Used car prices drop from August to September

There may be no better time than the coming months to buy a used car. Not only is the end of the year often regarded as one of the best stretches for consumers, recent statistics show that used car prices are on the way down as well, so heading over the New Jersey State Auto Auction in the near future is a great idea.

According to USA Today, the most recent findings show that the monthly index of 122.9 in September was down a bit from the August index of 123.7. Though it is still a little bit ahead of the index in 2010, it signals a downward trend that could be good news for consumers. Economist say that prices of used SUVs have been especially promising, so if you're looking for a used Ford Explorer or Chevrolet Tahoe, now may be the time.

Those looking to take advantage of the lower used car prices will want to head to New Jersey State Auto Auction which offers many other advantages outside of providing numerous makes and models at affordable prices.

In particular, the New Jersey State Auto Auction is an authorized Autotrader.com trade-in marketplace so if you're hoping to get some money for your previous vehicle, it's especially simple and fast.

"As an authorized Autotrader Trade In Marketplace Dealership, we are equipped to provide an instant quote to Trade or Purchase a customer's used car, with payment right on the spot," said Lazlo Ember, the Internet Marketing Director for New Jersey Auto.

Furthermore, getting a loan is not a problem at New Jersey Auto, as everyone is granted automatic approval regardless of their credit history.

Regularly replace timing belts to extend your car’s life

There are some aspects of car maintenance that drivers may put off without any serious repercussions but replacing your timing belt is not among them. The crucial part ensures that valves and pistons operate together in the right way, and while they have become quieter and more efficient lately they also must be replaced a bit more frequently.

According to Rich Diegle, the Automotive Editor at ALLDATAdiy.com, a broken timing belt can lead to a number of issues. For instance, if you drive a car with a free-running engine, a broken belt will quickly cause your engine to stop running and you'll have to be towed to the nearest repair shop. Additionally, the broken belt could cause significant mechanical damage to your engine.

In interference engines, while the damage may not cause your car to immediately stop running, it will still result in some substantial harm in the form of pistons hitting open valves, which will cost a great deal to repair.

Of course, there is an easy way around the many pitfalls of a broken timing belt and that is to get them replaced on a regular interval. Most manufacturers will provide guidelines on just how often they should be replaced, and by following the recommendations you can prevent you belt from breaking and the host of problems that come with it.

Such regular upkeep is becoming increasingly important as drivers are getting more out of their cars than ever before. Rebecca Lindland, the director of strategic review at IHS Automotive recently told Bloomberg Radio that the average age of a car on the road is 10.7 years and if you'd like to reach that level, regular maintenance is must.

The New Jersey State Auto Auction has a Full Auto Service Center located in Jersey City. The company provides discounted auto repair and auto maintenance for their customers. Call Brian at 201-200-1100 for our current Service Specials and ask for our Current Coupons.

Oldest running car sold at Pennsylvania auction

A lot of people take pride in how long they can keep their car running, but none can hold a candle to the vehicle that just sold at a Hershey, Pennsylvania, auction. The world's oldest running car, which has been working for 127 years, recently went for $4.6 million, CNN Money reports.

The ride was built in France in 1884 and predates the first cars constructed by Henry Ford by about 12 years. The car, which sports the nickname La Marquise was originally intended for use by French Count De Dion, who was one of the founders of the company that manufactured it.

For its age, La Marquise is surprisingly powerful. Fueled by coal, wood and paper, the vehicle has a top speed of 38 miles per hour, though it may not be able to reach the mark more than a century after its creation.

Although La Marquise represents the extreme, there's nothing saying that your used car can't last for an especially long time if it's cared for properly by getting it regularly serviced. The point appears not to be lost on the American public as the average car on the road is becoming older and older.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg Radio, Rebecca Lindland the director of strategic review at IHS Automotive said that the average age of a car on the road today is about 10.7 years, with an average mileage of about 130,000 miles. To make sure your used car reaches the same milestone, visit New Jersey State Auto Auction.

The New Jersey State Auto Auction has a Full Auto Service Center located in Jersey City. The company provides discounted auto repair and auto maintenance for their customers. Call Brian at 201-200-1100 for our current Service Specials and ask for our Current Coupons.

Fewer car financing hurdles for those with bad credit

Consumers who have a credit score that is not as good as they want need not worry – there are still plenty of auto loans to be had. Recent statistics from Experian's Automotive Credit Trends Report showed that new car loans for people with subprime scores increased by about 22.4 percent, Fox News reports.

