Summer road trips are meant to be carefree, but a surprising number of U.S. drivers are hitting the highway with cars they know aren’t ready for the journey.
kAmp ?6H DEF5J 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8F2C5:2?D6CG:46]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQmvF2C5:2? $6CG:46k^2m[ H9:49 DFCG6J65 `[___ p>6C:42? 5C:G6CD[ C6G62=D 2 EC@F3=:?8 A2EE6C?i adT @7 C6DA@?56?ED 25>:EE65 E96J 92G6 DE2CE65 2 DF>>6C C@25 EC:A <?@H:?8 E96:C 42C H2D?’E C@25\C625J] tG6? >@C6 4@?46C?:?8[ >2?J 4@?E:?F65 5C:G:?8 =@?8 5:DE2?46D 27E6C H2C?:?8 =:89ED 2AA62C65[ D@>6E:>6D 7@C >@C6 E92? `[a__ >:=6D]k^Am
kAm%96D6 7:?5:?8D =2?5 2E E96 A62< @7 EC2G6= D62D@?[ H96? >:==:@?D @7 p>6C:42?D 2C6 A24<:?8 FA 7@C @?6 =2DE 86E2H2J 367@C6 72==] qFE E96 DEF5J’D 52E2 D9@HD E92E E96 7C665@> @7 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8F6DD:?89625=:89ED]4@>^C@FE6\ee\:?\42=:7@C?:2\`_\?@DE2=8:2\DE@AD\E92E\DE:==\766=\C:89E^Q 52E2\HA:=\>@?:E@C\:5lQacaQm@A6? C@25k^2m >2J 36 4@>:?8 2E E96 4@DE @7 32D:4 D276EJ 2?5 G69:4=6 =@?86G:EJ]k^Am
k9amsC:G6CD pC6 #@==:?8 E96 s:46 (:E9 '69:4=6 $276EJk^9am
kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8F2C5:2?D6CG:46]4@>^9@>6\:?DFC2?46^DF>>6C\C@25\EC:A\C625:?6DD^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQmDFCG6Jk^2m 7@F?5 E92E >@C6 E92? c :? `_ 5C:G6CD WccTX 92G6 4@?E:?F65 2 EC:A 6G6? 27E6C ?@E:4:?8 D@>6E9:?8 H2D HC@?8 H:E9 E96:C G69:4=6] x? >2?J 42D6D[ E96 H2C?:?8 D:8?D H6C6 ?@E DF3E=6 — 52D93@2C5 D6CG:46 =:89ED[ DEC2?86 ?@:D6D[ @C G:D:3=6 52>286[ J6E 5C:G6CD <6AE 8@:?8]k^Am
kAm~? 2G6C286[ p>6C:42?D 2C6 :8?@C:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8F6DD:?89625=:89ED]4@>^F?56CDE2?5:?8\52D93@2C5\H2C?:?8\=:89ED^Q 52E2\HA:=\>@?:E@C\:5lQaccQmH2C?:?8 =:89EDk^2m 7@C ff` >:=6D 367@C6 D66<:?8 C6A2:CD] |:==6??:2=D E@AA65 E96 492CE 7@C C:D<J >:=6286[ 5C:G:?8 2? 2G6C286 @7 `[a__ >:=6D 367@C6 E2<:?8 24E:@?] %92E 56=2J 42? EFC? 2 >:?@C 7:I :?E@ 2 4@DE=J C6A2:C[ 6DA64:2==J 5FC:?8 =@?8 DF>>6C EC:AD :? 9:89 962E]k^Am
