Very Very Clean 96 Impala Ss on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Common Dodge Ram 1500 vs. Chevrolet Silverado breakdowns

These two trucks are famous for their ability to get the job done. Still, even the toughest vehicle can have mechanical problems at some time. What if we match the Dodge Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado head to head? Let's find out more about common repairs for each model. Also, learn some tricks to pay for car repairs. Clunky Steering Both Dodge and the Chevy owners sometimes notice bumping and clunking when steering. This might be more noticeable when driving over bumps. The cause is usually different in each truck though. In the Dodge Ram, clunky steering is more likely due to a defective lower ball joint. Replacement costs around $300 - $400, parts and labor. Clunky Chevy Silverado steering is probably a steering rack failure. This problem appears more often in trucks with over 90,000 miles. Silverado steering rack repair will run you up to $1,000 or more. Starting Woes For the Chevy Silverado with over 130,000 miles, you might notice trouble starting. This problem may appear occasionally at first, but it typically gets worse. Excluding a weak battery, the culprit is usually the starter. Replacement will cost you around $330 - $500. Of the total cost, $90 is for labor only. Now the Dodge Ram might make a ticking sound when starting, especially on models with over 94,500 miles. The noise often disappears after the engine warms up. These symptoms may indicate a broken exhaust manifold. Repair costs range from $800 - $900. Burning Oil & Gas Gauge On The Blink Sometimes, the Dodge Ram burns oil much faster than normal. In models with over 125,000 miles, this often points towards a leaky intake manifold gasket. A knocking sound may also appear with acceleration along with possible engine misfire. The cost to repair is around $200 - $300. The Chevy Silverado has its own surprises, especially when you've filled the gas tank but the gauge still reads low. Or the needle fluctuates widely from low to full while driving. In trucks with over 120,000 miles, it's likely due to a faulty fuel sensor. You might need a full fuel pump replacement, which can cost you up to $820, parts and labor. Water Inside And Poor Heat The Ram 1500 rear window has been known to leak. You might notice the back seat and floor wet after a rainstorm. This is more common in trucks with over 65,000 miles. Resealing the Ram 1500 rear window costs around $150 - $250.

GM under fire from safety advocates over braking problem caused by recall fix

Safety experts are lambasting General Motors over what they say is the automaker’s slow notification of owners of certain 2019 sedans and trucks that a recall fix could cause power braking to fail and increase the risk of a crash, the Detroit Free Press reports.  GMÂ’s original recall in December targeted about 550,000 Cadillac CT6 sedans and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, all from the 2019 model year, over potentially defective electronic stability control and antilock brakes. In that case, GM said the errors would not show up as a diagnostic warning on the instrument cluster. But after GM had done recall work on 162,000 vehicles, about 1,700 owner have complained that their power brakes didnÂ’t work after they had the recall done and then used the OnStar app to start their vehicle. GM then issued a supplemental fix for customers whoÂ’d already had their vehicles serviced. In this case, a diagnostic warning should illuminate saying either “Service Brake Assist” or “Service ECS,” which GM says is a signal that a customer should not drive the vehicle and instead call their dealer, which will tow the vehicle and have it repaired. Safety advocates say the automaker hasnÂ’t gone far enough to protect customers. “The fact that you could potentially start a vehicle and not have brakes is a pretty risky proposition,” Sean Kane, president of the Safety Research and Strategies, which works on auto issues for plaintiffs and governmental organizations, told the Freep. “The fact that they wouldnÂ’t notify owners (sooner) is pretty stunning.” GM told the Freep it was required to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and file paperwork before it notified customers about the original recall, which was made Dec. 12. It then had to investigate and resolve the problem created by its original recall fix before alerting customers. GMÂ’s call center and dealers are contacting the remaining 900 customers who havenÂ’t yet had the update made to the original recall repair. GM also hired a vendor to send recall letters to the 550,000 customers affected by the original recall notifying them about the update. There are no known injuries or deaths related to the problem. Read the Freep story here.

Nissan Leaf sets another monthly sales record, Chevy Volt remains steady

Here we go again. Another month in the books and another month of record sales by the Nissan Leaf in the US. For October, the world's best-selling pure EV sold 2,589 units, which is 29.3 percent more than October 2013. That makes it 20 times in a row that Nissan can say that last month sales were better than the same month a year before. All told, Nissan has sold 24,411 Leafs in the US this year, a new record, reflecting an overall Leaf sales rate that is up 35 percent, year-to-date. Nissan isn't stopping, either. A new TV ad, one that, "encourages consumers to kick gas" by saving money on fuel will start airing today in major markets, according to Toby Perry, director of Nissan's EV marketing. You can watch it below. As for the Chevy Volt, things remained steady last month in the face of a new model that's coming in the second half of 2015. Chevy sold 1,439 Volts last month, which is about the same as September (1,394) but down 28.8 percent from the October 2013 despite GM having its best overall US October sales this year since 2007. So far, 2014 Volt year-to-date sales are down 14.9 percent through the end of October compared to 2013. And that wraps up the flash report on monthly sales for these two long-standing plug-in vehicles in the US market. As always, we'll have our in-depth write-up of US green car sales available soon. For now, we await your comments, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.