If you have a deep subprime score the news is even better with a 44.1 percent improvement. The statistics are indicative of a larger trend, the news source reports, with the average credit score of a used car loan recipient dropping by about eight points.

The shifting trend is not surprising however given the amount of people with subprime and deep subprime credit scores. Surveys have shown that about half of consumers have scores that qualify as below prime.

At New Jersey State Auto Auction, your credit history is not an issue and we offer guarantied credit approval regardless of whether you have good, bad or no credit. Additionally, we have all the big banks, credit unions and sub-prime auto lenders to suit your needs.

While New Jersey Auto Auction provides consumers with automatic approval that does not mean that you should not ignore the benefits of good credit. Luckily, getting behind the wheel of a used car and regularly paying off the loans is a great way to boost your credit score if it's below where you want it. Additionally, if you have no credit history to speak of, an auto loan is a great way to start one.

According to Fox News, the average amount financed on a used car is about $17,000 over a five-year term. This could result in a wide spectrum of monthly payments, but analysts say they range from an average of $429 to $359, depending on the interest rates.

Replace your cabin air filter once a year

Few things are more crucial to drivers in the winter than the defroster. Not only does it make scraping ice off your windshield much easier, but it also decreases the chances of it fogging up from the inside. However, there are times when it just doesn't seem to work despite how high you have the air turned up. In this case, the cabin air filter is usually to blame and needs to be replaced so that your defroster can be get back work.

Though it can vary from car to car, most makes and models have air filters that need to be replaced about once a year or every 15,000 miles, Popular Mechanics reports. Though the part can be replaced by some skilled drivers, depending on the type of car there could be two or three involved, which can make the whole process especially complicated.

Luckily, there are many places you can take your used car to get serviced to ensure that it can run smoothly for years to come, including New Jersey State Auto Auction.

Many drivers on the road today are trying to get the most out of their used cars. In fact, Rebecca Lindland, the director of strategic review at IHS Automotive, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg Radio that the average age of cars on the road is 10.7 years and that most cars regularly clock more than 100,000 miles with ease.

The New Jersey State Auto Auction has a Full Auto Service Center located in Jersey City. The company provides discounted auto repair and auto maintenance for their customers. Call Brian at 201-200-1100 for our current Service Specials and ask for our Current Coupons.

How to read your credit report

It isn't hard to get your credit report and federal laws give you the right to get one from each of the major credit reporting companies each year. However, if you are unsure of what exactly you're looking for, it can all be for naught. There are a few important things to look at that can give you a general idea of just how good your credit actually is.

According to consumer financial services company Bankrate, late payments can have one of the biggest impacts on your credit score. You should check to see how many late payments you have made and how long ago they were. For instance, if you were 30 days late but it happened a long time ago, it will affect you much less.

You should also take a second to look at your debt-to-credit ratio. This is often calculated by the total of all your debts on revolving accounts to your credit lines on those accounts. Experts suggest keeping the level around 10 percent for best results.

"In an ideal world, you would want to have (those ratios) under 10 percent," financial expert Evan Hendricks told Bankrate. "But certainly you want to keep them under 40 percent. There's no magic number."

Your credit score can affect a number of things including whether or not you can buy a used car, but at New Jersey State Auto Auction, your credit history will not hurt you. Buyers are guaranteed approval regardless of their credit score, and after all, making your car payments on time is a great way to boost your score. Additionally, New Jersey Auto makes it easy to get financing thanks to its online application process.

What could be causing those noisy brakes?

Most motorists bristle when the car next to them on the road has oppressively squeaky brakes. While you may find it annoying when it's right next to you, the noise can be even more bothersome when it's coming from your own vehicle. Squealing brakes can be indicative of a number of problems, and it would behoove you to get them serviced to ensure your car can stay on the road as long as possible.

The first thing that you should know how to identify is what causes the noise. Most times, the piercing squealing noise is due to worn brake pads. There are several do-it-yourself fixes that can be applied to the situation including thin adhesive strips designed to lessen the noise as well as noise suppression compounds that can reduce vibrations.

While it might be caused by a natural vibration, sometimes the noise can be the result of how you are driving your car or natural overuse. Specifically, worn rotors are often a culprit as well as missing pad insulators or rusty caliper mounts. Most of the time, these issues require a brake job and replacement of some of the parts, and your car will likely need to be taken in for maintenance.

