At some point, everyone who’s ever made a car payment has felt that they’re being ripped off. In October 2023, Money noted that car payments in America had reached a record high of over $700 per month, and a 2021 article from Consumer Reports found that a significant amount of Americans were overpaying on their car loans.

The reason for these high payments has much to do with the incredible interest rates that are being charged on car loans. In December 2021, the average interest rates on a 60-month new car loan was 3.85%; by last month, this average had rocketed up to 7.92%, per Statista.

Seeing this, many with car payments are trying to find any way to get rid of their car payment faster. One user on TikTok has sparked discussion with a possible solution.

Why you should make multiple payments on your car

In a video with over 6 million views, TikTok user Sierra (@sishowman) revealed a ‘hack’ that she says was shown to her by a car salesman.

“He told me to pay half every two weeks instead of paying in full once a month,” she states in her video. “This is the most basic f***ing hack ever, but I cannot f***ing explain the difference it has made.”

According to Sierra, she paid her initial car payment in full. However, 80% of that payment went to paying off the interest on her car loan, while 20% of it went to her principal.

“Now that I've been paying every two f***ing weeks because it knocks off the interest like crazy, 80% of my money goes towards the principal amount of my car payment,” she says. “Do you f***ing understand how much money I am saving?”

“And paying every two weeks, you get an extra payment by the end of the year, so you pay off even faster than you already are,” she concludes. “Life-changing.”

Does this hack work?

While this may not be universal and may depend on the specific terms of your loan payment, there’s evidence to suggest that what Sierra is saying is true, at least in her specific case.

“Biweekly savings are achieved by simply paying half of your monthly auto loan payment every two weeks and making 1.5 times your monthly auto loan payment every sixth month,” reads a page on the website for the First National Bank of River Falls. “By the end of each year you would have paid the equivalent of one extra monthly payment.”

“This additional amount accelerates your loan payoff by going directly against your loan's principal,” the site continues. “The effect can save you thousands of dollars in interest and take years off of your auto loan.”

Sierra later posted an update video revealing just how much she’s saving by switching to bi-weekly payments.

@sishowman this works for any loan i think but for car payments especially its SO NICE. world of a difference #cars #carloan #interest #moneyhacks ♬ original sound - si

Commenters speak to the veracity of her claim

In the comments section, several users claimed that they’ve achieved similar results using this method.

“YESSSS. i swear by this!! i pay half my car payment every 2 weeks & my car payment is down sooo much!” exclaimed a user.

“I love making my car payment every 2 weeks,” added another. “I pay 157 every 2 weeks and about 10 dollars go to interest.”

Others offered similar advice.

“Another hack is after 6 months you can refinance your car through a different bank! i went from paying $400 to $265,” noted a commenter.

“Now add an extra $10-$20 to each payment (if you can) and it’ll be paid off even faster,” stated a second.

The Daily Dot reached out to Sierra via Instagram direct message.

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The post ‘The difference it had made’: Woman shares hack her car salesman taught her appeared first on The Daily Dot.

There’s plenty of praise due to vehicle owners who take some initiative, do lots of research, and decide that they’re going to save some money and fix a nagging problem themselves. It takes plenty of confidence in an era where cars and trucks are more complicated and intricately constructed than ever before, which could be intimidating to most folks.

After all, replacing fairly standard parts, changing the oil, and other low-degree of difficulty steps don’t present many opportunities to substantially damage the basic drivetrain or mechanics that help your ride stay safely on the road.

We learn from a recent TikTok clip, however, that replacing the control arm on a heavy duty truck is something that goes directly in the BAD IDEA file if you’re not a practiced mechanic who can spot bad spacing or alignment that could create massive problems elsewhere.

The damage

Creator @s-tire starts off the clip without mincing words, showing us a lower-front view of a Chevrolet Silverado Z71 truck that’s elevated so we can get an easy look at the front end. We learn that the truck’s owner decided to replace the upper and lower control arms on the driver’s side. And, here’s a shock: They did a bad job at it.

“Well, this is a big boo boo right here. Dude tried to save some money and fix the truck himself, and all that hard work for nothing. He put an upper and lower control arm on the driver's side, and he said something wasn't right, so he brought it to us,” we hear in the unnamed narrator’s classic Batesville, Mississippi drawl.

