# Oil & Miles

> Oil & Miles traces every repair figure to a recall notice, a factory schedule or the federal complaint record: repair costs, oil specs and used-car guides.

Independent, written from the parts trade and from documents: recall notices, manufacturer schedules and the federal complaint record, each linked where it is used. No dealer, manufacturer or brand pays for anything here. 99 articles live; every price is a range traced to a source.

## Repair costs

- [Coolant Flush Cost: Is Your Quote Inflated?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/coolant-flush): Before you agree to a coolant flush: what real invoices show it costs, when your car actually needs one, and what to say when a shop suggests it.
- [Catalytic Converter Replacement Cost: When It's $0](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/catalytic-converter-replacement-cost): Catalytic converter replacement cost depends on the grade: EPA, CARB or OEM. What each costs, what a shop adds, and when you may pay nothing at all.
- [Coolant Leak Repair Cost: $496 to $1,902, by Leak Point](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/coolant-leak-repair-cost): Coolant leak repair cost depends less on the part than on reaching it. Find your leak, what each repair costs, and why the cheapest part can bill the most.
- [Head Gasket Replacement Cost and Repair: Is It Worth Fixing?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/head-gasket-replacement-cost): What fixing a blown head gasket costs, from carmakers' warranty times and owners' bills: head gasket replacement cost, who pays, and when it's worth fixing.
- [Resurface or Replace Brake Rotors? One Measurement](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/resurface-or-replace-brake-rotors): Can you resurface brake rotors, or do they need replacing? The number stamped on your rotor decides, and on many modern cars it rules resurfacing out.
- [Car Fluid Leak Repair Cost: Which Ones Can Wait](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/car-fluid-leak-repair-cost): Car fluid leak repair cost turns on access, not the part. Name the fluid, find the seal, and see why the same kind of leak can cost little or a lot.
- [Transmission Leak Repair Cost: Cheap Fix or Big Job?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/transmission-fluid-leak-repair-cost): Transmission leak repair cost comes down to one question: does the transmission have to come out? Find your leak point and what each repair involves.
- [Brake Fluid Leak Repair Cost: Caliper or Master Cylinder](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/brake-fluid-leak-repair-cost): A brake fluid leak comes from a few places, and each costs differently to fix. How to tell which part is leaking and what the repair should cost.
- [Oil Pan Gasket Replacement Cost: Parts, Labor and Quotes](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/oil-pan-gasket-replacement-cost): Oil pan gasket replacement cost is mostly labor, not the part. What decides the bill, and why it jumps when the pan is hard to reach.
- [Valve Cover Gasket Replacement Cost: $300 to $500](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/valve-cover-gasket-replacement-cost): Valve cover gasket replacement cost is mostly labor. A few checks under the hood decide what you pay, and whether the leak is the gasket at all.
- [Which Cars Have Wet Belt Engines? Check Yours in 5 Steps](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/which-cars-have-wet-belt-engines): Which cars have wet belt engines, and is yours one of them? See which engines the makers confirm in writing, and how to check your own car.
- [Wet Belt Engines: What They Are and How They Fail](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/wet-belt-engines-explained): Wet belt engines run the timing belt in oil. Why carmakers did it, how it fails, which engines have one, and what decides how long it lasts.
- [Wet Belt vs Timing Chain vs Dry Belt: Which You Have](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/wet-belt-vs-timing-chain-vs-dry-belt): Wet belt vs timing chain vs dry belt: very different bills over a car's life. How to find out which one your engine has before it matters.
- [Timing Belt Replacement Cost: Parts, Labor and Water Pump](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/timing-belt-replacement-cost): Timing belt replacement cost on your car, what the kit should hold, and when the belt is really due, before you agree to a quote.
- [Brake Pad Replacement Cost: With or Without Rotors?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/brake-pad-rotor-replacement-cost): Brake pad and rotor replacement cost depends more on the shop than the parts. What a fair quote looks like for your car, with or without new rotors.

