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Drive in anxious and cruise out confident with the best automotive information for your vehicle! Tune in to KTAR News 92.3 every Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon as Matt Allen helps listeners with their car problems. The show call in number is 602-277-5827.


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A free code pull at a local parts store can give you peace of mind , but in most occasions may leave you throwing parts at your vehicle-costing you unnecessarily. Always test and isolate the exact faults to ensure you do not end up wasting time or money.


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Millennials and Gen Z hit harder by repair bills at time when many consumers may struggle to cover unexpected costs

U.S. Consumers spent an Average of Nearly $2,000 on Vehicle Repairs and Maintenance in the Last Five Years, Ally Survey Finds

DETROIT, Aug. 26, 2019 -- On average, Americans spent $1,986 on vehicle repairs and maintenance in the last five years, according to a recent Ally survey conducted online by The Harris Poll among 2,012 U.S. adults.

Millennials and Generation Z (ages 18-34 for this survey) paid an average of $2,334 for vehicle maintenance and repairs in the past five years—a significantly higher financial burden than baby boomers and older adults. In comparison, adults 55 and older spent $1,654, on average, during the same timeframe.

A new survey from Ally finds that Gen Z and millennial consumer paid nearly $700 more for vehicle repairs and maintenance in the past five years than U.S. adults aged 55 and over.Millennials and Gen Z face steeper repair bills at a time when many consumers may struggle to cover unexpected costs

Ally's survey results come on the heels of research from the Federal Reserve that found that nearly 4 in 10 adults would not be able to cover unexpected expenses of $400 without selling something or going into debt.

"Many Americans rely on their cars to get to work and losing access to your vehicle can be a major disruption and huge source of stress—particularly if you can't cover the repair cost," said Mark Manzo, President of Insurance at Ally Financial. "The financial strain can be even more daunting for young people who are early in their careers and may be paying down student loan debt as well."

And when it comes to savings, younger adults are at a disadvantage. Another recent Ally survey found that two-thirds of 18- to 24-year-olds have not established any type of emergency savings fund, compared to approximately half of all other adults.

Ally's latest survey findings uncovered significant differences in expenses by age and family size, suggesting that not all Americans share in repair costs evenly:

Car Battery Trouble Shooting | Virginia Auto Service

What is wrong with my battery? What should I do?

We have all been there. We put the key in the ignition, turn it, and…nothing happens. Most people would assume that this means the battery is dead and while that may be true, there are some other things that can act like a dead battery. To help you figure out the source of your problem so that you can figure out what to do next, let’s look at the different battery related problems and how to solve them.


It is, in fact, completely dead.

A dead battery means a battery that no longer contains enough of a charge to provide the electricity required to start the car. Batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time and most batteries, according to Firestone, only last for 3-5 years. The climate you live in and the way you drive will affect how long your battery lasts. If your car is a couple years old, a dead battery could mean it is time to replace it. If your battery dies, you jumpstart it and drive it, and the next time you go to start it the battery is dead again, there is a good chance it needs to be replaced. Have your tech check the charge and replace the battery if needed.


It is only drained.

Batteries can also lose their charge in a short amount of time if something that requires the battery is left on after the car stops running like the radio, headlights, or interior lights. If you are able to jumpstart the car, look around to see if you left anything on that could have drained the battery. If the car starts easily the next time you go to drive it, it is likely something was left on that drained the battery the first time and no other action needs to be taken.

NEW ORLEANS -- SafeAirbags.com, an organization notifying consumers of the need to repair the millions of recalled Takata airbags that remain on the road in the U.S., today launched a national broadcast consumer awareness campaign, featuring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman.

The broadcast campaign is part of the ongoing efforts to reach over 41 million vehicle owners in America who have been affected by the Takata airbag recall, and spread the word that a part inside the recalled airbags can explode, causing serious injury, or even death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that 16 people in the U.S. have been killed, and hundreds of others are alleged to have been injured, by this defect.

To see if your vehicle is affected by this urgent safety recall, Click Here

The severity of the recall caught the attention of Mr. Freeman. The television, radio and digital spots will highlight Freeman asking people everywhere for their help in raising awareness of the recall and encouraging viewers and listeners to visit SafeAirbags.com to see if their vehicle is on the recall list.

"It's the goal of SafeAirbags.com to help ensure the safety of all consumers affected by this recall," said Patrick Juneau of SafeAirbags.com. "Unfortunately, many consumers have disregarded warnings or postponed getting their airbags repaired, and some consumers still may not be aware that their vehicle is included in this serious recall."

Ram Truck Customers Receive Industry-first Listening Experience With SiriusXM's New 'Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora'

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 24, 2019 --

Starting in October, 2020 Ram trucks with Uconnect's 12-inch touchscreen to offer SiriusXM's newest feature 'Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora,' delivering an enhanced level of personalization to the SiriusXM experience

Part of the innovative SiriusXM with 360L platform available in Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 and Chassis Cab trucks

Owners of 2019 model-year Ram trucks with Uconnect 12-inch screen will receive a free over-the-air update in the fourth quarter of 2019 to access this new feature


Ram and SiriusXM today announced another industry-first feature for Ram truck customers. 2020 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 and Chassis Cab trucks equipped with Ram's class-leading Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen will offer SiriusXM's new "Personalized Stations Powered by Pandora," which deliver a combination of rich music curation and industry-leading personalization not found in any other audio entertainment service.

Ram truck owners with a SiriusXM All Access subscription, using the SiriusXM with 360L platform on their Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen, can create their own ad-free music stations based on the artist they are listening to. On their touchscreen, subscribers can then give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down within the SiriusXM service, or even skip songs, to create their own personal channel that plays more of what they want.

Previous model-year Ram truck owners aren't left out. Via over-the-air software updates in the fourth quarter of this year, 2019 Ram trucks with Uconnect 12-inch screen will receive updates granting access to these features. Early-build 2020 Ram trucks equipped with Uconnect 12-inch touchscreen will receive the update in October.

Another new feature available to Ram customers using SiriusXM with 360L is Sports Notifications. This enables the subscriber to select their favorite teams and get an on-screen notification when their team's game is on, then easily tune into that game with the touch of a button. The SiriusXM Sports Notification feature will be available next month on 2020 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500 and Chassis Cab trucks and on 2019 Ram 1500 models with the fourth-quarter update.

SiriusXM subscribers will be notified of the update on their Uconnect 12-inch screen.

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