berkley, who’s worked on cars for 30 years and is a product development engineer for Ford Motor Co. in Livonia, Mich., says that even if the coolant looks green, it should be changed within two years. Rust inhibitors break down over time and are needed to protect the engine.

Hoses connecting the radiator to the engine need to be checked as well. If they feel spongy, it’s time to change them.

The grade of motor oil needs to be changed in the summer to 10W40 from 10W30, which is used in the winter, Johnson says. Heavier oil doesn’t break down and makes the motor run cooler. However, the grade of 5W30 can be used all year and saves gas, Berkley adds.

Antifreeze, hoses and oil help the car run properly, and so does the car’s electronic system. If the car needs a tune-up, it can run hot and perform badly, Johnson says.

The car’s belts should be checked routinely even though some belts last up to 70,000 miles. Manufacturers recommend changing them around 50,000 miles or every two years, Johnson says. Berkley recommends having belts checked before the start of summer to see if they are cracked or glazed.. “If belts are making noise, that’s a sign to have them changed,” he says. “A broken belt can damage the water pump and affect the power steering.” It could cost $300 to have a timing belt changed during scheduled maintenance or $3,000 if the valves are bent and the belt breaks because it stayed on too long, Berkley says.

Tires keep everything on the road. Drivers should use all-terrain tires, which can be used year-round, Berkley says. “Snow tires get removed after winter because they are made for lower temperatures,” he says. “The rubber can break down and blow out in summer weather.” But any type of tire wears unevenly when it isn’t aligned properly. This is an especially dangerous problem if the car is already pulling to one side and the driver’s attention is affected by fatigue. The vehicle can drift into the next lane or off the roadway, Berkley says.

Tire wear and pressure should be checked before and during a trip. Having the proper amount of air can save up to 10 percent of gas with the added weight of passengers and luggage. Low air pressure makes the car take longer to stop and can cause a blowout.

Brake fluid is also needed to slow down or stop properly. Experts say it should be changed every couple of years. It works best when it’s the color of honey or beer. If it’s a copper color or reddish brown, then it has taken in moisture that can go down to the wheel cylinder. If it’s not changed, corrosion goes into the brakes. Corrosion in the brakes will make them lock and affect the driver’s ability to steer properly, he says.

Keep the windshield wiper fluid container under the hood, filled and an extra bottle in the trunk. Good windshield wipers will keep the window free of streaks and won’t scrape the glass. Drivers who live in a dry climate should check their wipers regularly because they could have gotten hard and dry-rotted from sitting in the sun. If the wipers look old or worn, change them before leaving home because it can be difficult to get the right size wipers for your car on the road.

Drivers should also check headlights and taillights to make sure they are bright enough to help the driver see and be seen.

Don’t forget the battery. Most car batteries remain maintenance-free for about three years if they haven’t been overworked, for example, by leaving the lights on for hours when the car is off. Make sure battery cables are free of corrosion. But if the car is hard to start when it’s cold and the lights aren’t bright when the engine is off, the battery may be old and might die soon, Berkley says.

All automobile professionals say motorists shouldn’t wait until they have a problem or are going on vacation to cheek vehicle’s parts and fluid levels. These automobile professionals recommend taking ears in for regular maintenance and especially before driving on vacation.

“It is easier and less expensive to change parts during a regular maintenance check than on the road,” Berkley says. “It won’t take time from your trip. Out-of-town motorists pay a premium because they don’t have time to shop for the best deal. They can’t schedule service visits and they may not have time to wait for a part to be delivered.” A motorist could end up staying in a hotel longer than he planned while waiting for his car to be repaired or have the unexpected added expense of buying last-minute airline tickets to fly home and back to get his car.

Vassor-Johnson, who only had the companionship of her two cats on two of her bicoastal trips, will make the trip from Philadelphia to Los Angeles again this fall. This time she’ll use a full-size car that’s undergone the necessary checks to make sure it’s roadworthy, and she’ll travel with her husband and father.

