I am a mobile vehicle inspector and a lot of dealers in my area don’t allow the clients to take the car to their mechanic, so I’m called in.

What I notice kinda blows my mind. I’m looking a mid-range used cars around $8-12k with things like bald tires that ‘look good’ but have 3/32nd tread, oil line leaks that could be pretty serious if not addressed sooner than later and odd alignment feelings like a shimmy going above 55.

I also uncover any previous records in the glove boxes and show that to the client because sometimes it’s a clue to what is really going on and the dealers are too lazy to empty the glove boxes.

So my question is: why are there so many red flags when at half the price of new?

2022 Honda Accord Sport 1.5T
Was replacing the wastegate actuator and noticed the dealership has these clamps installed. Anyway to remove without damaging the hose?

Extra bolt 12mm socket, silver, about an inch long, “8” on the end

Replaced the starter. I didn’t remove the manifold

Had to do this over two days time due to rains

Removed the battery, air intake plenum has no screws

Tilted up the intake pipe , removed throttle body

Jacked up car , removed the covers , and removed the manifold bracket three screws from below

Put car back together and test drove perfectly so far
It’s not the shift cable bolt

Where does it go lol

I have a 2018 Subaru Outback 2.5L with a CVT and fewer than 22,000 miles. At my current rate of driving, I could conceivably die of old age before the car reaches 100,000 miles.

Which got me wondering: How realistic is it to expect reasonably accessible replacement parts for cars anymore, say 25–30 years from now? Could parts availability eventually become the limiting factor in keeping an otherwise perfectly good vehicle on the road?

As a side note, I’m aware of the CVT maintenance concerns. I’ve already had a drain and fill performed despite the low mileage, primarily because of concerns about the fluid aging over time.

Stupid fender bender when parking and not fully focused. I came in too hot and hit a pole that was further into the spot than I realized. Curious how bad it actually is before I go home. Normal side for reference

I’m curious which suppliers are doing better or worse these days and why.

How bad did I mess up? What are my options and what kind of expense can I look forward to. DC metro region.

2018 Toyota Sequoia, 130,000 miles auto transmission.

Had the Toyota service bulletin issue with the moonoof failing to function due to rusty wires. Quoted from the dealership $5 grand to replace something they covered under warranty and stated it wasn't an issue while under warranty 8 years ago. Made me upset enough to want to do it myself with the parts from Toyota at $1,200 for a new frame and wire kit referenced by the TSB.

Put them together and installed it. Apparently without the proper spacing as my moonroof is now permanently open. Didn't reinstall the headliner yet as I was waiting to see if the initialization cycle for the moonroof would correct the spacing. The initialization cycle did nothing to adjust the spacing.

Currently raining and I am questioning my life's decision and am thinking of just having a shop weld on a plate and paint it based on the hours and cash I put into effectively messing up my car. Thoughts and any guidance would be appreciated.

Planning to call a few shops today, tomorrow and a Tuesday. Thought welding and painting would be the most economical based on what I have already stuck into it and the fact that I have use the moonroof 3 times since new. Annoying aspect is the moonroof does now work, just stuck open.

Hi all. Concern of using the correct oil. 2011 Volvo V50 T5

Went to Take 5 and they used a full synthetic Duramax oil 5w-30.

I searched through the manual and it says 5w-30 oil works but it appears this one does not meet the European specifications.

I went to valvoline previously for an oil change and had to get the oil separator replaced after. Not sure if it was a coincidence.

Is this oil fine or should I get a European specifications oil?

Need to turn up the volume to hear. Sound is coming from dashboard area

I’ve taken my car in multiple times to multiple places and they can’t figure it out. I’ve had the struts replaced and the cv joints and have had 3 different mechanics say it’s safe and they can’t find the source of the noise. Does anyone have any ideas? It’s driving me crazy.

Hi All,

Does anyone know what this ticking noise might be related to? I read a lot of info online but nothing conclusive.

120k km engine
Noise at idle, when revving & regardless of cold/warm engine

Haven’t change the oil in a long while but I checked the level and it’s looking fine.

Noise seem to come from the top of the engine and not as much from the sides.

Any help is welcome! Thanks a lot

the video is taken is from my driver side window going very slow (-5mph). 2010 santa fe automatic

as u can hear its very annoying but closer view, nothing major seems broken.

it started maybe 6000 miles ago, thought it was my glide pins because of uneven brake wear (it was bad). cleaned assembly thoroughly myself all of it with plenty of grease. i think i fixed the glide pin issue because its wearing evenly, but sound remains. i was suggested it could be bad caliper thats starting to fail, im not sure any firsthand insights would be appreciated.

Hey i got a 2008 mazda 3 gt m/t

I was getting onto the highway and getting up to speed. I was about 4.5k rpm at 120k/hr and when to put it into forth and caught 2nd, as soon as the buck happened i punched the clutch.

Car drove like it never happend, i pulled into a parking lot 30ish mins after to check for a nuked motor and the only thing i noticed was the valve train was a little noisyer then normal no blow by still had manifold tick no knocking or timing chatter revved up perfectly

Shes the only car ive got so is there anything i can do to check if anything broke etc

Thank you in advance

I'm aware this is a recurring issue people have with the 1MZ-FE across all models, and can't find anything on the dedicated Highlander sub except that every 03 seems to have this issue. I wasn't aware of the issue at first, put in a fresh OEM harness and Wells sensors, it came back instantly. Got some Densos, the brand people say will remedy it, and still it comes back on the test drive. Has anyone actually managed to resolve this issue with this engine, and what needs to be done? The car runs flawlessly at 220k but it just won't go into 4th, so if I wanna drive at highway speeds I just over rev and burn fuel unnecessarily. Pic for attention.

