Month: June 2014

Auto Industry Sets Recall Record

Airbag recallWith Monday’s announcement that auto retailers planned to recall roughly three million vehicles due to airbag issues, the auto industry has set the record for the number of recalls in a year, and we’re not even to July.

According to the most recent announcement, the car companies BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda and Nissan will be recalling vehicles equipped with airbags made by the Takata Corp. Automakers said a defective explosive charge in the airbag could potentially send metal shrapnel flying at occupants during a crash.

The airbag recall has already affected three million cars, and that number will likely increase. The conservative estimate means that car companies have recalled 31.4 million vehicles in the U.S. this year, breaking the previous annual record of 30.8 million set back in 2004.

The depressing record is even more concerning when you consider 2014 isn’t even halfway over yet. Researchers believe that number could approach 50 million if trends continue.

Who The Recall Impacts

Honda is recalling the majority of the vehicles during the latest recall. Reports estimate that Honda will recall two million vehicles, including 2001-2007 Accords, 2001-2005 Civics, 2002-2006 CR-Vs, 2002-2004 Odyssey vans, 2003-2007 Pilots, 2003-2011 Elements.

Nissan said they plan to recall 228,000 vehicles, mostly the Infiniti FX35 and Pathfinder. Ford and Chrysler announced that they are conducting a “field action” in cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to determine which vehicles may be affected. Mazda said they would offer a “special service program” for 34,600 vehicles affected by the recall. It’s uncertain which BMW vehicles are affected.

The NHTSA said the propellant used in the inflation system has the potential to burn too quickly. If that occurs, the canister housing the propellant can explode, causing metal shards to spray into the cabin.

The NHTSA said three people were injured as a result of the malfunction in 2013. A subsequent review found that at least six similar instances occurred in hot and humid regions like Florida and Puerto Rico. Investigators are trying to determine if the weather plays a significant role in the malfunction.

To see if your vehicle has been recalled, visit the company’s website. Here are links to see if your Honda or Nissan has been recalled.

Storms Damage Cars Across Southern Minnesota 

Hopefully you were able to get your car in a garage this weekend, but if your vehicle was an unfortunate casualty of a falling tree branch, let Affordable Auto Service get it looking like new again.

According to KSTP, several vehicles were damaged by the storm and more than 100,000 homes lost power as windy conditions swept through the area. Measurements taken at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recorded wind speeds of nearly 70 mph. You can see pictures of a few of the damaged cars below.

The St. Paul Fire Department had a busy day as the storms knocked down branches and power lines into Saturday night. Officials said that the SPFD responded to more than 60 weather-related calls during a two-hour span Saturday afternoon. The majority of the calls were for downed power lines.

Tree branch car
Photo by E. Fulton Silvernale on Twitter @EFSilvernale
Tree car
via Rob Olson @RobOlsonFox9

Auto Glass Repair

One of our specialties is fixing cracked and damaged windows. If your car looks anything like the cars in the above pictures, we may be able to help.

If you simply have a small chip in the glass, we can have you back on the road in no time. If the chip is smaller than the size of a quarter, we can repair it in 30 minutes or less. If you have any additional chips, those take about an extra 15 minutes to repair. Since a large portion of an auto repair bill is for the time spent working on your car, why not visit a shop that can fix the problem quickly?

In the event that the windshield is beyond repair, we can remove the damaged glass and do a full replacement. Our two men repair teams can install a new windshield in about 90 minutes, and we’ll come out to your home to do the replacement. We don’t want you driving into our shop if you can’t see out the window!

So if your car was damaged by the storm, or if you think it’s about time you fixed that ding in your windshield, give us a call today. We’ll be more than happy to help!

Related source: KSTP

Auto Repair Shouldn’t Be Like Pulling Teeth

Best auto garageA recent study of over 2,400 car owners likened the car repair process to that of going to the dentist, a statistic we find downright depressing.

According to the research, 83 percent of consumers “feel” overcharged by the auto repair process, and women respondents said they’d rather go to the dentist than take their ride in for a tune up.

“We know that there are excellent repair shops and service centers in every city in the US, but, as this study shows, a persistent perception problem plagues the industry: consumers simply don’t trust that they are paying an appropriate price for a repair and their view of the whole experience is, generally, not a positive one,” said Brian Hafer, VP of Marketing for AutoRepair.com. “But there is good news. Consumers are going online to check price quotes and repair show reviews and are craving apples-to-apples actual job quotes. So, for shops that are pricing fairly, offering real quotes and keeping up a good digital presence, there is a real chance to improve perception –and with it, their business.”

Some of the other findings include:

  • 44 percent of women viewed the auto repair industry in a negative light, while only 12 percent had a positive view.
  • 84 percent believe a more transparent view of actual pricing quotes would be the best way to improve the industry.
  • Somewhat surprisingly, 35 percent of respondents never look at auto repair reviews before having their car serviced.
  • 98 percent of respondents said having a knowledgeable and experienced mechanic is important.

We have all those things and so much more at Affordable Auto Service. If you want a quote, you can get one over the phone or request one online right here. We have stellar reviews from customers on our social media profiles, including a great rating by members on Google+. Finally, we have mechanics with years of experiencing servicing all makes and models. In fact, six of our technicians have over 150 years of combined experience working on cars. It doesn’t get much more experienced than that!

Going to the auto repair center shouldn’t be like going to the dentist. We want to make sure you have the best possible experience at a price that won’t leave you feeling cheated. Stop on by and let us prove it.

Related source: Wall Street Journal

The Benefits of Brake Repair

Car BrakesThey say that in Minnesota, we really only experience two driving seasons – Winter and Construction. You may prefer one to the other, but something you need during both seasons is a great pair of brakes. Whether the roads are icy or you happen across a pothole repair crew, you’ll want to make sure you can stop in time to keep you and everyone else on the road safe.

Bad Brakes

There are a lot of ways to tell if you need new brakes or if there is a larger problem at hand. Does your car:

  • Make a grinding noise while stopping?
  • Seem to “pulse” or feel “herky jerky” while braking?
  • Need a lot of foot pressure to come to a complete stop?
  • Make noises while braking at high speeds, or right at the end of your complete stop.

If any of the above conditions are present, make sure you get your car into a shop right away. Ignoring the problem will only make it worse.

Pads and Rotors

As we explained in depth on a previous post, there are two main components at work while you’re braking – Break pads and Rotors.

When you apply the break, your break pads clamp down on the spinning rotor. The kinetic energy from the rotors is converted into thermal energy as the pads slow the rotor. Your forward momentum gets turned into heat as you brake, and if you brake too hard too often, you can damage your pads and rotors.

Like any car part, replacing it before it causes a bigger problem is key when it comes to brake pads and rotors. Take your car in as soon as you hear a grinding noise or feel a difference while breaking, or better yet, replace them at regular intervals. Generally, break pads should be replaced every 15,000-25,000 miles, while rotors should be swapped out every 50,000-75,000 miles.

So if you’re planning a summer road trip or just want to do more driving now that the weather is nice, make sure your brakes are in tip-top shape. Our mechanics know what to look for and can have your brakes back in perfect order in no time. For more information or to schedule a brake inspection, don’t hesitate to contact us!