Roadside Assistance Program

Volkswagen just announced a recall for 130 Passats, which include the Passat Wagon and Passat CC.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that a capacitor that is damaged could cause the gearbox to malfunction.  This defect would most likely occur just after the car is started and after the steering wheel is moved for the first time at a low speed of less than 5 mph.

This will make the steering wheel vibrate or even shut down completely, which might cause a bad accident.  A roadside assistance program is beneficial for this reason.  You don’t want to end up stranded with no road service because of a car malfunction.

The steering gear can be replaced in affected vehicles at dealerships.  Also, car owners can call VW at 1-800-822-8987 or the safety hotline for the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

Research shows that commuters are suffering from more rush hour breakdowns than ever.  These breakdowns that occur between 7am and 9am are leaving carpool moms stranded and employees late to their workplaces.  A roadside assistance program is the number one thing motorists can do to protect themselves from car failure.

Breakdowns can cause motorists to be trapped inside of their car or be exposed to other road dangers.  A recent survey shows that out of drivers who’s cars have broken down over the last two years, 20% of motorists were in a place where they felt it wasn’t safe to leave their car, 15% had children with them and 5% had an elderly passenger who couldn’t walk well.  In addition, 30% of women surveyed admitted feeling stressed about finding help.

This survey also shows that there are five top locations for cars to breakdown.  Many drivers don’t even get out of their driveway, because home is the #1 place for breakdowns.  Next, many drivers breakdown on their way to work, followed by visits to see family and friends.  The fourth most popular breakdown place is at shops, and finally, work comes in fifth place.

Having a roadside assistance program is the best thing that you can do to avoid dangerous breakdown situations.  Road service will prevent you from having to wait a long time for help.  In addition, emergency roadside assistance will help moms get their children to school, and employees get to work.

Drivers who talk on a cell phone are impaired to the same extent as an intoxicated driver with blood alcohol of .08.  Unfortunately, this is one of the many distractions that teenagers face while driving. They tend to multi-task behind the wheel, which puts them at risk for accidents that could harm themselves and others.

Teenagers have even more to deal with in modern times.  They use iPods, switch CD’s, and are distracted by all of the technology on the dashboards of modern vehicles.  Another dangerous activity is text messaging while their driving.  One out of five teens admit that they have text messaged while driving.  With these kinds of statistics, it is essential for teens to be covered by a roadside assistance program.

According to experts, our brains don’t have the capability to drive and multi-task because driving is unpredictable.  You never know when a deer might jump out in the road, or a cyclist might swerve in front of you.  These events are dangerous, especially if the driver is distracted.

With the distractions of modern times we need to do whatever we can to keep teenage drivers safe.  Parents can help by making rules, and purchasing emergency roadside assistance for their teens.

There’s nothing more inconvenient than turning your ignition just to find that you have a dead battery.  At that point the only thing you can do is get a jump-start or call for roadside assistance.  However, there are some preventative measures that you can take to avoid getting stuck in this position.

Regardless of the type of battery you have, you need to check the terminal connections periodically.  You want to make sure that there is no corrosion or tightness.

If you determine that there are corroded terminals, you can clean them off with a small brush and a mixture of water and baking soda.

Also, you can do a visual check of the battery to determine if there are any leaks, cracks, or damage.  If any of these things are apparent, replace the battery immediately.

Of course, the time to save your battery is prior to the signs of wear and tear.  Unfortunately, you can’t always predict when your battery will fail, which is why it is important to have a road service program.  However, if your starter turns slow, your headlights brighten when you rev the engine, or your clock is noticeably slower, your engine should be examined.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently performed a study to determine what the best and worst states are in the country for auto insurance.  According to the study, you are paying the highest insurance premiums if you live in the Northeast.

New Jersey proved to be the most expensive state.  On average, premiums in New Jersey are over $1,300 yearly.  The capital of our nation, Washington D.C. was the second highest, with average yearly premiums of $1,185.  New York was third highest with $1,110 being the average premium.

Revealed in the study was that urban driving, high salaries, and a lot of traffic are responsible for elevated costs in those states.  In addition, liability insurance premium costs are higher in the Northeast.

Midwestern and Northern states proved to have the lowest insurance premium costs.  The overall lowest was Idaho with costs at $530 per year.  The next lowest was Maine at $560 a year, and North Dakota was $570 per year.

According to this study, your location is a key factor in determining your car insurance costs.  Today, consumers are paying more than they ever have for their vehicles.  These costs include insurance, roadside assistance, and maintenance costs.

J.D. Power recently came out with the results from its Escaped Shopper Study, which gauges why consumers made the decision to walk away from certain new vehicles in their car shopping experience.  It’s quite surprising that approximately 80% of car shoppers decided against purchasing a model after they went to a car dealer.