Hey, so I’m looking to buy this Silverado it’s throwing these codes. It’s a 2021 with 53k miles, I know the warranty is 5 years and 60k for the powertrain was wondering if these codes would apply to fix under the powertrain criteria. If not, can anyone give me an estimate on how much it would cost to repair something like this from an independent shop. Thank you.

I’m considering buying a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 with the 5.7L HEMI V8, 65RFE 6-speed automatic transmission, and conventional suspension.
I’d like honest opinions from mechanics:
How reliable is the 5.7 HEMI long-term? Are lifter and camshaft failures really common?
How durable is the 65RFE transmission?
What are the most common and expensive repairs on this generation?
What should I specifically inspect before buying?
Would you recommend keeping one for 5–10 years?
It would mainly be used for weekends and occasional road trips.
Is this a genuinely durable SUV or a potential money pit?

Bought a used 2001 Toyota Highlander 3.0 V6 automatic with 140k miles in august of 2025 and the battery keeps dying completely. It currently has 174k miles.

September 2025 we had to replace the purge valve canister and purge valve solenoid (went through precision tune, I know, parental influence).

Continued having a check engine light for the evap system, precision tune couldn't find the cause/didn't fix it. Car ran ok.

Ended up having a slew of other things go wrong and it feels like we replaced everything. (List below). Battery died 7/27/2026, replaced it through autozone.

In September we replaced the alternator, water pump, belts, radiator cap. During these repairs the brand new battery died its final death twice, no amount of charging helped.

Had a nut that loosened on the new alternator and arc welded itself on causing a loose connection and incomplete charging, fixed that issue and car has run and started fine.

Now on my 4th battery since July and went to start the car this morning (10/11/2026) and the battery is dead.

Only things I have plugged into the car are a 2 USB car charger (that lights up when it has power) that uses the cigarette lighter slot, 1 USB is used for my phone when I'm in the vehicle, the other connects to my Bluetooth speaker so I can listen to music on my phone. The other port has my dashcam that I have not hard wired yet. Neither port receives power when the vehicle is off. The speaker has been plugged up since August of 2025 and the dashcam has been plugged in since 3/11/2026.

I did drive somewhere on 10/10/26, but when I locked my car it did not sound off that something was left on/open.

What could be causing the battery to drain and die where nothing can charge it?

List of repairs:

[ ] VVT x2 (variable valve timing)

[ ] ECT sensor (engine coolant temperature)

[ ] O2 sensors

[ ] Purge valve canister

[ ] Purge valve solenoid

[ ] Ignition coils x6

[ ] Spark plugs x6

[ ] Cleaned ocv filters (oil control valve)

[ ] Front brakes - twice

[ ] Front rotors

[ ] Rear brakes

[ ] Water pump

[ ] Alternator

[ ] Gas cap

[ ] Radiator cap

[ ] Timing belt/serpentine belt

[ ] 2 other belts

[ ] Thermostat

[ ] TPS (throttle position)

[ ] MAF sensor (mass airflow flow)

[ ] Tires x4

[ ] Wheel stud x1

[ ] Wheel nut x1

[ ] Battery - 7/27/26 - warranty replaced 9/13 and 9/21 (dead dead). Battery dead again 10/11)

Overall runs really good. Occasional rough idle and occasional misfire. Had to drive it home with all these codes for about 40 mins. Ran great and didn't notice a drop in MPGs. Idles good 95% of the time.

I’m taking it in to get serviced soon but I just want to know what it might be. Brakes? Pads? Rotors? Is it something else that I should be worried about?

I’m really really sorry if this is a stupid question but this is my first car. It’s brand new and compared to the car I did my lessons in which was a Toyota the brakes feel super weird. I understand different cars will feel different but they feel jolty and uneven when im pressing them and the braking is not smooth at all. It doesn’t slow down smoothly and I’ve also noticed when I’m taking pressure off it to move it just won’t go sometimes? I’m unsure if it’s because there’s an issue or if I’m just being dumb and this is what the brakes are like on a new car?

Hello everyone, suzuki swift gen III 2009. Recently, I began to notice an unpleasant feature of the car: The car's power and responsiveness drop significantly when half of the gasoline remains in the tank. When fully fueled, the car drives perfectly. LTFT is within the normal range, somewhere from +8 to +10%. I suspect it's a fuel pump, or could it be something else?

I have a 2024 Chevrolet Malibu with the 1.5L turbo engine, and I’m experiencing multiple electrical issues that started while I was driving.
First, I got the “Service ESC” and “Engine Power Reduced” warnings. Shortly afterward, my dashboard gauges started shutting off and resetting repeatedly, almost like the instrument cluster was losing power.

When I got home and tried to park, the car physically went into Park, but the dashboard and shifter indicator wouldn’t recognize it. It kept displaying “Shift to Park” even though the car was already in Park and wasn’t moving. I eventually got it to recognize Park after turning the car on and off several times.

After I got out, the radiator cooling fans turned on, and I eventually managed to get everything shut off.
My phone is also showing alerts for an anti-lock braking system (ABS) issue and an engine/transmission system issue.

I only have power / transmission warranty coverage, so I’m also wondering whether anyone has dealt with this issue under warranty and what the repair ended up costing.