Dear Car Talk Index

Browse our 82 articles on this topic.

• Cash In on Trade-In Value and Enjoy the Newest Safety Features
• Adapting Your Car's Air Circulation in the Age of COVID-19
• Safety Features Abound on the Suburu Outback
• When to Know the Right Time to Replace Your Timing Belt
• Towing With a Prius is Possible, But at Your Own Risk
• Jeep's Big Bang Issue is Exhausting All Options
• Jump Starts Can Be More Complicated with Newer Cars
• A World Without Gas Caps is Here
• Better Options Available in Aftermarket Warning Systems
• Aerosol Flat Fixers Should Be Used Only as a Last Resort
• For Phantom Car Issues, Check the 'Pending Codes'
• Electric Vehicles Will Lessen -- But Not Eliminate -- Road Noises
• Shiny Dashboards are a Common Plague of Newer Cars
• No Need to Reinvent the Wheel, or Overpay, for Cosmetic Issue
• "Always On" Taillights a Cheap, Effective Safety Enhancement
• "Pilgrim's" Car Reflects Progress in Cleaner Energy
• Retiring Teacher Wants Zero Frills for First New Car
• Cold-Start Rattle on Ford EcoBoost Engine Points to VCT Issue
• Clicking, Pinging or Zhinging Can Help Diagnose Starting Issue
• Inadequate Rebuild is More Than a Seating Issue
• A Couple of Options for Your Noisy Forester
• Dwindling Choices But Some Good News for Coupe Fans
• Look For a Gem -- But Not a GEM -- To Replace Aging Saturn
• The Internet Can Be a Useful Tool for Every Level of Mechanic
• To Idle or Not To Idle -- It All Depends
• Be Careful Not to Dismiss Knocking as 'Bad Gas'
• No Good Answers in the Case of GMC's Slipping Transmission
• Jeep has a Mysterious Appeal to the Risk-Averse
• Don't Ruin Road Trip Squeezing Out Every Last Mile From Toyota
• Service Shop's Games has Ridgeline Owner Rethinking Repair
• Outdoorsy Image May be Costing You -- And the Environment
• No Soul Searching Required to Replace Older Kia
• Toyota's Rusty Frame May be More Than Meets the Eye
• Get a Full and Complete Answer When Asking for Oil Blends
• Flickering Dash Lights May be an Easy Fix, No Zippo Required
• Growing Options for Carless Folks Looking for Rides
• For Road Trip to Mom's Birthday, Not All RVs Are Created Equal
• Don't Ignore Check Engine Light on Rough-Driving Volvo
• Buying a VW Beetle Could be a Dream Come True
• When Checking Oil Levels, Temperature is Key
• Strong Gasoline Fumes May Warrant a Trip to the Dealership
• How Soon is Too Soon to Add Highway Miles to New Cars?
• Element in Hand Likely Worth Two on the Used Car Lot
• Rounding Up Slightly is Fine for Round, Strong Tires
• Surprise! AC Problems are More Prevalent in Hot Weather
• Low-tech and New Tech Options for Nudging Stopped Drivers
• Stick with the Maintenance Schedule to Keep Suburban Moving
• When it Comes to Headlights, Safety Outweighs Cost
• For Cruiser's Squealing Problem, Look at the Driving Surface
• Start-Stop Issue Puts a Damper on Super Subaru
• Finding the Best Fit Means Getting In, Out and Behind the Wheel
• Miata Owner Not a Fan of Metal Music
• Prius Catalytic Converters the Target of an Unfortunate Trend
• Skip Spark Plug Replacements at Your Own Risk
• What Pushes Brake Pads Away?
• Modern Seatbelts Lock and Load for Safety and Ease
• Driving in the Time of COVID: Can Gas Go Bad?
• Subaru Forester Issues May Start with the Clutch
• A Pontiac by Any Other Name ... May Be the Same Car
• Hot Weather, Long Drives Can Lead to a Temperamental Honda
• Spilling the Tea on an Irreproducible Experiment
• Reliability isn't Everything
• Shift in Buyer Preferences Limits Manual Transmission Options
• Modern Engines Work Differently
• Reader Is on the Right Track
• Why All the Boring Car Colors?
• Reader Is Thwarted by Modern Fuel System Design
• The Fast Lane Isn't for Cruising
• Timing Belt: Rubber vs. Chain
• Don't Give up on Your Car
• This Truck's a Lemon
• Mind Boggling Wiring Diagrams
• We Might Need a Nobel Laureate to Solve This Problem
• This Reader Is Getting Warmer
• Belt and Hoses Might Need Replacing
• Pros and Cons of Diesel Engines Have Changed over Time
• Is High Octane Gas Really Needed?
• Mind the Gap When Changing Out Spark Plugs
• Stalled in the Drive-thru
• Ray Puts Some Rust Fears to Rest
• What's Not Too Big or Small, but Just Right?
• There Are Fruit Flies All over This Truck!