Automotive
Directories | Car Clubs | Car Prices, Reviews, and News
Car Repair, Maintenance, and Anatomy | Online Auto Magazines
DWI and Traffic Safety | Electric Vehicles | Insurance | Leasing | Lemon Laws
Miscellaneous | Motor Sports | Museums and History | Rentals | Traffic Laws

In this page you will find the answers to questions about automobiles - car repair, traffic laws, lemon laws, and other interesting, and sometimes hard-to-find, information; also sites that should help you find pricing for new and used cars, locate parts, keep up with motor sport news, find the speed limit in Louisiana, or perhaps write a report about electric cars.

DIRECTORIES

All Things Automotive - Here is a well designed web directory of automotive sites. Subjects covered include classic cars, classifieds, car clubs, dealers and manufacturers, motorcycles, NetZines and parts and services. The Miscellaneous section is where you find links to topics such as electric cars.

CAR CLUBS

CAR-LIST Car Clubs of the WORLD - A directory of car clubs' websites arranged by manufacturer or car model.

CAR PRICES, REVIEWS AND NEWS

The Auto Channel - This huge site offers daily automotive news updates as well as auto sports news, parts and accessories information and new car reviews.

AutoSite - This site offers a wealth of information and is very easy to use. It allows you to view dealers' prices and specs as well as compare the prices and features of any two new cars. You can configure a vehicle to the specifications that you want and see how much it should cost. Like the rest of the site, the Recall section is easy to navigate.

Buying a New Car - Helpful hints from the Federal Trade Commission on how to get a good deal on a new car.

CarInfo - Learn the most common tricks that are used to overcharge people on new cars and trucks.  The latest addition: information on One-Price, No-Haggle Dealers. Plus: where to find all the info you'll need to get the best deal.

Edmund’s Automobile Buyer’s Guides - For consumer information on purchasing an automobile, truck, or used vehicle, this site is hard to beat. From the homepage select Buyer’s Advice for consumer information on pricing, buying and financing. Click on Incentives & Rebates to learn about and understand current dealer holdbacks, incentives, and rebates which affect dealer pricing. Choose Auto Reviews for road tests and other comparison tests on cars and trucks. Also, select Safety Information for extensive reviews on crash tests, recalls and the safest cars for particular years, and much more. 

IntelliChoice - This is a great site if you are looking for accurate information on new or used cars, trucks or vans. You can search the database by manufacturer or class and find information such as cost, safety ratings,, mpg, specifications and more. You can also find the best lease deals which are updated weekly. They also provide useful tips on buying insurance and on auto depreciation. Their links section has a directory of manufacturer websites.

Kelley Blue Book - If your patron is in the market for a used vehicle, or planning to purchase a new one, check out this site for values. For used vehicles, choose Goin’ Shoppin for the Blue Book Suggested Retail value, or if the patron wants to trade in his or her car, truck or van then choose What’s My Car Worth? This site also includes new car pricing. Another important feature of this online Kelley Blue Book is the possibility of checking the title history of a used vehicle for a small fee.

Microsoft CarPoint - CarPoint offers great specs, pictures and reviews of new cars and trucks. You will find handy buying tips as well as reliability ratings for numerous used car models.

NHTSA Buying a Safer Car - This site provides crash test results, recalls and other useful safety information for cars, trucks and vans for 1995 to the present. The easiest way to use the site is to select either Car, Truck or Van and then click on the year that you are seeking. You can then quickly browse for the information you need.

CAR REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND ANATOMY

Autoshop Online - A wealth of car care information and tutorials concerning the maintenance and inner workings of automobiles.

Does Your Car Do This? - This site describes an unfortunately small list of symptoms and offers good advice on what to do about them.

Taking the Scare out of Auto Repair - Tips from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid being ripped off when having a car repaired.

Online Auto Magazines

DWI AND TRAFFIC SAFETY

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety - This site presents information on vehicle crashworthiness, airbags and fatality statistics by vehicle type.

MADD DWI Statistics 1996 - This site provides general DWI statistics as well as a statistical breakdown by state and for particular holidays.

Traffic Safety Research Abstracts - Summaries of studies concerning drunk driving are presented here. The abstracts are created at Wichita State University and contain recommendations for action to be taken.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas - Electric Vehicle Association of the Americas has information regarding the new Electric Vehicles and other electric drive technologies to reduce air and noise pollution.

Electric Vehicles - Choose this Electric Vehicle website for detailed information on electric vehicles. You will find a question and answer section covering various aspects of the electric vehicles such as speed, distance, batteries, costs, pollution, what happens in an accident, and much more.

US Department of Energy - US Department of Energy has listed information on the upcoming Hybrid Electric Vehicle, explaining the HEV and where to purchase these new vehicles.

INSURANCE

Insurance Information Institute Consumer Site - This page has information on all types of insurance. The most helpful links for automobile insurance here are the Consumer Alerts, which links you to a variety of other sites, including Nine Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance Costs and How to File an Insurance Claim.

Texas Department of Insurance Consumer Information - This page is divided into several sections, many of which contain information specific to automobile insurance. In the General Information section, try the Insurance Company profiles. In the Rate Guides section, there are 1996-1997 Automobile Rate Guides in English and Spanish. There are both Spanish and English versions of "Saving Money on Your Insurance," and an entire area devoted to auto insurance. The Auto Insurance section has the especially useful link: Driving in Mexico. For Texas insurance information, you can't find a more helpful site.

Yahoo! Auto Insurance Center - Are you looking for the best rate but hate calling around? This site will do the "calling" for you to a limited number of insurance companies. It features auto insurance quotes, an auto coverage analyzer which will help determine how much coverage is needed, a glossary for those confusing terms and frequently asked questions. There are also additional links to tips on filing claims, vehicle fraud, theft prevention and more. No other site is quite like this one.