The problem appears to be that control arms for a given vehicle are not universal and a part made of steel instead of aluminum (or any other applicable material) may not fit properly. In the case of the Silverado we’re looking at, there’s a gap near the connection on the ball joint that’s likely already making noise and causing the wheel to “float’ because it’s not responding correctly to the steering system.

In a follow-up video we see that part of the steering system has indeed been damaged, and at least one ball joint destroyed by the incorrect installation.

Some poking around online shows us that a for job of installing a control arm can lead to drivability issues, squeaking and other noises, component failure, excessive tire wear, and alignment issues.

Should you take on the control arm yourself?

All of this should serve as a lesson that if you suspect there’s an issue with a control arm or related part on your car, get it to a professional mechanic unless you feel like rolling the dice and playing amateur grease monkey with a pretty essential part of the steering assembly.

Commenters on the clip gave the truck’s owner a bit of grace for having the best of intentions and giving the repair job their best shot.

“I did an insane amount of research before I got into reworking mine. It is shocking how many possible options there are,” one wrote in a nod to how complicated the search for replacement parts can be, even for a fairly popular, standard truck.

A fellow technician took the incident as a word of warning for those looking to save themselves a couple of bucks: “a learning experience. this teaches ppl our job is deeper than swapping bad parts”

And another pointed out that trying to save on cheaper parts appears to have backfired.

@shittytire #trucktok #cartok #cars #trucks #trucksoftiktok #carsoftiktok #car #truck #frontend #balljoints #alignment #mechanic #tireshoplife #mississippi #tireshop ♬ original sound - shittytire

“The steel ones are a lot cheaper. That's why he got them. Try to be cheap and it ends up costing more 90% of the time,” they wrote.

The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via direct message, and GM via email.

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The post ‘Dude tried to save some money’: Chevrolet driver tries to fix his Silverado truck himself. It backfires appeared first on The Daily Dot.

There’s literally no worse feeling you can have once you’ve walked through the door of an automotive repair shop than to hear the word “new” before the words “engine” or “transmission.” That’s because suddenly you’re in the world where multiple thousands of dollars are going to be leaving your bank account very quickly. Or your credit card balance is about to blow up like a birthday balloon.

Those are serious, and seriously expensive, diagnoses. It’s usually pretty difficult to argue with since both are major components of any working automobile.

But let’s give a round of applause and a slap on the back to radio host John Clay Wolfe. He offers a ray of hope that you can get your car back in running shape for at most $300.

Rule out a dead battery vs. new transmission

In a recent clip on TikTok that’s been viewed more than 50,000 times, Wolfe peaks in close. He tells us why some dead cells in an old battery could be the real problem.

“I said, before you do that, before you spend $4,000 on new transmission, go down to the auto parts store, swap your battery out. When you have dead cells in your car battery, it makes the electric components act weird,” Wolfe said.

“All of these mechanicals are tied together with electric components now, and they run on specialized voltage level. If you have a dead cell in your car battery, then it changes the voltage level need a new motor or you need a new transmission. They might not be lying to you. They don't know either. But I'm telling you, go $100 on a new battery before you go spend $10,000 or $5,000 on a new motor or a new transmission.”

The “Pro Tip Of The Day” clip seems to be something of a rarity for Wolfe. The bulk of his TikTok library focuses on talking shop with his listeners about the potential resale value of whatever make and model of a vehicle they’re currently driving. It’s not exactly insulting to watch, but it does make radio listeners of a certain age yearn for the good ol’ days of Car Talk, with the on-air personalities Click and Clack, dispensing car advice on NPR affiliates across the country.

Still, Wolfe will wind up saving fans money with that one tip, and for that he gets some credit.

Comments on the clip were mostly grateful to Wolfe. One shared having the exact experience happen recently.

“This happened last weekend to us. First A/C wouldn’t cool, then tach quit working then windows wouldn’t go back up. Dead cell in battery,” they wrote.

@johnclaywolfeshow_ Here's a Pro Tip: Change your Battery! 🔋🚗 Whenever you experience mechanical or transmission problems, before you spend all of your money, try changing your battery first. You can thank me later! 😉 #cartalk #carculture #carproblems #cartips ♬ original sound - The John Clay Wolfe Show

And there’s this one, too: “Great advice, happen to me on a 14” Jeep Cherokee, just needed a battery.”

Another advised that a bad battery could be why the dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree. “Do you have a series of check engine lights things flashing on your dash typically it’s the battery been doing this so long time,” they note.

