National Car Care Month
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2009 National Car Care Month Check Lanes Show 80 Percent Failure Rate
Vehicle inspection lanes, conducted throughout the United States by sponsoring local organizations and businesses, are part of the automotive aftermarket industry’s ongoing public awareness campaign.
Volunteers across the country conduct these events, with a portion of them returning their vehicle inspection forms to the Car Care Council for tabulation and analysis. The 2009 campaign included results from a total of 860 vehicle inspections as compared to 722 vehicles in 2008 in 12 states nationwide.
Statistics from the latest National Car Care Month inspection campaign (conducted in April and October of 2009) continue to underscore the need for consumer education. The potential effects on highway safety, air quality, cost of operation, vehicle performance and vehicle dependability are self-evident from these results.
The vehicle failure rate for at least one part or system in 2009 was 80 percent which remained unchanged from the previous two years. This means that eight out of every ten vehicles failed at least one component of the vehicle inspection process.
OVERALL VEHICLE FAILURE RATES |
|
|
Year |
Rate |
|
2001 |
72% |
|
2002 |
91% |
|
2003 |
90% |
|
2004 |
87% |
|
2005 |
85% |
|
2006 |
88% |
|
2007 |
80% |
|
2008 |
80% |
|
2009 |
80% |
LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS
|
Lubricants and Fluids |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Engine Oil |
32% |
27% |
|
Coolant |
21% |
26% |
|
Transmission Fluid |
17% |
21% |
|
Washer Fluid |
23% |
17% |
|
Power Steering Fluid |
15% |
17% |
|
Brake Fluid |
14% |
13% |
Low fluid levels can affect the safe driving performance of the vehicle and damage internal parts if not properly maintained. Nearly three out of ten vehicles (27 percent) failed the inspection because of low, overfull or dirty engine oil.
The cooling system protects against damage by keeping the engine operating within the correct temperature range. Approximately one-fourth of the vehicles inspected (26 percent) had low, leaky or dirty coolant in their radiator or surge tank.
Approximately one-fifth of the vehicles inspected (21 percent) had either low, overfull or burnt transmission fluid while one-sixth of vehicles had problems with their washer fluid and power steering fluid (both 17 percent) and thirteen percent with their brake fluid (13 percent).
WINDSHIELD WIPERS
|
Windshield Wipers |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Windshield Wipers |
15% |
39% * |
|
Rear Wiper |
10% |
9% |
* 2009 failure rate abnormally high as compared to historic years.
Two-fifths of vehicles (39 percent) had front windshield wiper failures and nine percent of vehicles also needed service on their rear wipers.
PARTS
|
Parts |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
PARTS |
|
|
|
Belts |
18% |
51% * |
|
Hoses |
7% |
10% |
|
OTHER UNDERHOOD |
|
|
|
Air Filter |
18% |
15% |
|
Check Engine Light |
9% |
10% |
|
PCV Filter |
7% |
4% |
|
Radiator Cooling Fan(s) |
2% |
4% |
|
GENERAL ITEMS |
|
|
|
Mirrors |
2% |
2% |
|
Horn |
2% |
2% |
* 2009 failure rate abnormally high as compared to historic years.
Roadside breakdowns can be avoided by motorists periodically checking their belts and hoses and replacing them when worn. Nearly one out of every two belts was reported as unsatisfactory in the vehicles inspected (51 percent) and ten percent of the vehicles required at least one new hose.
The air filter keeps abrasive dust, dirt, bugs and other foreign matter out of the fuel system air intake. A dirty filter can decrease gas mileage and increase emissions. Fifteen percent of the vehicles checked needed new air filters. One-tenth of the vehicles inspected had their check engine light on. In addition, four percent of vehicles were in need of new PCV filters and radiator cooling fans.
An additional two percent had problems with their left, right or inside mirror and two percent with their horn.
BATTERY
|
Battery |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Cables, Clamps or Terminals |
10% |
13% |
|
Carrier/Hold-Down |
7% |
10% |
Battery cables, clamps and terminals were found to need maintenance on thirteen percent of the vehicles inspected, while ten percent of the batteries were not properly held down.
TIRES
|
Tires |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Tire Pressure |
15% |
15% |
|
Tire Depth |
12% |
9% |
Low tire pressure decreases gas mileage and tire life. Vehicles traveling with worn tread are at greater risk of losing traction on wet or snowy roads. Fifteen percent of the vehicles were found to have improperly inflated tires and nine percent had worn tread and were in need of replacement.
LIGHTS/VISION
|
Lights/Vision |
||
|
|
2008 |
2009 |
|
Headlights |
2% |
3% |
|
License Plate Lights |
10% |
15% |
|
Brake Lights |
9% |
14% |
|
Side Markers |
3% |
7% |
|
Turn Signals |
3% |
5% |
|
Backup Lights |
3% |
4% |
|
Parking/Tail Lights |
3% |
4% |
|
Dash Indicator Lights/Gauges |
2% |
2% |
Vehicle lighting provides a means of communicating among drivers and is vital to any properly functioning vehicle. Approximately fifteen percent of vehicles (15 percent) needed work on at least one of their license plate lights and their left, right or center brake lights. Seven percent failed due to side markers, five percent due to turn signals and four percent due to backup lights and parking lights. Another two percent failed on their dash indicator lights.
