car
-
Blog
Protect Your Car From Rodents | Chewing Wires
We uncovered various technical service bulletins from Ford, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru instructing their technicians how to remedy chewed wiring harnesses. Some Consumer Reports staffers also have stories of small, furry creatures chewing through power steering lines, filling engine intakes with acorns, and plugging up air conditioning ducts with their nests. The problems can be severe, ranging from…
Read More » -
Blog
How to Buy a Used Car Now
Safety equipmentIn recent years, a growing number of new cars have included advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology as optional, if not standard, equipment. That means used cars are more readily available with features ranging from automatic emergency braking (AEB) to adaptive cruise control (ACC). Among those features, Consumer Reports highly recommends AEB with pedestrian detection and blind spot warning…
Read More » -
Blog
Should You Buy a Car With a Rebuilt Title?
Depending on your state, a salvage vehicle might have special requirements before it can be titled. For example, New York requires a salvage vehicle that is recovered after a theft or rebuilt after sustaining damage to be inspected by the Department of Motor Vehicles before the DMV can issue a new title. Check the current laws in your state before…
Read More » -
Blog
How to Buy a New Car in Today’s Challenging Market
Prices and interest rates are still high, but incentives are available By Benjamin Preston The good news for anyone looking for a new car is that high prices and expensive financing have slowed sales, meaning that many new cars are plentiful on dealership lots right now. Pat Ryan, CEO of CoPilot, an AI-assisted car shopping app, says that models with…
Read More » -
Blog
How to Clear Your Personal Data From a Car
When the time comes to sell your car, you need to make sure all your personal information is gone from the vehicle’s computer. You also need to remove your info from any apps, accounts, or cloud-based software associated with the car, which can be more difficult. “Plan ahead and give yourself several days or more,” says CR’s Crossen. “You don’t…
Read More » -
Blog
An AI agent could help you buy your next car
Capital One has launched an AI agent designed to help customers with one of the more difficult and confusing purchase decisions: buying a car. The new chatbot, called Chat Concierge, will help customers with everything from researching vehicles and scheduling test drives, to exploring financing options. The generative AI-powered assistant, one of many such projects at the financial institution, simplifies…
Read More » -
Blog
How to Get Free Car Maintenance and Repair Work
If you own a car, you own a long list of necessary maintenance and potentially expensive repairs, especially if your goal is to keep an old car going for as long as possible. The average car maintenance and repair costs run around 10 cents a mile—or close to $1,500 a year if you drive an average of 15,000 miles. And…
Read More » -
Blog
Diono & Peg Perego Infant Car Seats Performed Poorly in CR Crash Tests
In 2 out of CR’s 3 rear-facing tests of the Diono LiteClik30 XT using a dummy to simulate the size (29 inches) and weight (22 pounds) of a 12-month-old child, and with the base of the seat installed with a seat belt, the infant carrier released off the base during the crash test. While the dummy remained secure within the…
Read More » -
Blog
Best Infant Car Seats of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
“Based on almost 1,000 individual car seat installations and nearly 130 crash tests, CR’s infant car seat ratings represent a comprehensive and rigorous program that allows us to make distinctions between the car seat models and clear recommendations,” says Michael Bloch, who oversees child seat testing at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “They show the importance of buying based on…
Read More » -
Blog
How to Safely Use Unconventional Car Shifters
Even if your car has a shifter you find frustrating, there are ways to make sure you’re using it safely, says Funkhouser. Ask the dealer. If you just bought the car, you may find a brief operational tutorial at the dealership useful, not just for operation of the controls, but for phone pairing, instrument panel customization, power seat memory settings,…
Read More »
