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A reader questions others’ choices in car brands
John Paul, AAA Northeast's Car Doctor, hears from a reader who can’t understand why anyone would buy anything other than a Toyota or Honda.
Q. Why would anyone buy anything other than a Toyota or possibly a Honda since, in my opinion, they are the most reliable cars? I see people driving Dodges and wonder what must have convinced them to get that thing.
A. People buy vehicles that appeal to their lifestyle, budget, and needs. Years ago I purchased a used Dodge Caravan. It was cheap and quite useful. Was it perfect? Not at all. At 120,000 miles I replaced the transmission and at 150,000 miles it needed cylinder head gaskets, so I rebuilt the engine. Are Toyota and Honda vehicles perfect? Recently the owner of a 2018 Toyota Tacoma told me about how his truck frame was rusting away. Honda has had their share of engine and transmission issues over the years. Still, Toyota and Honda have earned their reputation for being among the most reliable car brands in the world.
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Q. Back in 1978, I had a VW Beetle while in school. One day I decided to change the spark plugs, but I screwed one in wrong, and the spark plug just would not get seated properly. It was stuck, and yet the car ran. How could that have been possible?
A. The cylinder heads on the air-cooled engines have sort of an odd angle for the spark plugs. You likely cross threaded the spark plug, and although it did not seat properly, it did seal and work. The next person would have been in for an unpleasant surprise when tuning up your old car. They’d need to remove the spark plug (or perhaps the cylinder head) and use a HELICOIL repair kit to fix the damaged threads in the cylinder head.
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Q. I have a 2024 Subaru and my wife just got a 2025 Honda. I like to keep my cars in showroom condition. What would be your recommendation for that glossy finish? I have also tried top brand tire black, and nothing seems to keep the tires looking at their best longer than a few days. It has been six weeks since we picked up her car, and the tires look almost like the day we drove off the lot. Would you have an inside tip as to what dealers use?
A. You are correct that most tire shine products last only a few weeks. I have found that Meguiar’s Endurance tire gel is quite good. Also Bling Sauce products make a tire product, but the finish is a clean/mat look, not shiny. I know some reconditioning shops use Lanes Tire Shine Super Blue. As for the car’s paint, I have always been a fan of Meguiar’s products, but in the last year or so have had very good luck with Bling Sauce products. Bling Sauce products are easy to use and have lasting results. Perhaps the dealer will share what they use or even sell you some of their products.
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Q. Recently I bought a used tire for my 2024 Lexus NX 350 from a tire shop. They told me that these tires come off cars that were in collisions. I paid $75 instead of $300 for a new tire. The tire that I replaced had been repaired twice but I thought it would be better to replace the tire. What is your opinion on used tires? I will be keeping the car until next summer and the replaced tire looks brand new.
A. Used tires can be a good economical alternative. That being said, it is always good to look at the date code on a used tire to see what the actual age of the tire is. If the tires are relatively new, not damaged, they can be a good choice. Although depending on the mileage of your other three tires, it is best to replace tires in matching pairs. Having one odd tire can cause issues with noise and even wet weather traction.
Q. My daughter has a 2019 Hyundai. She told me her oil light was flashing so I checked the oil in the car. The dip stick showed no oil. I was surprised so I added a quart and still no reading on the dip stick. I put a total of four quarts, and it just hit the low line on the dip stick. How can a car run on what appears to be one quart of oil and where did the oil go? There are no oil stains under the car.
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A. The oil light came on because the oil pressure was dangerously low. Unfortunately not all cars have oil level warnings. At this point if it were my car, I would change the oil (she is lucky the engine did not seize). Once there is fresh oil and a new filter I would check the oil every 500 to 1,000 miles. Some Hyundai models have had issues with oil consumption. The oil disappeared because it was burned during normal combustion. My first question would be when was the last oil change?
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
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