Pennsylvania Auto Dealers

If you ever need to take your cars to a mechanic other than your Springfield area Pontiac dealer, take extra precautions so you can avoid getting scammed. Most mechanics are honest, hard-working professionals that take their job seriously and treat their customers right. However, as with any business, there are some that give the job a bad name. Either way, here are the three most common mechanic scams and how to prevent being a victim of either one.

1. Overcharging – Some mechanics may try to overcharge you for parts. Before letting the mechanic do the repairs, call around and see if the price for the parts seems right. One time the mechanic wanted to charge me $160 for a part so I went outside and called the parts department at the same facility and they had the exact same part in stock for less than $30. So it pays to shop around.
2. Misdiagnosis – One thing some dishonest mechanics will do is fix one problem before realizing it was something else that was wrong. They then try to charge the customer for both repairs. A reputable mechanic will not charge for the first repair if it was truly their mistake.
3. Miscellaneous Services – Do not let a mechanic tell you to perform preventative maintenance procedures before the car’s manufacturer recommends them. This is a waste of money on your part and it is often just another way for a dishonest mechanic to drive up the bill.

Now that you know what to look for, make sure you keep your Pontiac cars maintained so you may not even need to take it to a mechanic.

As drivers, we all have pet peeves, or things that other drivers do that annoy the snot out of us. Some of us only have a couple pet peeves while others may get annoyed at much more. Your Trenton area Audi dealer thought this was a good topic to discuss. According to a recent survey of drivers, here are the most common pet peeves of drivers.

• Driving while distracted is a pet peeve for many drivers. In fact, more than 28 percent said they are annoyed when they see another driver talking on their cell phone or doing something else that distracts them from focusing on the road.
• More than one-fifth of the drivers surveyed said they get annoyed by drivers who drive too slowly in the fast lanes.
• Tailgaters (drivers who follow too close) are a pet peeve of about 18 percent of the drivers surveyed.
• Drivers that weave through traffic to get ahead annoy about 12 percent of the driving population.
• Less than one percent of those drivers surveyed listed the habit of leaving one’s turn signal on after making a turn as a pet peeve.

Many of these pet peeves are things drivers should not be doing when they are behind the wheel in the first place. Tailgating, weaving through traffic and talking on your cell phone when driving are habits that are dangerous and even illegal in some places. Be a courteous driver and help make the roads a safer place to be.

It seems like there is a day for just about anything you can think of. But Distracted Driving Awareness Day is one of those events that your Pennsylvania dealers want you to notice.

Distracted Driving Awareness Day is designed to make people more aware of what they are doing when they get behind the wheel of a car. It isn’t just about talking or texting on your cell phone while you are driving. Distracted driving includes many other things, such as eating, changing the radio station or just daydreaming during your commute.

“We recognize the need to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving,” said Debbie Pickford, the Field Corporate Relations Manager at Allstate Insurance. “All drivers would benefit by making the commitment to eliminate their dangerous driving habits.”

By now, you might be thinking, “Big deal! I can eat and drive or listen to my MP3 player with no problem.” But did you know that about 80 percent of all auto accidents involve at least one driver who is distracted just seconds before the collision occurs?

Your Glenside area Toyota dealer encourages you to be more aware of what you are doing when you are behind the wheel. Driving is an active activity, not a passive one. Always be aware of your surroundings and focus on the road today and every other day you are behind the wheel.

Have you been looking for a car with all the luxuries of a high-end model without that high price? If so, your Doylestown area Hyundai dealer has the ideal car for you.

The Hyundai Genesis has been creating a buzz since it was introduced into the North American market last year. Since then, it has only received more attention as consumers are realizing it has the quality and comfort of a luxury brand without the luxury brand price. Here are some facts about the Hyundai Genesis to get you just as excited as everybody else is about this model.

• The Hyundai Genesis is the automaker’s first rear-wheel-drive automobile.
• Five adults can fit comfortably in the new Hyundai Genesis, making it ideal for road trips, errands and taking the kids where they need to go.
• For only an extra $125, you can get leather trim accents on the instrument panel and the doors to give it that extra special luxurious touch.
• The $4,000 technology package gives you satellite radio, a rearview camera, an air-conditioned driver’s seat and much, much more!

Give the new Genesis a test drive at your Hyundai dealer today. With all of these features and more, you will wonder why you did not check one out sooner!

For many drivers, driving at night presents a safety issue. Their night vision is not as good as their day vision and they do not know how to adapt. For those drivers, your Lansdale area Hyundai dealer would like to offer these tips to help you stay safe when you are behind the wheel after the sun goes down.

Look to the sides of the roads. One of the main problems with driving at night is the headlights from oncoming cars. Many drivers make the mistake of looking toward the headlights, but this only blurs their vision of the road ahead. Instead, looking to the side of the road will help you maintain your focus and vision.

Make sure your headlights are in proper working order. Driving at night is much more difficult if your headlights do not work very well. If they are dim, it may be time to replace them or simply clean them.

Be courteous to other drivers. If you are driving behind another driver, be sure your brights are not on. Also, when an oncoming car has their brights on, simply click your brights on for a second to remind them to turn their bright headlights off. Do not leave your brights on as a form of retaliation because you never know what people will do on the roads these days.

