How To
John Paul, AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor, answers a question from a reader looking for a comfortable new ride.
Q. I am an 80-year-old woman who owns a 2014 Toyota Avalon, which has been a great car. I am interested in buying a new car (am I crazy?), but I would like a small SUV. I’d like the height. Last year I drove a Toyota RAV4, but found it noisy and not comfortable. My nephew has suggested the Nissan Rogue Platinum. That seems to have more of the accessories I am used to in the Avalon. I have not test driven it yet. We have had Toyotas since 1980, and rarely had trouble, is Nissan as good mechanically? Can you please give me your opinion?
A. The Nissan is a good car, but not nearly as dependable as your Avalon or, in my opinion, any Toyota product. There is not any car that rides as well as the Avalon, and it is a shame that Toyota chose to discontinue it. Any small or mid-sized SUV is going to ride a bit more firmly. Even Lexus, the luxury line of Toyota, is quiet, but does ride firm. I would try the RAV4 again, but this time look for the XLE Premium trim. I would also look at the Hyundai Tucson in the limited trim level. Both are very good cars and the premium trim levels will take away a little noise.
Q. I brought my 2015 Chevrolet Equinox with 37,000 miles in for inspection to a local shop. It passed. After five miles the check engine light came on. A local shop diagnosed it with an air pump failure and quoted me $700 for the repair. It has been almost three weeks, and I still do not have my vehicle back. The shop says they are having trouble getting the part. What are your thoughts on this whole story?
A. I do not believe the inspection had anything to do with the air pump failure. Regarding the part availability, it does seem to be available online at gmparts.com. At this point I would have a conversation with the shop and have them expand their search for the part.
Q. I am looking for an impartial set of eyes on my 2010 Honda Insight gas/hybrid. It has 103,000 miles and, up until 2022, did not cost a dime above normal maintenance. It has cost about $1,500 in repairs each of the last two years (door latches draining the battery and TPM system issues in 2023 and 2024 respectively). Now it is giving a “Check Emissions” alert. I had my local shop (a smart guy) look and said the catalytic converters are the issue. The problem is these parts are $3,000 each, and there are two. There are also a couple of sensors that are also recommended (online research) that may need replacement. The car is only worth $3,000 on a good day. Except for the check engine light, the car runs fine. We are retired and while not wanting to take on the cost of a new or fresh-off-lease hybrid replacement, we could really use a fresh set of eyes on this one, and we value your opinion and input.
A. The sensors, which I believe are the oxygen sensors, are crazy expensive at over $700 each for Honda parts. To replace both of the catalytic converters and both oxygen sensors you could easily spend $6,000 using Honda factory parts. To me, spending twice the value of the car is not a great investment. Since the car runs well, there might be an option recommended by readers. There is a catalytic cleaner called Cataclean. I have never tried it, but several people have said it works for lazy converters, which your car seems to have.
Q. My friend owns a Subaru Ascent. He says when active cruise control uses the brakes to slow his vehicle it only uses the rear brakes. Is this correct? Also, do the brake lights come on even though you are not touching the brake pedal?
A. Initially yes, the rear brakes are used to control speed. Automatic Emergency braking uses all four brakes. So, if you are on the highway and a car in front of you slows slightly, the rear brakes engage. If the car then suddenly stops, and all four brakes engage. As for the brake lights, they do illuminate when the car is using the brakes to slow down. Just a reminder that all of these advanced driver assistance systems do not replace an engaged driver.
John Paul is AAA Northeast’s Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE-certified master technician. E-mail your Car Doctor question to [email protected]. Listen to the Car Doctor podcast at johnfpaul.podbean.com.
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