The Daily Dot reached out to Wolfe via direct message.

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The post ‘Go down to the auto parts store’: Man shares what to do instead of spending thousands on new motor, transmission appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Beloved TikTok mechanic Dave (@davesautocenter) has quickly become the patron saint of all things automotive repair on the popular social media platform. From letting folks know when whether or not it's in a customer's best interest to fix a damaged engine or feuding with another mechanic on the best way to repair a Nissan, Dave often posts car-related content.

Recently, he's posted a pair of clips showing used car buyers the things they should be looking out for as they scope out potential new rides, giving breakdowns of both exterior and interior assessments in each respective clip. First, he begins with the outside of a 2023 Honda Civic, which has little details he urges folks to scrutinize that indicate it was probably in a rear collision.

"A 2023 Honda Civic brought from a dealer," Dave states while holding up a yellow-tagged key fob up to the camera lens. "Now, that's a pretty new car, but we're still gonna do a used car inspection on it. Let's go see what we can find. Before you even get a new car, look around it," the man states, inspecting the vehicle. The first thing he sees? A deep panel gap between the rear driver's side portion of the vehicle and the bumper. "Bam, right off the start, look at the gap here."

The implications of a panel gap

He then spots another one in the trunk area, "Look at this gap here, look I put my whole dang finger in there." He continues to move around the Honda Civic pointing out panel gaps all across the car along with other irregularities with the assembly process. On the rear passenger's side window, he notices another detail, "Whenever you see this kind of white stuff here that'll come off with your finger, that's rubbing compound," Dave says as he digs his fingernail into the material, scratching at it.

With the trunk popped open, he then begins to point out other imperfections that folks should keep an eye out for: "Molding that's tore. You see on a 2023 you would never, you just wouldn't have that. So the first indication for me is, possible wreck." He moves around the vehicle, showing off even more details of the car that would indicate the car was in an accident, which could lead to a host of long term problems such as frame damage, which could affect other aspects of car's drive and lead to premature wear of certain components due to these incongruities/shifts caused by a collision.

"See how this stuff's not fitting in here?" he points out another portion of hatcback's trunk liner, before lifting up the bed that houses the spare tire. "So look in here, this is glue, look at this panel, this has been majorly wrecked in the rear. Maybe you're OK with that. Maybe the dealer's disclosed it and you know, you just want a mechanically sound car but these are things that you can check real quick."

@davesautocenter Be Like Dave, learn how to shake down a used car #usedcar #usedcars #autoshop #autorepair #carrepair ♬ original sound - Davesautocenter

Matching up panel gaps

Dave ambles on over to the front of the car and points out even more panel gaps between the hood and body of the Civic, "The distance on panels, see how they're not matching up right? Now this is a Honda, they make a pretty nice car," he says, indicating that the Japanese Auto Manufacturer probably isn't going to let a whip off the assembly line looking like that.

"Okay, let's go for a ride," he says, before the clip cuts to him in the shop where he states he has a video check list folks should keep in mind when shopping for a used vehicle. "My used car inspection manual, which includes a 40 minute video is gonna teach you exactly how to be like Dave. And you're not gonna waste thousands of dollars in unforeseen repairs or maintenance," he states, promoting his $29 ebook.

In a follow-up video, he gives a bit more insight into what folks need to look at when purchasing a used a vehicle from the interior of the car as well.

@davesautocenter Be Like Dave used car inspection part 2 👨‍🔧 #autoshop #usedcars #autorepair #carrepair ♬ original sound - Davesautocenter

More advice on used vehicle inspections

Seated in the whip, he tells people what they should be looking for, but whatever you do, don't start it right away: "First thing you're gonna wanna do when you get in the car, don't start the car just turn it on. You want to make sure that all your lights are illuminated like the check engine light, the airbag light, and you want to make sure that they're on before you start the car."

The reason for that? Shady sellers. "Because a lot of times people that are less than honest can remove that bulb because there is a problem and you'll never see it illuminate because it's been removed," he says.

Some of the things he mentions folks should check seem like no-brainers, but then there are others, like seatbelt retraction, that could point to a deeper, potentially more expensive problem, if they aren't properly assessed.

"If you do a good used car inspection you'll use all five of your senses to do it. And this is before you take it to a shop," he says.