If you’ve bought a new car lately, you may have had an old- fashioned deflating experience that stays with you. Adriena Masi had one 16 years ago.

She visited a showroom with three small children in tow; her husband had died six months earlier. I asked a salesman for help, she recounts. He said, ‘Lady, why don’t you go home and bring your husband?’ I sat down and cried. Then she went to another dealership and bought a car.

A few years later, Masi was job hunting and ended up selling cars. Today she’s a client adviser at Hassel BMW in Freeport, one of three women in a sales force of 12, and says, I’m here to see that what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else.

But she knows it happens at some other dealerships because women customers sometimes share those bad experiences with her. And although I heard about terrific saleswomen when I asked women in my professional and personal networks about their car-buying experiences, the negative anecdotes were plentiful and much like Masi’s.

I guess we haven’t come too far, baby, wrote Gloria Glowacki of the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook, recalling her own experience only two months previous. The guy kept me waiting a ridiculous amount of time while he waited on ‘real customers.’ He actually said, ‘Don’t you want to call your husband and check?’

Noreen Carro, vice president of LMN Printing in Valley Stream, reported a whole series of brand-new gender misadventures leasing a new car. Dealer 1 addressed most of the answers to my significant other, Larry. When I asked if there was anything they could do on the monthly payments, they were kind of stern. When he [Larry] asked, there was a $50 decrease. I got the fish handshake, he got the firm handshake.

Salesman at Dealer 2 talked to her, but when it came to closing the deal, Larry was asked how it would be paid for. Dealer 3: Carro posed all the questions, but he had no time for me at all. I was invisible. Larry called attention to the fact that Carro would be paying for her own car. He still gave an answer indicating Larry was more knowledgeable. Strike 3.

Dealer 4: the salesman directed all his responses to Carro, understood her specific concerns, was straightforward about price ranges and had them both drive the car. She took the deal. The kicker: When I went back to pick the car up, he asked me out on a date.

Car dealers and manufacturers take note - each time Carro moved on, she switched brands, not just dealerships.

What makes this same-old, same-old so amazing is that it’s widely publicized that women make more than 50 percent of the car-buying decisions these days. Ford Motor Co. says it may be closer to 80 percent. And the saleswomen I talked to confirmed that once trust is established (yes, a relationship!), female customers are notably loyal, returning to the same salesperson regularly for new vehicles.

So if you’re not in the market for a car right now, does it matter that the promised land of gender equity may not apply? Well, some of my respondents told stories about buying boats, getting cars repaired, getting anything repaired and dealing with contractors. And how about dealing with male investment advisers? Male doctors?

Most remarkably, almost every anecdote I was told ended with, So I walked out. Why do we so rarely speak up when we are patronized and insulted, even though we’re holding the economic power?

That’s pretty complicated. So for the moment, let’s settle for a few ideas on how to respond.

Adriena Masi: Ask at the desk for another salesperson. You just have to say ‘I’m not comfortable, can I talk to someone else?’

Norman Orenstein, who operates the Auto Buying Service in Merrick and has many women clients, said, I’d say, ‘Hey listen, I’m not going to buy the car from you, and this is the reason and why are you approaching me this way?’

Dr. Janice Grackin, Department of Psychology at Stony Brook, said she looks for a woman to buy from for the same reason she prefers female doctors: I feel more comfortable and able to be assertive with another woman. My own increased self-confidence leads to being treated differently.

Barbara Boccio of Boccio Design Group said surprise them. She noticed how much attention her husband got during car shopping by digging around in the engine and looking underneath. He actually requested it be put up on a lift - another idea for the checklist and one that should flip the sales guys out.

Gloria Glowacki: I should have asked the salesman if he needed to call his wife before completing the deal.

Reality check: Psychologist Susan Dowell believes women should take more responsibility for the success of their interactions. The way people communicate is 50 percent of the game. Be aware of the stances you take. Do you expect to be treated a certain way? That will come across through body language, attentiveness in approaching certain domains. Go in with a stance of expecting service, just like when you ask for a raise. Getting it depends on your expectations.

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