LEASING

Automobile Leasing - Leasing a vehicle is quite confusing, and finding information on the process and terminology is difficult. This site compares leasing to buying, the benefits of leasing, the different types of leases and more, in simple terms that anyone can understand. To make the process even easier, there are payment tables and a step-by-step worksheet so patrons can find out if leasing is for them.

How to Lease a New Car - Before using this site, take into consideration that the person producing it is a self-proclaimed consumer advocate. However, much of the information is useful and not found anywhere else on the WWW. According to the site's mission statement, the "consumer's guide levels the playing field in the car buying game, teaching consumers a proactive approach to planning a well informed offer to receive the best price on a new vehicle, while providing fair profit for the dealer. We also reveal dealer scams, how to read misleading ads, pricing a trade-in, determining dealer cost, and formulating a buyer's offer." Many individuals need and seek this information, and this site provides it.

LeaseSource - If you are considering leasing a vehicle rather than buying, check this site for information. Lease Source is a consumer leasing site. From the site’s homepage you can choose from several Lease Modules, or leasing tools, such as Lease Workshop, Leasing Classroom or Leasing Newsroom.

Look Before You Lease - Advice from the Federal Trade Commission on what to look for before leasing a car.

Note: Many car-buying sites also have a link to leasing vehicles. Try some of those for additional information.  

LEMON LAWS  

Autopedia: State by State Lemon Law Summaries - Finally! A source that lists a summary of every state's lemon law in a clear format. In an alphabetical list by state (including D.C.), you will find the effective date of the law, the vehicles the law covers, how many repair attempts and/or days out of service required, and the coverage period.  

The Lemon Car Page - This site provides a wealth of information. From the first page there are three links which take you to more detailed information. The first, "Sources of Applicable Law for Lemon Cars," explains the Magnuson-Moss Warranty-Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act as well as the Uniform Commercial Code, which are federal laws that apply to lemon cars. In addition there is a list of the actual state law citations so the patron can look up the statute that covers the lemon law. The second link, "Consumer Strategies in Lemon Car Cases," outlines the best way to respond to manufacturers' defenses. The third, "Informal Dispute Resolution or Arbitration" is under construction. The last, "Lemon Links, Lemon Lawyers and Lemon Reading Materials," has terrific links to other related sites and a bibliography that may be helpful to consumers and librarians adding to their collections.  

Texas Lemon Law - Brought to you by the Texas Department of Transportation, this site has addresses, phone numbers (including a 1-800 number), a consumer handbook, a complaint form you can print out and send to the DOT, links to the Texas Statutes and Rules and annual reports. The consumer handbook answers many commonly asked questions such as "How do I know if my car is a 'lemon'?", "How do I prove my case?" and "Can my complaint be resolved quickly?" It also contains a warranty repair log and a sample letter for written notification to a manufacturer. If you need Texas-specific information on lemon laws, here it is!

MISCELLANEOUS.  

Art of Driving - An assortment of links are provided here which revolve around driving safety. Topics covered include winter driving, how to set mirrors, driving safely and avoiding tickets, two-lane driving and trailer safety.  

Interstate Highways - This is a searchable directory of U.S. Interstate Highways. The information given includes where a highway begins and ends, how long it is, spur routes and intersections with other Interstate Highways.  

License Plates of the World - This site contains photos and some information about license plates, including state mottoes. Areas included are the U.S., Canada and numerous other countries.  

Road Rage - This is a written report on road rage by Dr. Leon James, which was presented to the U.S. House Sub-Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Hearings.

MOTOR SPORTS

MUSEUMS AND HISTORY

AutoSpeak Auto Museum - To locate general information on automobile museums specializing in the collection of auto racing cars, stock cars and drag racing, this site will be useful. Included is the famous Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village - Choose this site for information and history on antique Ford automobiles, some of the most significant automobiles ever produced. The site includes a historical chronology of the Ford Motor Company from its founding in 1903 to 1991.

Studebaker National Museum - Use this site for the 114 year history of the Studebaker Automobile Company, the only automobile company to "span the time from settler’s wagons to high performance automobiles." Included are photographs of several antique models along with the founders of the company.

RENTALS

Guide to Rental Cars - Finding a good rate on a rental car, whether for business or leisure, is not easy. This site, however, does everything it can to make it more simple. You can choose a city, most of which are in the U.S., but some international cities are included, and reserve a vehicle online. There are plenty of links to other sites such as auto rental discounts, exotic cars, van and 4X4 rentals, tips, rental insurance and more.

Note: Many sites on the Travel page provide rental car information. Try them!

TRAFFIC LAWS  

National Motorists Association - This site contains a great deal of information dealing with a number of issues concerning North American Motorists. Try it when looking for State Laws and Information and Maximum State Speed Limits.

Manual of Traffic Signs - This site lists nearly every sign you will commonly encounter on the road. They are listed by type--regulatory, warning, marker, and guide--with a small picture of each sign shown. In most cases, by clicking on the smaller sign images a larger image of that sign will appear. There are links to the meanings of the sign shapes, costs of traffic signs, the official manual for signing and other traffic sign websites.

State Traffic Laws - This is a unique site that lists traffic laws by state, albeit in a crowded format. The states are listed alphabetically, with the maximum speed limit, a link to the actual state law, when available and additional information such as the state driver's license manual, and reckless driving information. Be sure to read the paragraph at the beginning of the page, since it explains the format in more detail. If the law is online, there's probably a link to it here.

Posted/Updated: 07/13/2006
Report broken links to: librarywebadmin@sanantonio.gov.