Viewers weigh in

While a lot of people who agreed the vehicle's been in the crash, a few felt that Dave's trunk inspection wasn't entirely accurate, referencing the fact that the "glue" he referred to was actually "seamsealer" and that is comes from the vehicle's factory: "Tech at a Honda dealer here. The glue in the trunk is factory," one person wrote.

While another replied: "that glue u see in the trunk is normal under the trunk mats my accord has that from the factory."

Another person also said that folks should make sure to check the title of the vehicle to insure they weren't purchasing a "rebuilt" car, writing: "Seeing the dealership plates i know that dealership sells a lot of rebuilt titles. The times I’ve been there the repair quality was never to my standards."

Someone else, upon seeing the car didn't think that after seeing the panel gaps and high probability (as Dave thought) that the car was in an accident, that the thing would be safe to drive: "No way thats mechanical sound."

The Daily Dot reached out to Dave's Auto Center via email for further comment.

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The post ‘I can fit my whole dang finger’: Man buys used 2023 Honda Civic and brings it to mechanic for final inspection. It backfires appeared first on The Daily Dot.

It's halfway through 2024, which means that the first crop of 2025 vehicles are already hitting dealerships. One new Honda Civic customer was surprised to see the check engine light come on after just 100 miles.

As a highly respected auto manufacturer renowned for its reliability (along with Toyota), it might come as a surprise to many that a brand new Civic needed to get sent to the shop. TikToker and auto tech Julian Le (@kuro.auto) documented the meticulous process he underwent to try and diagnose just what was wrong with the Civic.

However, he prefaces his whole clip by noting this may be a recurring chorus that many drivers have been noticing with newer model vehicles. And they're all uttering the same hackneyed phrase that appears to ring true regardless of how played out it is. That is, they just don't make them like they used to.

Diagnosing the 2025 Civic

"I got a 2025 Civic 2.4 liter, with a check engine light, only 100 miles. Ugh ... these new vehicles man," he says. He focuses his car lens on the check engine light that's illuminated on the car's dashboard.

The clip then cuts to him looking at a sheet of paper that appears to list various diagnostic codes. The codes can help him to assess just why the brand-new 2025 model Honda Civic is already having engine troubles. He points to a line on the sheet that reads, "Confirmed DTCs," and then to the specific code he presumably received while performing his scans. "P0741 Torque converter clutch circuit performance...or stuck off," he says, reading the text on the document.

The mechanic then expounds a bit more on the error. "I've seen this code on Pilots and I think Ridgelines," he says. "We replace the torque converter usually. ... [Let's] see what it is for the Civic."

Noticing something strange

The clip transitions to the Civic's engine shield on the floor. It's in pristine condition, which is understandable given the shiny new nature of the car. However, upon removing the shield, he says that he noticed something strange immediately. He holds a nut up to the camera. The mechanic states that it just plopped out onto the floor right when he popped the cover off.

He says, "So I took the shield down, this fell out. I don't know what this goes to, doesn't look like it's used yet. It's just been hanging around I guess," he says. The clip then cuts to him at a computer terminal with a list of suggested steps one should take to properly diagnose the code.

Underneath the car, the story doesn't seem to get much better. "As I'm testing, this is great. It's already leaking," he says, looking at what appears to be fluid seeping out from the bottom of the Civic. "There's 100 miles on the vehicle, I'm pretty sure that's trans fluid, leaking already."

Checking the transmission

Back at the computer, he has his list brought up again. Unfortunately, it seems like there's something going on with the transmission itself. "All right, I thought I was gonna test the correct thing. But, apparently, you click on this. For some reason, I thought it was like this first thing. But no, it's actually all the stuff inside the transmission. So, unless I actually take apart the pan, I can't actually test anything. So I'm gonna have to call tech line actually," he says.

The tech line informs the mechanic that he should use some dye to thoroughly assess what's probably wrong with the vehicle. He begins this portion of the clip holding up a small bottle of dye to the camera. He says, "[The tech line] wants me to add dye to the transmission, let it run until it leaks, and then we're gonna go from there."

As he stands above the pristine engine bay of the new vehicle, he states that after the dye leaks throughout the vehicle, he will, indeed, have to take the transmission apart. Unfortunately, the dye solution and trans request came at the end of his shift. So he tells his viewers that he's going to have to get to work on that the following day.

