Today's News by Jack Nerad for Driving Today

Anticipate Your Car’s Problems

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

We’d guess you’d prefer to avoid being stranded by the side of the road while steam emanates from under your car’s hood. While that goal isn’t always possible, it might be more attainable if you tune into advice from a source that tracks vehicle problems. 

DriverSide has launched a new initiative with J.D. Power and Associates that makes available highlights from previously unseen vehicle dependability data, helping drivers discover the most frequently occurring issues with popular car makes and models, as well as common problems for various classes of vehicles. Called the “Problem Predictor,” the new service is designed to help owners of various models anticipate potential future problems most commonly associated with those cars.

“The J.D. Power information is based on feedback from the most important critics: verified vehicle owners,” said Peter Marlow of J.D. Power and Associates. “This initiative with DriverSide derives highlights from our industry-standard automotive research and provides it to consumers in ways that help them make more informed decisions.”

While the new feature can provide helpful advice about your current vehicle, it can also help you choose a new vehicle by offering insight into the issues you could face post-purchase. Visitors can now see the top five symptoms encountered by other drivers of mainstream vehicles and how they relate to common issues for the corresponding class of car. For example, consumers could learn that the No. 1 problem encountered by other owners of a certain midsize car is “brake issues” and that the issue is not common for other midsize cars.

“Car owners and car buyers will have more information than ever before to help them maintain their vehicles,” said Trevor Traina, chairman of DriverSide. “This new program is part of our strategy to offer drivers every possible tool to help them save time and money. DriverSide is excited to work with J.D. Power to make this valuable information available.”

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