## Oil and fluids

- [Does Coolant Evaporate? The Water Goes, the Antifreeze Stays](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/does-coolant-evaporate): The water in coolant evaporates and the antifreeze barely does, so a sealed system that keeps losing coolant is leaking. Where it goes and what to check.
- [Transmission Fluid Color: Dark Is Normal and Milky Isn't](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/transmission-fluid-color): Transmission fluid color tells you less than you'd think. What each shade means, why dark fluid is often fine, and the check that tells you more.
- [Coolant Stop Leak: When It Works and What It Wrecks](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/coolant-stop-leak): Coolant stop leak is cheap and can seal a small weep. So why do carmakers' own manuals and bulletins warn against it?
- [Antifreeze vs Coolant: Are They the Same Thing?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/antifreeze-vs-coolant): Antifreeze vs coolant: the ingredient against the mixture. Why pouring pure antifreeze in makes freeze protection worse, not better.
- [How to Check Transmission Fluid Level: Dipstick or Sealed](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-to-check-transmission-fluid-level): Checked at the wrong temperature it reads empty or overfull. How to check transmission fluid level so the reading means something, from the manual.
- [Check Transmission Fluid Without a Dipstick: 3 Jobs](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/check-transmission-fluid-without-dipstick): How to check transmission fluid without a dipstick depends on the car: a temperature window, a level lift and a plug in the case. Is yours a home job?
- [What Coolant Does My Car Need? Find the Specification](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/what-coolant-does-my-car-need): What coolant does my car need? A specification code answers it, not the color. Where to find the code on your car, and why two yellows can differ.
- [Do High-Mileage Cars Burn Oil? Is a Quart per 1,000 Normal](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/do-high-mileage-cars-burn-oil): Do high mileage cars burn oil? Usually some. What GM and Toyota actually publish as acceptable, what owners report, and when it becomes a problem.
- [Synthetic vs Conventional Oil: Most "Synthetic" Is Crude](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/synthetic-vs-conventional-oil): Synthetic vs conventional oil isn't lab versus crude. Almost all of it is crude. One measured number separates them, and your manual uses it.
- [What Is Oil Dilution? Fuel in Your Oil, and the Limits](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/what-is-oil-dilution): What is oil dilution? Fuel getting into your engine oil. What causes it, how to spot it on the dipstick, and how much of it is normal.
- [Can You Mix Synthetic and Conventional Oil? Two Questions](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/can-you-mix-synthetic-and-conventional-oil): Can you mix synthetic and conventional oil? Yes, and oil licensing tests check exactly that. What the mix loses is the approval your manual may require.
- [Wet Belt Engine Oil: Which Spec Your Engine Needs](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/wet-belt-engine-oil): Wet belt engine oil, done right: which specification your engine takes, what the label has to say, and why the interval matters on these engines.
- [0W-20 Substitute: 5W-20 and Almost Nothing Else](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/what-to-use-instead-of-0w20): Looking for a 0W-20 substitute? Only one grade really qualifies, and the difference shows up on a cold start. What to use, and what to avoid.
- [0W-20 vs 5W-30: What Happens If You Use the Wrong One](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/0w20-vs-5w30-wrong-oil): 0W-20 vs 5W-30: one of these numbers matters far more than the other. What a single wrong fill does, what years of it does, and when it turns serious.
- [How to Read an Oil Bottle: API, ILSAC, OEM Approvals](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-to-read-an-oil-bottle): How to read the API donut, the ILSAC starburst, ACEA grades and manufacturer approvals on an oil bottle, and how to spot a claim that means nothing.
- [Can You Mix Coolant Colors? The Color Isn't the Answer](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/can-you-mix-coolant-colors): Three coolant types, what actually goes wrong when they meet, whether universal is safe, and how to fix it if you already did mix coolant colors.

