Buying a used vehicle can be a frustrating experience. How do you truly know what you are purchasing? How do you determine the true condition of a vehicle from a private party, a car lot or a dealership? The first thing to know is that a seller may not be totally honest and forthcoming about the condition of the vehicle. Even honest sellers may not really know the "true" condition of the vehicle or be aware of a needed repair lurking under the hood. If you are purchasing from a lot, many vehicles come from out of state and could have been in a flood or accident. Even a dealership or independent sales lot that “certifies” the condition of the vehicle may have overlooked (or looked the other way) on vital maintenance and repair issues. Here are 5 things to watch out for when buying a used car. 1. Has the car been stored for a long period of time? A low mileage vehicle that is rarely driven could look like a better deal than it is. Most every vehicle component ... read more

If your Truckee or Lake Tahoe student is heading off to college and bringing a vehicle, now is the time to start preparing. As a parent of a future college freshman, I know that there is alot to think about in getting ready to send them off. Sometimes the last thing on the to-do list is the vehicle they may be taking. Here are some hints from the folks at Quality Automotive Servicing that will make your students trip back and forth to school safe and worry free. Have the oil serviced and get an inspection: The last thing you need is for your student to be seeking out a mechanic and dealing with a repair while at school. Before they leave, have the vehicle in for an oil service and complimentary Red Check Inspect at Quality Automotive Servicing. We will rack to vehicle and give it an overall look. You receive a report giving you an idea of the condition of the vehicle and alerting you to any issues. Do this well before they leave so you have time to fix any items that need atte ... read more

One of the biggest things you can do this Earth Day is pay a little attention to your vehicle. By changing a few habits and paying attention to maintenance, you can do your part in helping the environment. Here’s the Quality Automotive Servicing short list of things you can do to be a “Green Vehicle Owner”. Save gas, save on landfill material, save the planet. 1. Keep the engine running at peak performance. A misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency as much as 30 percent. Replace filters and fluids as recommended in the owner’s manual or by your Quality Automotive Servicing service technician. 2. Don’t ignore that ‘Service Engine’ light. Today’s vehicles have much cleaner tailpipe emissions than they did 30 years ago. But it's necessary to maintain that system. A poorly running engine or faulty exhaust system will pollute much more than one that is running clean. One indication of a ... read more

We’d like to introduce you to Truckee local, Ryden, who is probably the most excited about the $1000 donation to the Truckee Bike Park in the Quality Automotive Servicing Season of Giving. Ryden is an 8 year old bicycling powerhouse who started at the park as a strider when he was just 2-years-old. It didn’t take long for this little guy to discover the various tracks and eventually move on to jumps. He loves to ride at the Truckee Bike Park because it’s just fun - all day fun! Taking clinics from his favorite coaches Brooks, Greg, Cierra and Courtney has taught him not only to ride well, but also learn to respect the terrain, take care of the park and have respect for others using it. He has learned skills like how to push into the berms and claw your feet when you’re coming into a jump. His favorite features are the jumps and he hopes to master the Baby Tooth Gap with a future eye on Jaws. Ryden enjoys the park with his dad and sister and can’t say enoug ... read more

Winter weather can wreck havoc on your vehicle in many ways. For those who park their vehicle outside overnight, a frozen door in the morning can be a real annoyance. Heed our warning, don’t ever yank or pull on the door handle to open a frozen car door. If it breaks, you will be seeing us sooner than you planned and having a winter adventure you didn’t anticipate. An easy simple trick might be to give the door a hip check to loosen the ice and then lift and pull the door from the bottom. Use the handle only to unlatch the door while doing this. If you are still frozen out, try the passenger side door. Often the other side of the car has been less expose to wind and weather. You can also use warm water (never hot) to loosen the ice or a de-icing product. If you are lucky enough to have a remote starter, you can start the car and allow the interior warming to loosen the ice. Here is the important part. Never, and tell your kids and student drivers this too, ma ... read more