The sticker inside the driver’s door says 35 PSI. After an hour on the highway, the dashboard says 39. Four extra pounds of pressure sounds like a problem. The tires were set correctly that morn
At the tire shop, the choice seems too obvious to question. The front tires on a front-wheel-drive car handle the steering, put the power down, and do most of the braking. They usually wear out first.
A tire can look almost offensively healthy for its age. The tread grooves are deep. There are no nails in sight. The sidewalls still turn glossy after a wash, and the car has covered so few miles th
Here is a mildly alarming experiment: open the trunk of your car and lift the floor. There may be a spare tire under there. There may also be a little black compressor, a bottle of sealant, and a
Every hurricane season, every major flood event, something predictable happens in the used car market. Thousands of damaged vehicles get cleaned up, retitled in different states, and quietly put back
There is a small test every driver has done at least once, even if they would never admit it. A straight road. No traffic. Good weather. Hands still close to the wheel, but the grip loosens f
People will baby a car in all kinds of strange ways. They will buy the fancy gas, wipe dust off the dashboard, stress about tiny paint chips, and somehow still ignore the four things holding the entir
Most mechanics will tell you the same thing if they are being honest: a lot of the expensive repairs they see every week never had to happen. Not because people do not care about their cars. Usua
Fuel economy usually does not get worse all at once. It sneaks up on people. The tank that used to last comfortably through the week suddenly needs filling sooner, then sooner again, and before long i
Dry rot on tires isn't really rot at all. It's the rubber breaking down chemically, showing up as cracks, fading, and weird lines on the sidewalls and treads. New tires are flexible and dark b