## Symptoms and diagnosis

- [How to Test a Wheel Speed Sensor: Passive and Active](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-to-test-a-wheel-speed-sensor): Learn how to test a wheel speed sensor the right way for its type, with a multimeter or a scan tool, and what to check when it passes.
- [Service Brake Assist: What It Means, Causes and Cost](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/service-brake-assist): What Service Brake Assist means, if you can keep driving, why it comes on, and how to check for a free repair.
- [Car Shuts Off While Idling or Driving? Causes and What to Do](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/car-shuts-off): Why a car shuts off at a stop or on the road, what to do the moment it happens, and how to find a free recall fix.
- [Blown Head Gasket Symptoms: The Signs and How to Test](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/blown-head-gasket-symptoms): Blown head gasket symptoms in the order owners report them, what else causes each one, and the tests that prove a leak before anyone opens the engine.
- [ABS Sensor: Wheel Speed Sensor Symptoms, Location, Cost](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/abs-sensor): The ABS sensor is the wheel speed sensor at each wheel. How to tell a bad one, find which wheel it is, clean it safely, and what replacing it costs.
- [Traction Control Light: Flashing vs Steady, and Is It Safe?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/traction-control-light): Traction control light on or flashing? What it means, whether it's safe to drive, why it stays on, and how to turn it back on.
- [Knocking Noise When Braking: 8 Causes and Is It Safe?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/knocking-noise-when-braking): Knocking noise when braking? What each clunk means, which ones are normal, when to stop driving, and what to check before a shop replaces parts.
- [ABS Light On: What It Means and Is It Safe to Drive?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/abs-light): ABS light on? What it means, whether your regular brakes still work, why it shows with the traction or brake light, and what to check first.
- [Brake Warning Light: What It Means and Is It Safe to Drive?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/brake-warning-light): Brake warning light on? What the red light means, whether it's safe to drive, why it flashes, and what to check before you pay for a repair.
- [P0299 Code: Turbo Underboost Meaning, Causes and Fix](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0299-code): P0299 code on a turbo engine? What turbo underboost means, the cheaper parts that set it, whether it's safe to drive, and how to fix it.
- [P0303 Code: Is Your Cylinder 3 Misfire a Cheap Fix?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0303-code): A P0303 code is a cylinder 3 misfire. How to tell a bad coil or plug from trouble inside the cylinder, and which carmakers pay for the fix.
- [Rattling Noise When Accelerating: Causes and When to Stop](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/rattling-noise-when-accelerating): Rattling noise when accelerating? When it happens points to the cause, from a loose heat shield to engine knock. Find out which rattle means stop.
- [P0304 Code: Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected and How to Fix It](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0304-code): P0304 code on your scanner? A free swap test tells a bad coil from trouble inside the cylinder, and some carmakers now pay for the repair.
- [P0720 Code: Output Speed Sensor Causes and Free Recalls](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0720-code): P0720 code and a sudden hard downshift? Find out which part really holds the sensor, when to stop driving, and which recalls fix it for free.
- [Whining Noise When Accelerating: Transmission or Belt?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/whining-noise-when-accelerating): Whining noise when accelerating? Learn whether it's the transmission, a belt or a bearing, and which whines the carmaker may still fix for free.
- [Low Transmission Fluid Symptoms and When to Stop Driving](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/low-transmission-fluid-symptoms): Low transmission fluid symptoms, and what the warning light really reads. Why the level drops, and when to stop driving.
- [Car Won't Start? Try This Before You Call a Tow](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/car-wont-start): Car won't start? The sound it makes names the likely cause. What to check first, and when the fix is a free recall.
- [Engine Power Reduced: Meaning, Causes and How to Fix](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/engine-power-reduced): Engine power reduced on the dash? What the message means, which sensor usually sets it, how far you can drive, and how to fix it.
- [Car Jerks When Accelerating: Causes, Costs and Fixes](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/car-jerks-when-accelerating): Car jerks when accelerating? The speed and the dash light point to the cause. What each fix costs, and what Ford, GM and Nissan told their dealers.
- [Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? Causes, Costs and Fixes](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/why-does-my-car-smell-like-gas): Why does my car smell like gas? Where and when you notice it names the leak. What each part costs, and the recalls to check before you pay for anything.
- [P0440 Code: The EVAP Code That Names Nothing](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0440-code): A P0440 code says the EVAP system has a fault but not where. What it tells you, what it leaves out, and which code beside it names the part.
- [P0174 Code: The Bank 2 Code That Isn't About Bank 2](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0174-code): A P0174 code means system too lean on bank 2, and it rarely arrives alone. What that tells you, what the records show, and what the parts cost.
- [P0172 Code Meaning: Too Much Fuel and How to Fix It](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0172-code): A P0172 code means the engine is running rich. What it means, why misfires come with it, and which cars actually report it.
- [P0301 Code: A Plug, a Coil, or Coolant on a Ford](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0301-code): A P0301 code is a cylinder 1 misfire. What causes it, whether you can keep driving, what it costs, and the Ford EcoBoost engines where it means coolant.
- [P0700 Code: The One That Points at Another Code](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0700-code): A P0700 code is the transmission telling you to look for a second code. What it means, where to find the code that names the fault, and which cars file it.