The top three reasons for not buying a car, that are dealer related, included inferior dealer service, a limited availability of various trim levels and colors, and unprofessional employees.

This is a very common anecdotal reason for consumers.  If a dealer or salesman doesn’t treat a prospective customer well, that’s it.  And, typically the customer not only stays away from that dealership, they also get a tainted view of the vehicle brand.

The study examined 30,000 new car shoppers and discovered that 40% of shoppers decided not to buy a vehicle because of the price, and 40% of those buyers said it isn’t that the car costs too much money, it’s that the car doesn’t seem like it is worth the high price.

Motorists would rather hang onto their current vehicles and buy used car warranties and good auto road service, than purchase a car that they feel isn’t worth the money.  And with roadside assistance, drivers can rest-assured that they aren’t going to be stranded on the side of the road.

Sometimes the hardest part about purchasing a new or used vehicle is getting rid of your present car.  There are several options for selling your car.  You can trade it in to the dealer, sell your car privately, or donate it to charity.  Here are the pros and cons of each of these.

Probably the easiest way to go is to trade in your vehicle.  Dealers tend to make the process easy because they want your car.  The dealer will assess your car to determine how much it is worth and deduct it from the price of your new car.  The pitfall to this is that a trade in value is generally much lower than what you could get for your car privately.  However, you can’t beat the convenience.

If you sell your car yourself you will most likely get the most money.  However, this can be a lot of work.  It will be time consuming to prep your car for sale.  Assess your vehicle and determine what you’re willing to pay on minor repairs.  Things should be fixed well enough to avoid legal troubles down the road.

Another option for getting rid of your car is to donate it to charity.  Some people find this option attractive on principle.  If your car is on it’s last leg and might be hard to sell, this is probably the best option for you.  After all, who’s going to buy a car that is going to require constant roadside assistance?

Consider the condition of your car to make the best choice about getting rid of your car.  Be realistic about how much you will get for your car.

It seems that Toyota is trying to challenge Volvo for its coveted safety reputation: It’s designed a new supplemental restraint system.  Being called a world-first, the rear window airbag is intended to work together with the head restraints to better protect the heads of passengers in the event of a rear collision.

This new safety system deploys in the same way that side curtain airbags do, from the lining of the roof.  Toyota has planned to put this new innovation immediately into production in the iQ micro-car.  According to Toyota, the airbags will almost double head protection for rear passengers.  That is necessary too, because the backseats of the iQ sit right up against the glass and rear hatch.

While at the moment there aren’t any official plans to bring the iQ micro-car to the U.S., Toyota would love to do so if they can make a case for it, and also if the iQ would be able to pass American safety standards.

Toyota is smart to up their safety standards, since consumers are becoming more and more concerned with vehicle safety.  In addition, motorists are attempting to protect themselves by maintaining their vehicles and signing up for roadside assistance programs.

The Subaru Impreza is a sensible, simple, enjoyable vehicle equipped with all-wheel drive, good fuel-efficiency, a comfortable interior, and an ample amount of people space, all with the addition of an auto warranty.

This is what you will find in the Subaru Impreza. Generally, this car hasn’t been a frontrunner when shoppers are considering purchasing a small vehicle, however, now the Impreza is a smarter choice than many of its competitors.  In fact, it makes more sense than ever.

It is not because it has unbelievable fuel economy, however it does pretty well, but because this car will give you a lot of vehicle for an excellent price.  All of those cars that are popular as fuel-efficient cars, such as the Civic and Corolla seem pricey now that gasoline costing $4 per gallon has lighted such a high demand for them.  And with the Impreza you get AWD, which you don’t with the others.

It is hard to beat the amount of car you get for your money with the Impreza, complete with new car warranties and roadside assistance.  You’ll find this car to be a simple car without all of the fuss and complications, which is a pleasant surprise.

A lot of people are set on buying a new car. Yet, if you can purchase a high quality used car for a portion of the price of a new vehicle, why wouldn’t you?

For instance, you will pay about $15,000 for a 2009 four-cylinder Toyota Corolla. However, because of depreciation, that car would be worth approximately $10,000 in three years. It would be a great choice to purchase a good used car for that low price. You don’t just benefit in the purchase price of the vehicle, you also save money on loans and used car warranties.

Make sure to do your homework before buying a car. You can get plenty of information about cars from the Internet and periodicals on everything from reliability ratings to the cost of an auto warranty.

Many people don’t think they have enough time to research vehicles. Yet, it is necessary to realize that you can keep $6,000-$8,000 in your pocket just by researching for four hours. In addition, do some research and find a good road service program to give you peace of mind.