Star Auto Authority

A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed consumer sticker shock woes in a way we deal with every day: The cost of tires has risen dramatically in the past several years—even for the family Truckster—and many consumers don’t realize the implications of buying that SUV with the l...

One of the questions we often hear from our clients is, “Should I use premium gas?” And at $3 per gallon for regular gasoline, who wants to tack on 15 cents to 30 cents extra without good reason? The good news is that—in most cases—you do not have to use premium gas.

About 90 percent of our driving decisions are based on what we see, and having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important—especially as we head into the dark, snowy days of winter. ...

How do you know if an odometer is telling the truth? Well, back in ‘86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect IL consumers against mileage fraud. It says a IL seller must certify the mileage reported is the Actual Mileage. ...

We’ve all seen people do crazy things while driving to or from Vernon Hills. A guy shaving in the rear-view mirror, a woman applying makeup, people talking on their phones, texting or drinking from an enormous coffee mug. All of these are an accident waiting to happen. ...

With many college students heading back to campus this month behind the wheel of the family’s third or fourth car, I know many parents harbor a concern for the reliability of their children’s vehicles while they’re away. Post...

While we’re on the topic of tire safety, we should devote some time to: When are my tires actually worn out? This is a question many of our clients ask us, and for many consumers, the “time to replace” criteria varies. Beca...

Although I’ve had the idea for this blog for more than a year, I never set aside the time to write any posts. I made mental notes of deplorable and phenomenal customer service, but I never put pen to paper—or fingers to keyboard. ...

“Hello, this is Jim. How can I help you?” “Hi, Jim, how much would brakes cost on my 2002 Chevy Malibu?” We often receive phone calls from existing and potential clients who want to know how much a certain repair will cost. They m...

After nearly a decade in a service business, I have little patience for poor customer service. I have an even lower tolerance for lousy service when it comes to auto repair because I know it doesn’t have to be that way. ...