kAm%96 H:==:?8?6DD E@ E2<6 492?46D H2D?’E ;FDE 23@FE :8?@C:?8 :DDF6D] }62C=J 92=7 WcdTX @7 2== 5C:G6CD D<:A >2:?E6?2?46 4964<D 367@C6 2 C@25 EC:A] ~?=J abT 2=H2JD A6C7@C> 2 4964<[ H9:=6 `fT C2C6=J @C ?6G6C 5@ D@]k^Am
k9amq2D:4 r2C |2:?E6?2?46 z?@H=6586 xD $=:AA:?8k^9am
kAm|@56C? 42CD 2C6 >@C6 C6=:23=6 E92? 6G6C[ 3FE E92E C6=:23:=:EJ >2J 36 4C62E:?8 2 86?6C2E:@? @7 5C:G6CD F?AC6A2C65 7@C 4@>>@? C@25D:56 :DDF6D]k^Am
kAmw2=7 @7 2== C6DA@?56?ED D2:5 E96J H@F=5?’E 766= 4@?7:56?E 92?5=:?8 2 32D:4 C6A2:C 5FC:?8 2 3C62<5@H?] p>@?8 v6? + 5C:G6CD[ E96 ?F>36CD H6C6 6G6? >@C6 DE2C<i cdT 5@?’E <?@H 9@H E@ ;F>A\DE2CE 2 42C[ 2?5 d`T 42?’E 492?86 2 7=2E E:C6]k^Am
kAm'69:4=6 3C2?5 2=D@ A=2J65 2 C@=6] %96 DEF5J 7@F?5 E92E hbT @7 z:2 @H?6CD 2?5 gfT @7 wJF?52: @H?6CD 42?’E 492?86 E96:C @H? @:=] %@J@E2 @H?6CD 72C65 36EE6C[ 3FE DE:==[ ccT 25>:EE65 E96J 4@F=5?’E 492?86 2 E:C6]k^Am
k9am$<:AA:?8 r964<D[ !2J:?8 E96 !C:46k^9am
kAmtG6? 7@C 5C:G6CD H9@ 2C6?’E >6492?:42==J :?4=:?65[ D:>A=6 AC6\EC:A 4964<D — k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^8F6DD:?89625=:89ED]4@>^H92E\>@DE\A6@A=6\86E\HC@?8\23@FE\4964<:?8\E:C6\AC6DDFC6^Q 52E2\HA:=\>@?:E@C\:5lQacbQmE:C6 AC6DDFC6k^2m[ 7=F:5 =6G6=D[ H:A6C 4@?5:E:@? — 42? AC6G6?E 3C62<5@H?D] *6E E96 DEF5J D9@HD E92E E96D6 DE6AD 2C6 @7E6? D<:AA65] t=6G6? A6C46?E @7 5C:G6CD H2:E 7@C 2 D6CG:46 =:89E 367@C6 5@:?8 2?J >2:?E6?2?46 2E 2==]k^Am
kAmqC2?5\DA64:7:4 52E2 DF886DED D@>6 5C:G6CD 2C6 >@C6 AC@?6 E@ D<:AA:?8 4964<D] w@?52 @H?6CD H6C6 E96 >@DE =:<6=J E@ 9:E E96 C@25 H:E9@FE :?DA64E:?8 E96:C G69:4=6 W`hTX[ 7@==@H65 4=@D6=J 3J z:2 W`gTX 2?5 wJF?52: W`fTX]k^Am
kAmqC62<5@H?D 42FD65 3J ?68=64E 42? =625 ?@E @?=J E@ C6A2:C 3:==D 3FE 2=D@ E@ :?DFC2?46 4=2:>D[ H9:49 >2J C2:D6 7FEFC6 AC6>:F>D] vF2C5:2? $6CG:46 ?@E6D E92E AC6G6?E23=6 C@25D:56 6>6C86?4:6D — =:<6 E:C6 3=@H@FED @C @G6C962E:?8 — 42? 7=28 5C:G6CD 2D 9:896C C:D<]k^Am
k9amr@?7:56?46 GD] r2A23:=:EJ sFC:?8 qC62<5@H?Dk^9am
kAm(96? 2D<65 9@H E96J H@F=5 C6DA@?5 E@ 2 3C62<5@H?[ daT @7 5C:G6CD D2:5 E96J H@F=5 42== C@25D:56 2DD:DE2?46] ~?=J `gT H@F=5 2EE6>AE 2 C6A2:C E96>D6=G6D] (9:=6 g_T <66A 2 DA2C6 E:C6[ @?=J EH@\E9:C5D 42CCJ 2 ;24<[ 2?5 ;FDE agT 92G6 2 32D:4 E@@=<:E]k^Am