Quality of newer vehicles

It seems that a lot of mechanics are complaining about the way more modern vehicles are being built. There are even auto techs who've put together lists of vehicles warning consumers that if they own any of these cars they should sell them before they hit the 60,000-mile mark. Or else, they're just going to become way too costly to own, operate, and repair, they argue.

And while a lot of people would argue that folks should just buy a Toyota, regularly maintain it, and call it a day, because it will more than likely outlive you and become a whip you pass down onto your kids, there are some who've argued that even this JDM brand has "dipped" in recent years. Just don't say that to this woman who has no plans to ever give up her 2013 Corolla.

Others say that the "dip" in Toyota isn't necessarily in its reliability or mechanical soundness, however, but rather in the infotainment, electronics and additional features being offered by the company. According to News Nation, the reason why so many modern whips are having issues are because of these complex infotainment and electrical systems.

That doesn't explain why some manufacturers seemingly opt to make inferior engines to the competition. This is evinced by this one mechanic who showed the difference between modern Nissan and Toyota motors. If you ask some of the folks on this Quora post, they'll probably tell you that the problem is straight up planned obsolescence.

Viewers weigh in

And if you're a Honda fan, you probably aren't going to be too enthused to read what some of the folks are saying in the comments section in response to Le's video. "Acura tech here and all I can say is Honda dropping the ball badly on all new vehicles ( including Acuras )," one person wrote.

Another said, "so crazy how bad the quality control has gotten, Honda used to be such a pioneer with their bulletproof cars."

One TikToker remarked that it's videos like these that tarnish a historically lauded manufacturer's reputation for reliability. They wrote, "Honda is losing its status of being reliable."

There was a customer who said that they were scared of purchasing a new car after seeing this video. "30k for junk. I want a new civic, but I’m terrified of these new cars from every manufacturer," they wrote.

Le explained that he believes the build quality from the cars actually manufactured and shipped from Japan is the way to go.

"The only one you can trust is the one built in Japan, and only the TypeR is built in Japan lol Everything else is made in America," Le said in a comment.

@kuro.auto Customer purchased and drove it for 2 days before coming back for the check engine light. . . . . . #honda #ホンダ #fyp #fypシ #civic #hondacivic #mechanic #technician #mechanicsoftiktok #cartok #carsoftiktok ♬ Cafe music, corporate VP, comfortable(1277239) - zukisuzuki

The Daily Dot reached out to Honda via email and Le via TikTok comment for further information.

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The post ‘These new vehicles, man’: Brand-new 2025 Honda Civic only has 100 miles on it. So why is the check-engine light on? appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Before we get into one the many useful clips from our beloved car repair guru and prolific TikTok creator Rich Poisson (@fordbossme), it sounds like some words of congratulation are in order. In recent clips he shares some details about his new position with a repair shop where he’s purely doing the work he loves (“working on everything that’s not an Audi or a Subaru” as he says frequently) rather than being part of the management and ownership team at his former Chicago-area shop.

In in a clip from mid-June, Poisson starts by observing a repair tech using an extended arm on a socket to slowly and delicately loosen a sparkplug on a Ford Triton. Since sparkplugs are known to be somewhat fragile and can be a time-consuming piece to remove if they break, the thinking goes that it’s best to work carefully even if it takes more time.

Poisson quick cuts in after a few seconds to teach us otherwise.

How to make sure your mechanic doesn't ruin your sparkplugs

“I used to try to go low and slow and controlled and all this other stuff to try to stop them from breaking. Then I went to a Ford training seminar, and the instructors in the class was like, Don't do that,” he said.

“You do more damage that way versus getting a really good quality socket down in there, whether it be impact or whatever. A nice extension that's got a nice little locking tab on it and an impact and just pull it right out of there... Don't try to sit there with a ratchet and do it. Impact it out of there because if it's going to break, it's going to break.”

By looking around on YouTube you can find clips that go into quite a bit of visual detail to explain and demonstrate the process of removing and replacing Ford sparkplugs. One of them uses a combination approach to first loosen the sparkplug with a manual tool, and then using an impact gun to finish the job, so this may all be a matter of personal taste or feel rather than following one specific mechanics’ orthodoxy.

Wait, what's a sparkplug? And how often do I need to replace them?

As this Toyota dealership blog notes, sparkplugs are key to your engine because they provide the spark of electricity needed to get your engine moving. Modern sparkplugs last about 50,000 miles. But refer to your owner's manual, or just Google the make and model.

