Experts from the automotive research firm IHS Markits say the average lifespan of a car or truck is eleven years old. Cars dating back to 2009 and older are considered to be outdated. Driving an older vehicle with over 100,000 miles can lead to various mechanical issues, such as engine failure. Fixing these issues can become quite costly and hurt your finances in the long run.
What You Should Know
Gaining Weight: Today’s Pickup Trucks are Heavier
The Wall Street Journal reported that today’s pickup trucks are bigger than they were almost 20 years ago. The article cited data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory which showed that the average pickup is now 1,142 pounds heavier than it was in 1990.
Does Your Vehicle Have a Defective Airbag?
Despite its promise to have all of its airbags fixed, Takata has yet to complete this task. In fact, 24% of those recalled airbags have yet to be repaired. That means nearly 12 million vehicles are on the road with defective airbags.
Missing Bolts Cause GM to Recall Over 217,000 Vehicles
ABC News reported that General Motors (GM) is recalling over 217,000 vehicles after it was found that some of the cars were missing bolts from their start-stop mechanisms. This may result in transmission oil leaking from the mechanism and causing the car to either stop moving or catch on fire.
Does It Cost More to Insure an EV?
An article from Forbes explained that owners of electric vehicles (EVs) may have to pay more for insurance than owners of gas-powered cars. Some of the experts interviewed for the article said that the higher insurance rates can be attributed to the fact that repair costs for an EV are greater than those for conventional autos.
Are Solar Cars in the Future?
There have been many advances in the automotive industry in the 21st century: electric vehicles, cars that can brake automatically and park themselves and nearly autonomous vehicles. Soon, there will be another mode of transportation: solar vehicles.
Despite Losses, New Car Sales in Q3 Show Improvement
Although auto manufacturers saw new car sales fall in the third quarter compared to last year, the losses were not as bad as they were in the previous quarter in 2020. According to Edmunds, third-quarter new vehicle sales were 11% lower than the same time last year. However, that is better than the second quarter, when there was a 30.6% decline.
Cuomo Extends Deadline for Inspections and Registration Renewals until Nov. 3
The Auburn Citizen reported that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order pushing back the deadline for vehicle inspections and registration renewals until November 3. This applies to those documents that have lapsed over the past five months.