Use this advice from your Hyundai dealer and enjoy driving during any time of the day or night!

Did you know that the most “at risk” age group for drivers is the ones between the ages of 15 and 24? That’s why your Philadelphia area Audi dealer encourages new teen drivers to take a defensive driving course to help them make better decisions and stay safe behind the wheel.

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, the County Sheriff’s Office is offering a defensive driving course called Alive @ 25. It is designed as an earl intervention program for young drivers to teach them how to prevent traffic violations and avoid accidents and other dangerous situation. Through safer driving habits and taking responsibility for their own behaviors in various situations on the road, the course helps young drivers make better choices when driving a vehicle.

The four-hour course also teaches the following:

• Young drivers are the most likely to be injured or killed in an auto collision.
• Peer pressure, inexperience and distractions are the most common causes of accidents among young drivers.
• Drugs, speeding and alcohol increase the chances of accidents and injury or even death.
• Changing their bad driving habits just makes sense personally, legally and financially.

We need more of these types of courses in other places to teach our young drivers the various dangers they are in for on the roads.

Teenagers and driving simply do not seem to mix. According to pediatrician Letitia Dzirasa, car accidents kill more people between the ages of 15 and 20 than any disease. As such, we should consider driving a risky behavior for teenagers and treat it as such.

“Pediatricians talk to their teen patients about eating disorders, alcohol, marijuana use,” said Dzirasa, “but the one conversation that is not happening often enough is about the No. 1 killer of teenagers: car accidents.” As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics is advising the nation’s pediatricians to take the following steps with their teenage patients:

• Ask 15-year-old patients if they plan on applying for a driver’s permit.
• Discuss the risks associated with driving.
• Ask questions about driving behavior.
• Ask personal questions about their alcohol and drug use as well as their cell phone and seatbelt habits when in a car.
• Encourage parents to enforce driving restrictions for safety reasons.
• Present the idea of a written contract between teenagers and their parents. The contract would establish rules and penalties for failure to follow the rules.

Your teen’s pediatrician may initiate this conversation, but that does not mean you cannot do it, too. Your Glenside area Toyota dealer encourages you to take an active role in your teen’s driving education to ensure their safety and your sanity for when they are behind the wheel.

If you are a fan of the Pontiac brand of General Motors products, now is the best time to visit your Newtown Square area Pontiac dealer. Earlier today, GM announced it would be phasing out the brand by the close of 2010.

Earlier this year, GM began a restructuring program to help with the financial aspect of the company. GM planned to focus on the GMC, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick brands. As for Pontiac, GM wanted to continue it as a niche brand. However, they “weren’t able to come up with a marketing plan for a smaller Pontiac,” said one GM dealer.

Many will be sad to see the Pontiac brand go away. Will Schafer is a GM dealer in Augusta that will miss the brand, but understands why this is happening. In recent years, the Pontiac brand has “become less and less a percentage of the business,” said Mr. Schafer. “Financially the elimination of the Pontiac brand isn’t going to mean a whole lot to our company. Buick and GMC are the stronger franchises, especially here in town with the demographics that we’ve got here,” he explained.

Are you a fan of the Pontiac brand? Are you going to miss these cars at your local GM dealer? Let us know your thoughts about Pontiac and the recent announcement below.

The type of tailgating this post is about does not refer to having a party in the parking lot during a football game. Instead, this type of tailgating refers to following too closely to the vehicle in front of you. Hopefully, you are not one of these drivers. But if you encounter another driver that wants to ride on your bumper, your Glenside area Toyota dealer offers these tips to get out of the situation safely.

• Increase your reaction time. This means that you should increase the distance between you and the car in front of you so you do not hit that car if the tailgater bumps you.
• Slow down slowly. If someone is tailgating you, slamming on your brakes is the worst thing you can do and it is also against the law in tailgating instances. Instead, slow down smoothly so the tailgater can go around you quickly.
• Pull to the side of the road. If you are on a busy street and it’s safe to do so, pull over so the car can go around you. However, avoid doing this in desolate places because the tailgater may already be enraged at you and there is no telling what can happen then.

If you’re a tailgater, what’s your hurry? Everybody just wants to get home safely. Take your time and we can all enjoy the road together!

Everybody wants to be greener these days. From the way they drive their car to the type of cleaning products they choose, green is the new trend in today’s society. In an effort to help people be more green when driving their cars, your Pennsylvania dealers offer these three tips that may help you reduce your carbon footprint when you are behind the wheel.

1. Use a GPS device. Instead of printing out the maps to the places you want to go, use a GPS device. Just take one of these handy devices with you on trips or short journeys and it will give you all the directions you need. These are better anyways because if you change your mind about where you want to go, the GPS device is still helpful unlike the directions you have printed.
2. Make sure your car is “green”-ready. Proper tire pressure and full fluid levels are just a couple things that will make your car run more efficiently. You can reduce your car’s negative impact on the environment when it is more efficient because it burns less fuel and emits fewer pollutants into the air.
3. Use the Internet for some things. Instead of driving all over town to find the perfect gift or compare prices on something, shop online. You can even visit your Doylestown area Toyota dealer online and find the latest specials and inventory for the car that you have always wanted!