One key trick for removing sparkplugs

The important point Poisson does make is how helpful it is to start the engine and let it run for a few minutes so the sparkplugs warm up and, in theory, be somewhat easier to loosen instead of snap apart.

“Start the vehicle up, let it get up to not complete operating temperature, but somewhere in between cold and hot, like a third of the way, pull it in the stall, pull them right out,” he said. “I found more success doing that than trying to sit there and slowly turn them out with a ratchet.”

In the comments on the clip there were plenty of folks in line with Poisson’s thinking, which comes as no surprise since the guy seems like a top-shelf mechanic.

“Yes this works great I’ve been doing it for years get it warm hit them with an impact,” one of them wrote.

@fordbossme #stitch with @Norm G ♬ original sound - Norm G

Another said, “Bringing engine temp up slightly sounds like the key.”And another advised using the universal mechanical solvent to loosen things up: “Send WD-40 down the whole warm, the engine up aluminum expands when it gets hot put the impact on no broken sparkplugs do not install welded plugs”

The Daily Dot reached out to Poisson via direct message, and to Ford via email.

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The post ‘Send WD-40 down the whole’: Expert says your mechanic is probably pulling out your sparkplugs wrong, reveals key to do it right appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Foregoing essential car maintenance can carry serious consequences and can compound costs down the road. That’s at least the warning one auto shop is sharing with viewers in a now-viral TikTok.

In a recent video, user @davesengines, which posts car-related videos, showed viewers the dangers of buying a new car without getting a pre-purchase inspection completed first. The clip had amassed more than 108,500 views.

A mechanic in the video, named Miles, said that buying a car is “one of the scariest things that everybody does.”

What are the risks with buying a new car as-is?

To demonstrate the risks that come with buying a car without first getting it checked, Miles showed viewers a Toyota Corolla. The car, he said, was brought in for a used car and/or pre-purchase inspection. 

And it was a good thing the prospective buyer brought it in for servicing, Miles said.

“We found tons of stuff wrong with it,” he said.

Miles showed viewers one of the car’s interior parts, which he said was damaged. The piece, he said, was “barely hanging on.”

“This would’ve cost the customer, if they hadn’t done the inspection, $500-plus for just the part,” he said. “No labor or anything. And your car will not pass an emissions test if this is broken—which it was.”

Meanwhile, Miles added that all of the car’s engine mounts were totally “shot or destroyed.” He held up one particular piece that he said was “cracked” and “loose.”

He ended his video with a PSA to viewers: “Don’t spend money unless you know it’s a good investment.” 

How can buyers avoid these issues? 

In his video, Miles credited the customer for coming into the auto shop before purchasing the car. He said that, by doing so, they were “able to save themselves from a lot of headaches.”

But in the comments, viewers doubted that a pre-purchase inspection would solve everything. In fact, several commenters noted that, for more pre-purchase inspections, the cars are not completely disassembled as Miles did with the Corolla. 

“Never seen an inspection where they removed parts?” one viewer questioned. 

“I’ve never seen someone disassemble the entire car just for a used car inspection,” another added.

Others, meanwhile, said that car issues are part of the deal when buying a cheap, used vehicle.

“I mean, what are you expecting for a $4,000 car and it’s like 15 years old,” one user said. 

“Any old car is going to have some issues that’s why it’s used and sold as is,” another wrote. “Not everything should be perfect.”

@davesengines BEWARE! Educate yourself before you sink 💰 into to vehicle - we’re temporarily offering a free “pre-purchase inspection” to download to help you in this nerve racking process #autoshop #autorepair #usedcar #enginebuild #enginerepair ♬ original sound - Dave’s Engines

Miles agreed. In a comment he wrote that most used cars are going to have issues. Still, he recommended “knowing what the issues are before purchasing.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Miles via TikTok comment.

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The post ‘$500-plus for just the part’: Mechanic issues pre-purchase inspection warning when Toyota Corolla comes in appeared first on The Daily Dot.

New cars are getting a bad reputation, and it may be well earned. According to New Atlas, new cars bought in the last few years "have twice as many quality problems as they had in 2010." Multiple videos have documented how new cars, like BMW X3 or Kia, have issues that ended up costing them thousands of dollars. Recently, mechanic Tamayo_tech (@tamayo_tech) added the new GMC Yukon to the list.

In a short clip, viewed over 441,000 times and scored with a song from SpongeBob, Tamayo_tech shows the damage someone can cause when they surpass their towing capacity.

