Dear Car Talk Index

Browse our 100 articles on this topic.

• Reliability is Just One Consideration When Buying a Car
• Adjust Remote Features For A Civilized, Peaceful Neighborhood
• ECON Mode is All Pros, No Cons
• Some Dirty Jobs Should Be Left To The Professionals
• New Owner is Under No Obligation To Return Car Sold By Mistake
• Try These Ideas Before a 'No Heat' Problem Becomes a Real Problem
• Suggestion To Replace Shocks is Shocking
• Your Vehicle Can't Feel Wind Chill -- But Your Backside Can
• OEM Sensors Might Be The Best Pairing For Older Mustang
• Obnoxious (and illegal) Fad Targets The Environment And People
• With All-Wheel-Drive Cars, You're Usually All-in for New Tires
• Newer Stick Shifts are Fun to Drive but Not Ideal for Fuel Economy
• Repair Shop is Responsible For Improperly Installed Compressor
• When Planning a Trip of A Lifetime, Start With a Reliable Truck
• Brake Hold is a New Use of ABS Components
• Another Option For Rarely Used Car Batteries -- But Don't Skimp
• Good News To Warm Your Heart -- And The Rest Of Your Body
• Don't Worry About Tire Pressure And Enjoy Your Scenic Views
• CV Boots Require An Ounce Of Prevention And Regular Checkups
• Cheaper Converters Are Safe -- But You Get What You Pay For
• Simple Test Could Help Diagnose GMC Truck That Won't Start
• When Towing, The Center Differential Makes All The Difference
• With Leftover Parts, How Much is Too Much?
• Minor Fender Bender Not Likely To Cause Water Pump Issue
• If You Give A Mouse an M&M, It May Find New Ways Into Your Car
• When The Dealer Hands You A Lemon -- Start Your Log
• Why You Can't Stop The Start-Stop Feature
• Enjoy Carefree Cruising With Your Adaptive Cruise Control
• Long, Leisurely Drives Are Great For Retired Cars And People
• Dealership's Service Department Earns a C Average
• How To Remove an Abandoned Car -- Legally
• Sneaky Leak May Be The Cause Of Unwanted Cold Air
• Long Commutes Require A Reliable -- And Comfortable -- Car
• Ongoing Battery Issue May Be An Installation Issue
• A Funny Story About 'Our Fair City'
• Rattling Sound Could Lead To A Sad -- Or Less Sad -- Answer
• DIY Fix is Possible If You're Patient And Careful
• Am I Getting All The Premium Fuel I Paid For?
• Problems Persist After Catalytic Converter Theft
• The Fastest, Safest Way To Warm An Engine
• Easy Fix -- Hopefully -- For Accidental Cleaning Mistake
• New Hybrid Toyota Fulfills All of Buyer's Wishlist
• Easy Fix -- Hopefully -- For Accidental Cleaning Mistake
• Is Fuel-Saving Device Too Good To Be True?
• Appeal To The Dealer To Replace Short-Lived Turbo Charger
• 'On-off' Safety Feature Means You Can Cruise And Relax
• Reader Offers a Good Tip -- Unless You Own a Saturn
• Accessing The Junk in Your Trunk Should Be an Easy Fix
• Don't Go Nuts With The Lighter-Weight Lug Nuts
• Hybrid's Battery Should Long Outlast Its Warranty
• Car Donation Golden Wrench Awards
• Do-It-Yourselfers Can Fill Up Their Bag Of Tricks Over The Years
• The Wheels Of Modern Vehicles Stay Round (and round)
• Options To Keep A Car Hardly Driving But Always Ready
• Sometimes You Just Lose Your Spark For Unglamorous Reasons
• Cross Your Fingers And Do A Compression Test
• There's Only One Way To Tow An All-Wheel Drive Vehicle
• Prius Has Two Cooling Fans -- But Only One May Need Cleaning
• Each EV Car Maker Gets To Decide On Their Own Annoying Sound
• When Something Sounds Too Good To Be True -- or Legal
• Locking Wheel Nuts Can Be A Useful Feature -- If You Have A Key
• Both Options For Hard-to-Find Rims Will Lead To a Database
• M&M Theft Required Ninja-Like Precision -- And a Tiny Opening
• Certain Cars May Require More Diligent Maintenance
• Reasons For Disappearing Smoke are Clean And Clear
• Even If CO Danger is Low, It's Not Worth The Risk
• Your Luck Probably Doesn't Extend to Four Perfect Tires
• Unapproved Work Leads to A Good Deal
• Driving With an Oil Leak Will Require Some Vigilance
• Ray Shares His Most Memorable Road Trick -- Trip
• Don't Blow a Gasket About Leaking Antifreeze
• Older Cars -- Like Older People -- Need Regular Check-Ups
• If there's No Cheap Fix, The Best Option May Be To Just Live With It
• No Bad Choices When You Have Good Taste In Cars
• When in Doubt, Find a Mechanic You Can Really Trust
• A Little Bit of Moisture Can Lead To a Big Price Tag
• No Need To Break The Bank When Picking A Compression Gauge
• Greatest Casualty of Fuel Faux Pas is Your Wallet -- Not Your Car
• All Things Being Equal, Opt For The Longer-Lasting Part
• Good Riddance To The Ex And His Unreasonable AC Complaint
• Suggested List May Be Helpful, Unnecessary or Hogwash
• Why Your SUV May Require More Visits To The Car Wash
• Remember, A Dealership's First Priority is Not To Save You Money
• Is it a Scam or an "Unnecessary Upsell"?
• Simple Hack To Keep Pup From Power Windows
• Chill Out While Installing Freeze Plugs
• Intermittent Auto Start-Stop May Need a Full Charge
• Don't Stress About Mixing Octanes
• 'Moron insurance' Should Cover Mechanic's Incompetence
• Accelerometer, Not Pedals, Triggers Brake Lights in EV Hyundai
• Brake Calipers May Be Whining for Some Grease
• How To Avoid Royally Annoying Your Mechanic
• Added Gas And Oil Conditioners Deserve Some Questioning
• Get Driving To Get Ready For Emissions Inspection
• Look Out! Head Up Displays are Becoming More Common
• Location (and color) of Calipers are Up to Designers
• You Can Rely On Your Blind Spot Monitor -- But Do Your Part
• Are Bumps And Potholes Equally Taxing?
• Emergency Brake Issues May Be More Than Meets The Eye
• Take Baby Steps Toward Your Next Great Adventure