When you purchase a damaged car, you may have an issue with smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. To know how to remedy the problem, know what the different types of smoke mean:

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A flood damaged car is a car with problems that are waiting to happen. For instance, rust can start overnight but take years to actually start showing through the paint and electrical problems are intermittent and may not first appear for weeks or even months after the damage.

Most experts recommend avoiding flood damaged cars completely. But how can you recognize that a car has been in a flood? After all, most sellers are not going to advertise that information. Here are a few tips to help you avoid purchasing a car that’s been through a flood.

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This year two popular cars, the S60 Volvo and the Lexus RX350, are being recalled. The Volvo recall will affect the units sold between May of 2006 and May of 2007. This will include over 8.000 cars. The cars are being recalled because there have been problems in which drivers lose control of their vehicle’s steering. The power steering reservoir hoses in the S60 are not routed correctly. This may create an increase in pressure and a loss of power steering fluid, which could lead to a car crash. Volvo has stated that they will examine all of the cars that are recalled and will replace the power steering reservoir hoses for free.

Meanwhile Toyota has also been having problems. The 2011 Lexus RX350 has only been released recently but 32 units are already being recalled. This is apparently because of a calibration error in the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM). If the Vehicle Stability Control is engaged the right front wheel may not work properly, which could lead to a crash. These recalled cars will also be inspected and the VDIM will be replaced free of charge as well. Both automakers will be recalling their cars sometime in August of 2011.

This is a tough question that can often be answered by more questions; how much do you love your car? How much did the car cost you, therefore is it worth repair? Do you have the money for the repair? If you can’t afford to repair your car, whatever the damage is, it’s a write off to you. There’s a chance you could sell it on but be prepared to have to sell for scrap or parts. Some damage just isn’t worth repairing because the costs outweigh the worth of the car when you consider mileage and age. Your car can suffer from varying degrees of damage but some faults will cost you a lot more than others.

When you are buying a car, consider how easy it is to get parts. If you have an older or foreign car, sometimes parts are hard to come by and can cost thousands compared to the same parts by different brands. Consider too the labour, the parts needed may not cost a fortune, but the labour required to fit them may be a pretty penny.

The more mechanical issues with your car are what will cost you the most to repair. Transmission repair is particularly pricey as this is the part that pretty much runs your engine. Suspension repair, radiator and heating and cooling problems, exhaust repair and brake repair all fall under essential work if you want to drive a car that is safe and hopefully reliable once fixed. Continue reading →