CarMD

How Can The New CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™ Help You?

May 2nd, 2011

CarMD

Written By: Kristin Brocoff Kristinsblog@carmd.com

You may have seen CarMD in the news recently. We just released the first annual CarMD® Vehicle Health Index with more than 14 years’ worth of data on the most common failures, repairs and costs affecting today’s drivers. It’s very different from a consumer survey or vehicle rating. This Index gets its data comes from hundreds of thousands of real-life repairs made by CarMD’s team of Automotive Service Excellence-certified mechanics.

CarMD has released this data to help drivers (and the people who service their cars) spot trends and make better-informed repair decisions.

Happy Earth Day! Tips To Help Keep Your Car Green

April 22nd, 2011

CarMD

Written By: Kristin Brocoff Kristinsblog@carmd.com

In celebration of Earth Day, CarMD® shares the following tips for how drivers can help be more environmentally conscious, particularly as gas prices remain at all-time highs and the price of gasoline hovers near $4 a gallon again:

• Avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trips wisely, making efficient routes and stops, and buying online when you can.
• Keep your car well maintained by following your vehicle’s service manual and getting regular oil changes.

April is for Taxes and Car Care

April 18th, 2011

CarMD

Written By: Kristin Brocoff Kristinsblog@carmd.com

To quote Ieon C. Chen, CEO of CarMD.com Corp., “There are three certainties in life – death, taxes, and at some point in time, your car will break down.” Every hard working American knows that April is tax time, but not everyone is aware that April is also Car Care Awareness month. I thought it a fitting time to remind our CarMD family that just like preparing for taxes, it’s important to prepare a solid vehicle maintenance program to help avoid any inopportune break downs.

Here’s To Good Motoring and Maintenance!

March 28th, 2011

RichardA

By: Leon Kaplan, “The Motorman” KABC Radio

I’m pleased to pen this piece because I know that, like me, CarMD is committed to educating drivers about the importance of good maintenance.

Statistics show that people are keeping their cars longer than ever before. It’s certainly no secret that your car or truck is often the second – or even the first – biggest investment you make. To help extend the life of your vehicle and save you money over the long haul, it’s important to invest a little in maintenance along the way. Here are some maintenance tips to follow:

Caring For Your Car Helps Your Wallet, Your Safety and Your Environment

February 8th, 2011

RichardA

As many of you know April is Car Care Awareness month and April 21^st 2011 is Earth Day. I was very happy when I was asked to write this column for CarMD to help people better understand the importance and the impact that taking care of your car has on your wallet, your safety and on the environment.

Your Wallet

In these economic times everyone is keeping an eye on the bottom line. Gas prices are approaching record highs and not much relief is in sight. Making sure that your vehicle is well maintained helps your vehicle run more efficiently and more smoothly. I can see your eyes rolling, but consider these simple tips which are easy to implement and will definitely help save you money at the pump. Of course everyone’s situation is different, but implementing these simple changes could save you thousands of dollar – or more – over the course of a year.

Confessions of a Taxi Cab Rider

December 20th, 2010

KristinB

Written By: Kristin Brocoff Kristinsblog@carmd.com

During two recent trips to New York I observed that most of the taxis I rode in had some sort of dashboard warning, such as a check engine light, on. This concerned me because this light is designed to notify drivers when they have a problem ranging in severity from something that pollutes the environment to a serious safety issue.

About 10 to15 percent of vehicles on the road are considered gross polluters, which mean they emit so much pollution they account for more than half of all vehicle-produced smog. I wonder how many taxis fall into that “gross polluter” category? And while I haven’t been able to find a clear answer to my question, I did learn that 86 percent of the taxicabs operating at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport have improperly issued vehicle inspection stickers. I also found that back in 1993, Los Angeles County cracked down on a scheme that allegedly sold emissions certificates to fleet operators, such as taxi owners, who wanted to avoid emissions-related tests and repairs.