Before he zooms in to show viewers the damage, a text overlay reads, "When the customer decides to pull his camper with his Yukon."

Many viewers blamed it on modern design flaws.

"Feel like manufacturers lie a lot about their towing capabilities too," one said.

"Lol the motors to power all the electrical not town your camper lol," a second joked.

"Check class action lawsuit for 2014 and newer models," another suggested.

"This happened to a friends yukon denali that never towed an hardly even carried more than 4 ppl. 2 trannys in 80k miles," another shared.

Others blamed the owner.

"This problem had a 25ft+ camper behind it," a user said.

"Just because it can doesn’t mean it should," a second agreed.

"Been towing 7.5k camper with mine for 10 years," a user remarked.

"I’ve put about 7-8k behind my 97 f-150 pulled it like a champ no more than 60mph but it pulled it," a fourth said.

What happens when a truck/SUV exceeds payload capacity?

According to a blog by Carzima Motors, a dealership in Lubbock, Texas, payload capactity is the amount of weight a truck carry, including in the bed and cabin. The payload number can be "found inside the driver's side cabin door."

"There are several indications that let you know your truck is carrying too much weight," it writes. These include issues with like harder steering due to added pressure on the shocks and suspension, transmission failure, and structural damage.

What's the towing limit on a new GMC Yukon?

The 2024 Yukon comes with a lot of towing options, so it can be easy to mistake your towing capacity if you are new to towing. According to Tameron Buick GMC, a used car dealership, towing capacity depends on whether or not it has 2-wheel-drive or 4-wheel-drive and on its optional equipment. This means a new GMC Yukon can range from 7,700 pounds to 8,400 pounds.

It's a technology issue

An article by Money.com reports that vehicle quality has declined since 2021, with strange issues like defective cupholders, horns, and door handles. These issues are also compounded by an "increase of the average price of more than $7,000 in the past two years."

According to research from J.D. Power, automakers have had issues with audio systems, faulty lane departure warning technology, and other driver assistance features, and issues with wireless connections.

@tamayo_tech Its not a duramax ! Overload! #mechanic #mecanico #apprentice #automotive #mobilemechanic #technician ♬ original sound - SpongeBob background music

The Daily Dot reached out to GMC via email and Tamayo_tech via TikTok Comments. No other form of contact was available.

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The post ‘Old Yukon off Facebook marketplace with 220k on it could do this’: Mechanic says new GMC Yukons have no towing capacity appeared first on The Daily Dot.

A Utah-based mechanic (@davesautocenter) explains how to avoid low speed pre-ignition (LSPI) with a gasoline direct injection engines, or GDI, in a viral TikTok. If you own a car made after 2016, there's a strong chance this applies to you.

According to Valvoline Global, LSPI occurs when there is an ignition of a car engine’s fuel-air mixture before the spark plug fires. This can lead to engine-damaging pressure and heat.

“It's where the fuel particles don't atomize, and they get between the rings and mix with the wrong oil, and they cause that type of an explosion,” the mechanic says. “It happens super fast. You don't even know it, and all of a sudden your engine’s done.” 

The mechanic says only vehicles with GDIs can experience LSPI.

What is a GDI engine?

GDI engines process gasoline more efficiently and reduce exhaust. While the technology has been around for almost 100 years, they've exploded in popularity. As Wikipedia notes, GDIs have gone "in the United States from 2.3% of production for model year 2008 vehicles to approximately 50% for model year 2016."

According to Universal Technical Institute, GDI engines are more controlled, efficient, and powerful than other types of engines. This is because they pump gasoline into the combustion chambers of each cylinder rather than mixing it with air beforehand.

In the TikTok, he’s holding up a worn piston and connecting rod assembly, which is a vital part of a GDI engine.

The mechanic says there are three things that can cause this type of damage to a GDI engine.

First, he says, using the wrong oil can lead to problems.

“If you have a direct injected car, you want to use an API SP grade oil,” he says. “That is, first off, the most important thing you want to do.”

He says another cause of damage is a dirty direct injector, which is a part of a GDI engine.

“A direct injector has to stay super clean, so you might want to use an additive,” he says. 

His third piece of advice is for GDI car owners to warm up their engines before heavy acceleration. 

According to Consumer Reports, drivers should allow their engines to run for a minute, but not any longer in order to prevent fuel waste and excess emissions.

