San Diego Auto Repair

Continuing with our made-in-the-USA theme, this list of the top 10 American made cars seems fitting right after the 4th of July. Buying American is still a point of pride for many consumers, and even though some American auto makes ended up with a relatively negative reputation, there's no doubt they're seeing surging positivity now. But what's American made? It would be very easy to confuse matters here as we live in a fully global economy where Hondas are built in Ohio and Chrysler is owned by Fiat—an Italian company. But the concept of a car being “Made in the U.S.A.” even if it was built, designed and engineered somewhere else still goes a long way with many Americans. So for this list we will be sticking to the very best from Ford, GM, Chrysler and all of their many subsidiary brands. Besides, your next new car may not be 100% “American Made” but that no lo ... read more

Back in 1984 when Bruce Springsteen scored one of his biggest hits with “Born in the U.S.A” things were a bit different in the auto industry. Most all Japanese and European cars were just that — built in Japan and in Europe. The Big Three built most of its cars at the time in the U.S.A with some sites in Canada and Mexico proving exceptions but not the rule. Being made in the USA was a source of pride. But then, with the weakening of the value of the U.S. dollar and currency fluctuations around the globe it became prudent business sense for Japanese and European automakers to start building cars on U.S. soil. Honda, which opened its first U.S. Accord plant in Marysville, Ohio in 1985 just last year built 81% of its cars in the United States and Canada with a similar percentage of U.S. sourced parts content. What all of this has meant are more jobs for U.S. workers as the mark ... read more

We came across this great San Diego infographic that basically says why our city is the best city in the country! (Not that we need a lot of convincing, but it does make some good points.) We know there are plenty of other wonderful cities in America that have some or more of the things that makes San Diego the happiest city, but the stats certainly do not lie. Plus, we can think of a thousand reasons why San Diegans tend to be happy that didn't make this list: the amazing events San Diego has every year (Comic Con is coming up!), miles of wide freeways and twisted mountain roads, the small town feel in a massive city, the crazy diversity of people and lifestyles, we could go on! If you have any of your own, we'd love to hear about them in the comments. ... read more

The summer solstice is one week away and temperatures outside just keep getting warmer. We decided that we should compile a top ten list of warm weather driving tips for any conscientious and safe driver (and that's you, right?). As summer is a time when many families embark on road trips in their car, truck, SUV or minivan we figured that the notion of staying safe on the road would be paramount. We know that when all our loved ones are in the car the last thing we want is a total mechanical breakdown with no functioning air conditioning. (Mainly we worry about the air conditioning, we won’t lie.) Keep Your Eye on Your Engine Temperature Gauge: When the temperatures rise outside the likelihood of the temperature rising in your engine compartment rises, too, and with that comes danger of a hefty repair ... read more

It’s finally starting to warm up all across this great country of ours meaning it is finally time to start thinking about summer road trip season. And since we have already explored some of the top summer road trip cars, now let’s look at some of the best road trip routes this summer. Some you may have heard of and some may be new to you, but we promise that none of these roads will disappoint. You may even get lucky and avoid cries of "are we there yet?" from the back seat. Tail of the Dragon—Located to the East in the Smoky Mountains along a stretch of US 129, this is considered the most challenging driving road in the United States thanks to 318 curves over the course of just 11 miles. Now, take this road at full speed and your passengers may get nauseous (and you may hit a tree...) so we recommend you try a few passes along ... read more

With summer fast approaching this time of year we start to see many overheating engine failures. The number one failure is coolant hoses and belts. This is because they're the most overlooked part under "recommended preventative maintenance" in today’s automobiles. Many drivers don't understand or believe how important they are. In this video, you see what a blown radiator looks like and what kind of damage it can do to a modern engine. From 1980-2000 our belts and hoses were made from neoprene compound (rubber). Over time as they heated up and cooled down they would naturally start to crack, making it easy to identify worn belts and hoses. When your car was being serviced the technician would point this out and recommend their replacement and many people would listen because they could see the wear. Flash forward to today. Sinc ... read more

Driving around in your speedy road machine is pure pleasure in the summer: you've got the air conditioner to keep you cool and your favorite tunes to keep you company. The only thing worse than running out of songs to play is having the AC break down on you. That comfortable drive quickly turns into an unhappy, sweaty ordeal. The best way to tell if your car air conditioner is not working well is when it doesn’t produce cabin temperatures that are 5 degrees Fahrenheit below the outdoor air temperature, but if it's not working at all temperatures within the car can reach staggering numbers. Even if your car air conditioner is working fine, it’s always best to have it serviced by an auto tech if you’re heading out for a long drive this summer and the forecast is sunny. A car’s air conditioning system - still one of the greatest improvements to cars in auto history - is complex, and there are a variety of reasons why i ... read more

Summer is here (well... maybe not officially but nobody told that to San Diego weather!) and we've got road trips on the mind. We looked at the 2013 models to determine which make the top 10 summer road trip cars and we think we've got a pretty useful list, if we do say so ourselves. We included vehicles that cater to the fuel efficiency and budget minded folk (road trips can get expensive, after all) but that doesn’t mean we didn't include cars with a little oomph! Besides, what's the point of having a new car if it offers so little fun that you would never consider a road trip in the first place? Now, we don’t care if you're just visiting relatives in Des Moines or if you decide it’s finally a good time to drive from sea to shining sea on our nation’s glorious potholed highways and byways. After all, you haven’t really lived until you've seen the world’s largest outdoor ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas. (Yes, it’s ... read more

Keep your alloy wheels looking their best In recent years, many drivers and automakers have chosen to accent their vehicles with attractive alloy wheels. These designer wheels give cars a touch of class to an often neglected part of the vehicle, and the diverse selection of aftermarket wheels allows drivers to give their vehicles a custom look. Without maintenance, however, alloy wheels can lose their attractiveness and even fail to work properly. Fortunately a little care can keep your wheels attractive and functional for years. Wash Your Wheels Regularly Over time, harmful chemicals can accumulate on your wheels. Brake dust is a common contaminant that will build up through regular driving. If left alone, this corrosive dust can damage the protective coatings on your wheels and even eat through metal of the wheels themselves. In addition to marring the finish of your wheels, this etching can actually eat holes through your wheels ... read more

The automobile and cinema came of age technologically and in common society around the same time in this country and both are intrinsically linked in our minds as forms of personal entertainment. Nowhere is this notion seen more clearly than in the good old fashioned movie car chase or big screen car stunt much like you see in the very popular “Fast and the Furious” franchise which has yet another sequel coming soon to theatres this summer. With summer right around the corner and glorious action-packed car movies that follow, here is our list of ten of the best movie car chases and stunts.. We’ll wager you are familiar with more than one or two of these scenes. Now remember, these driving feats were performed by professionals often with the help of CGI image wizardry so don’t try this at home. Or during your morning commute. “Goldfinger”—(Aston Martin DB5 with machin ... read more