kAmx? AC24E:46[ E92E >62?D >2?J 5C:G6CD 2C6 @?6 7=2E E:C6 2H2J 7C@> 2 =6?8E9J H2:E[ 6G6? :7 E96 A2CED E@ 7:I E96 AC@3=6> 2C6 2=C625J :? E96:C ECF?<]k^Am
k9amp %C2G6= tIA6CE’D !6CDA64E:G6k^9am
kAmr92?E6==6 z:?4J[ 2 ;@FC?2=:DE H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EC2G6=3:?86C]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQm%C2G6=3:?86Ck^2m[ D66D E96 4@??64E:@? 36EH66? G69:4=6 C625:?6DD 2?5 E96 G2=F6 @7 2 C@25 EC:A]k^Am
kAm“#@25 EC:AD 2C6 @?6 @7 E96 36DE H2JD E@ D2G6 >@?6J @? EC2G6= 2?5 DBF66K6 :? @?6 >@C6 3F586E\7C:6?5=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EC2G6=3:?86C]4@>^9@H\E@\86E\@?6\>@C6\G242E:@?\:?\5FC:?8\E96\=2DE\76H\H66<D\@7\DF>>6C^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@@A6?6CQmG242E:@? 367@C6 DF>>6C 6?5Dk^2m[” z:?4J D2:5] “qFE ?@?6 @7 E92E >2EE6CD :7 J@FC C:56 :D?’E C@25\C625J] $A6?5:?8 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 4964<:?8 J@FC G69:4=6 367@C6 J@F 8@ 42? D2G6 J@F 7C@> 2 3:8 3:== @C 36:?8 DEC2?565 92=7H2J E@ J@FC 56DE:?2E:@?]”k^Am
k9am%96 #@25 p9625k^9am
kAm%96 @A6? C@25 :D A2CE @7 E96 p>6C:42? DF>>6C :56?E:EJ[ 3FE E96 vF2C5:2? $6CG:46 DEF5J F?56CD4@C6D 2 C:D<J C62=:EJi E@@ >2?J 5C:G6CD 2C6 82>3=:?8 H:E9 E96:C D276EJ 2?5 7:?2?46D] (96E96C :E’D D<:AA:?8 2 32D:4 4964<[ :8?@C:?8 2 H2C?:?8 =:89E 7@C 9F?5C65D @7 >:=6D[ @C =24<:?8 E96 D<:==D E@ 7:I 2 7=2E[ E96D6 923:ED AFE 5C:G6CD 2?5 A2DD6?86CD 2E C:D<]k^Am
kAmu@C EC2G6=6CD =@@<:?8 E@ >2<6 E96 >@DE @7 E96 C6>2:?:?8 DF>>6C H66<D[ E96 E2<62H2J :D D:>A=6 — AC6A2C2E:@? :D?’E ;FDE 23@FE A24<:?8 D?24<D 2?5 >2AA:?8 E96 36DE D46?:4 C@FE6D] xE’D 23@FE >2<:?8 DFC6 J@FC G69:4=6 42? 92?5=6 E96 ;@FC?6J 29625]k^Am
kAmvF2C5:2? $6CG:46’D 25G:46 >:CC@CD 564256D @7 C@25D:56 H:D5@>i 255C6DD >:?@C AC@3=6>D 367@C6 E96J 364@>6 3:8 @?6D[ 42CCJ E96 C:89E E@@=D[ 2?5 <?@H E96 32D:4D @7 J@FC @H? 42C] %92E H2J[ E96 @?=J DFCAC:D6D @? J@FC EC:A 2C6 E96 8@@5 <:?5[ =:<6 7:?5:?8 E96 A6C764E 5:?6C ;FDE @77 E96 9:89H2J]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us.