How can I tell if my car has a GDI engine?

You can:

• Check the owner's manual.
• Check the engine cover.
• Check the fuel cap.
• Check the VIN.

And as the Drive notes: "If all else fails, a call to the dealership’s parts counter should give you an answer if your car is direct-injected or not. Or, you could always just Google “is make/model direct-injected?” and find your way to an official spec sheet."

Some viewers expressed confusion over mixed advice.

“But the news told me I shouldn't warm up my car anymore to be eco friendly?!? So I just get in it and floor it all winter long,” one viewer commented. 

“Always warm your engine up at least enough until the high idle goes down on cool days, and at least a few minutes on really cold winter days,” another advised.

Others shared a different approach on how to avoid LSPI. 

@davesautocenter Direct Injection Pre Ignition Damage. How to avoid it #autoshop #truckrepair #carrepair #autorepair #enginebuild #audi ♬ original sound - Davesautocenter

“Or do not buy direct injection vehicle,” one viewer wrote. 

“I’m hearing ‘Don’t buy GDI,’” another said. “Got it.”

The mechanic (@davesautocenter) did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.

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The post ‘All of a sudden your engine’s done’: Mechanic reveals 3 things that can damage your modern car’s GDI engine appeared first on The Daily Dot.

A woman recently went viral on TikTok after sharing the less-than-rosy experience she said she had at an unnamed dealership. 

Jessica (@jessicaslattelife), a wellness and beauty content creator, said in a recent video that the dealership took four hours to work out a deal that would result in her buying a new car. As of Tuesday afternoon, her post had amassed more than 774,600 views. 

“How in 2024, do car dealerships still take 4 hours to figure out your deal & sell you a car like this is insane,” Jessica wrote in the accompanying text overlay. Jessica recorded her brief, 9-second video, from the inside of a dealership. While she didn’t speak in the clip, her facial expression suggested that she was frustrated with the long wait time. 

She didn’t hold back in her TikTok’s video caption, either. “Can we just stop the games & give me a number,” she wrote.

How long should it take to buy a car at the dealership?

It’s not immediately clear from Jessica’s video which step in the car-buying process she was at. But according to a 2020 Reddit post, it’s not that uncommon for prospective buyers to wait for hours at a car dealership. One Redditor, u/sarcasmbunny, said that the entire ordeal—“from greeting to driving off the lot”—took roughly 3 hours. Others said that they’ve dealt with 2 to 4 hour wait-times depending on the dealership’s busyness. 

Some buyers said they’ve been more lucky, however. In another Quora forum, one user boasted that, after ordering their last car online, they were in the dealership for “less than an hour.” 

In other words, wait times may vary based on whether customers want to do a test drive, how busy a dealership’s workers are, and what car you want to purchase. That doesn’t mean customers won’t try and find roundabout ways to get serviced faster, though. 

In the comments under Jessica’s video, a number of viewers said they’ve threatened to leave a dealership if they notice that they’ve been waiting for too long. 

“I won’t sit [for] more than 30 min,” one woman admitted. 

“Walk out of there! They will come make a deal if they see you leaving,” another advised. 

Even with this tip, though, a number of users said they’ve given up on in-person car dealerships. Instead, viewers said they shop for used cars online through Carvana or CarMax, which both buy and sell used vehicles. 

Switching to these used vehicle retails, according to some commenters, might be the best way to avoid long wait-times at the dealership. One person wrote that CarMax had them “in and out in an hour.”

Jessica responded to this comment, writing, “This is what I keep hearing!” 

Other viewers affirmed this.

“CarMax is the way to go,” one said. “Best and quickest sale I’ve ever had.”

“Carvana was the best,” another wrote. “Never going to a dealership again.”

@jessicaslattelife Can we just stop the games & give me a number 😫#contentcreators #ugccreator #toddlermomtok #cardealership #buyinganewcar #buyingacar #carsalesman #newcar #howtostartaffiliatemarketing #howtogrowontiktok #momtokers #affiliatemarketingforbeginners ♬ original sound - Hannah Brown

“That’s why we go to carvana,” a third person added. “No hassle, no salesman. Bought our last 2 cars from there. You set the price, they tell you what you can get at that price.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Jessica via TikTok comment.

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The post ‘I won’t sit more than 30 min’: Woman calls out dealership for taking 4 hours to sell her a new car appeared first on The Daily Dot.