Getting your vehicle serviced regularly is especially important if you have a used car, which are being driven longer and longer. In particular, Rebecca Lindland, the director of strategic review at IHS Automotive recently spoke with Bloomberg Radio and revealed that the average age of a car on the road is 10.7 years, with drivers clocking about 13,400 each year.

The New Jersey State Auto Auction has a Full Auto Service Center located in Jersey City. The company provides discounted auto repair and auto maintenance for their customers. Call Brian at 201-200-1100 for our current Service Specials and ask for our Current Coupons.

Celebrities dominate the week in car news

The week in auto news was slow in terms of any development regarding the latest models or sales figures, but there was plenty of celebrity news to go around. From the passing of Steve Jobs, who had a pretty unique collection of cars, to socialite Kim Kardashian adding a new ride to hers, the rides of the rich and famous were prominently on display.

• The tech world mourned the loss of Apple founder Steve Jobs on Wednesday, who lost his long battle with pancreatic cancer. Many people focused on his innovative contributions to the music and computer industry, but a few pointed out his unique ride, a 2007 Mercedes Benz SL5 AMG, which had the distinction of having a CPU barcode instead of a license plate, the auto blog RushLane.com reports. Nobody's quite sure why he had the faux-plates, and there's no indication that he was ever ticketed for it.

• At the opposite end of the spectrum is Kim Kardashian, who turned heads this week for reasons other than what she's used to. The reality TV star added a tricked out Ferrari 458 Italia to her garage, costing her about $325,000. TMZ.com reports that it's just the latest in her impressive collection, which also includes a rare Rolls Royce Ghost as well as a super-charged $115,000 Range Rover.

• Fans of country legend Willie Nelson may be able to get behind the wheel of one of his famous rides, but it certainly will not come cheap. The "On The Road Again" singer is putting his tour bus up for sale on October 22 and it comes with some pretty impressive bells and whistles. In addition to six bunks and a full bathroom, the bus also features a stunning mural on the back with the Texas flag and a pair of cowboy boots, USA Today reports.
 

Majority of car shoppers research online

Consumers have turned to the internet to revolutionize the way they shop for almost everything, and that includes cars. In fact, more and more shoppers are using website such as New Jersey Auto Auction to research, and even purchase, their cars, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The appeal of online shopping is obvious since it allows consumers to make purchases from the comfort of their own homes, and when it comes to cars, the benefits are even more apparent. Instead of having to go down to the nearest dealership, now buyers can simply log on and get all the information they need. The process is so simple in fact, that J.D. Power and Associates found 80 percent of consumers go online to research when buying a car.

"That whole concept of working out a deal and coming out with a final price is the area of car buying where customers are the most dissatisfied," Jim Gaz, senior director of automotive retail research at J.D. Power, told the Times.

New Jersey Auto Auction offers consumers in the Tri-State area one such resource for both buying and selling cars. In fact, the website can provide you with an instant appraisal on how much trade-in value your car has so that you can get an honest and fair estimate of its worth.

New Jersey Auto also ensures consumers get the highest-quality used cars by providing them with free Carfax reports on the history of the car they're thinking about buying, so they can rest easy they are not driving off in a car that has secret damage. And, as always, the company offers numerous makes and models at affordable prices.

Regular oil changes provide a key to longevity

Knowing how often to get your oil changed may seem basic for used car owners, but itcan often be much more complicated than people realize. In years past, there was a general rule of thumb that you should get it changed every three months or 3,000 miles, but with better motor oil and more complicated cars, those things can change. Regardless of how often you go, New Jersey Auto Auction offers its customers with affordable, reliable service.

Though it can change from car to car, the hosts of NPR's Car Talk recently spoke with MSNBC about what's a good interval, and they say that there is a good way to maintain the health of your used car.

"It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few," they told the website. "But for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe, old age."

Getting your used car to reach that old age is something that more and more drivers are hoping to achieve. In fact, according to Rebecca Lindland, the director of strategic review at IHS Automotive, the average age of cars on the road is an impressive 10.6 years, which is indicative of the growing desire of drivers to get the most out of their vehicles, driving an average of 13,400 miles each year.

The New Jersey State Auto Auction has a Full Auto Service Center located in Jersey City. The company provides discounted auto repair and auto maintenance for their customers. Call Brian at 201-200-1100 for our current Service Specials and ask for our Current Coupons.