- [P0441 Code: Incorrect Purge Flow and What the Fix Costs](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0441-code): A P0441 code is a purge flow fault, not a leak. What it means, what usually causes it, and whether it's really a Toyota problem.
- [P0442 Code: Why a New Gas Cap Often Changes Nothing](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0442-code): A P0442 code means a small EVAP leak. What it means, the codes it tends to arrive with, and what the fix is likely to cost.
- [P0128 Code: The Engine Never Got Warm Enough to Test Itself](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0128-code): A P0128 code means the engine is warming up too slowly. What it costs, why it can fail an emissions test, and the free check to do first.
- [P0446 Code: A Valve Ignored an Order, Not a Leak](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0446-code): A P0446 code says a valve was told to move and didn't. That makes it a part, not a hole, and it comes back faster than a leak code.
- [Oil Light On? It Isn't Your Oil Change Reminder](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/oil-light): Red oil light or amber? One means stop, the other means book a service. What your carmaker says to do, and why the dipstick isn't always the answer.
- [Oil Change Light: What the Percent Means, How to Reset It](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/oil-change-light): The oil change light is a reminder, not a reading of your oil. What it tracks, how urgent it is, and why it stays on after a change until it's reset.
- [P0171 Code: The Correction Ran Out, Not the Fuel](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0171-code): A P0171 code means the computer has added all the fuel it can. Two faults pull that way, and when it's worst tells you which one you have.
- [P0300 Code: Random Misfire, and the Two Tiers Behind It](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0300-code): A P0300 code means the misfire moves between cylinders, so it points at fuel, air or spark. A free swap test tells you which one to chase.
- [Transmission Slipping: What It Is, and What Waiting Costs](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/transmission-slipping): Transmission slipping feels like several other faults. How to tell the real thing, the cheap causes to rule out first, and what the fix is likely to cost.
- [CVT Transmission Problems: It Depends Whose CVT](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/cvt-transmission-problems): CVT transmission problems cluster on a handful of cars. Which models the federal complaint record names, what Nissan paid out, and why there was no recall.
- [P0443 Code Meaning: Purge Valve Circuit, Causes and Cost](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0443-code): What a P0443 code means, why the wire is checked before the purge valve, and when the carmaker pays for the fix.
- [Dashboard Warning Lights: Three Mean Stop, Five Can Wait](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/dashboard-warning-lights): Dashboard warning lights sorted by urgency: which mean pull over, which mean book it, what each one measures, and which symbols aren't warnings at all.
- [Bad Transmission Symptoms: Seven Causes Ranked by Cost](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/bad-transmission-symptoms): Bad transmission symptoms each point to a cause. Match yours, then compare what the part costs at the counter with what the shop bills for the job.
- [Check Engine Light Meaning: The Test Your Car Failed Twice](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/check-engine-light-meaning): Check engine light meaning, in plain terms: a test your car failed more than once. Why it's on, how to reset it, what repairs cost, and emissions tests.
- [P0455 Code: Large EVAP Leak Cost, Starting at the Cap](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0455-code): A P0455 code means a large EVAP leak, and the cheapest fix is often the first to check. Every part priced on popular cars, and what a shop adds.
- [Check Engine Light Codes: 26 OBD-II Codes, 6 Families](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/check-engine-light-codes): How to read any check engine light code from its characters, plus the codes drivers look up most, what each one means and what the repair costs.
- [P0456 Code: Will It Clear Itself, and What It Costs](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0456-code): A P0456 code is a very small EVAP leak. The light can clear itself; the leak doesn't. What it costs by car, and what to ask the shop for.
- [Bad Catalytic Converter Symptoms: Two Failures, Two Answers](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/bad-catalytic-converter-symptoms): Bad catalytic converter symptoms describe two different failures, and only one changes how the car drives. Which you have decides the test and the urgency.
- [P0430 Code: Bank 2 Location and What Actually Fails](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0430-code): A P0430 code names bank 2, and the converter is usually the casualty, not the cause. Find what killed it before you pay for a new one.
- [Bad Wheel Bearing Symptoms and How Long You Can Drive](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-long-can-you-drive-on-a-bad-wheel-bearing): Bad wheel bearing symptoms change as it wears. Find the stage yours is at, what it means for the drive home, and why no one can give you a safe mileage.
- [Bad Alternator or Battery? How to Tell Before You Buy](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/bad-alternator-or-battery): Bad alternator or battery? Don't buy the wrong part. The signs that point to each, the readings that settle it, and the free test to get first.
- [Flashing Check Engine Light: $256 Turning Into $1,511](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/flashing-check-engine-light): A flashing check engine light means damage can happen now, not later. What's going on, what it can ruin, and what to do before you drive any further.
- [Coolant Leak: The Five Places It Comes From](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/coolant-leak): A coolant leak starts in one of a few places. Some you can check from the fender in a minute, and the ones you can't see are the ones that cost money.
- [P0420 Code: The Converter Is Usually the Victim](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/p0420-code): A P0420 code means the catalyst has stopped storing oxygen. Replace the converter without finding what killed it and the same code comes back.
- [Timing Belt Symptoms: What 4,315 Complaints Actually Show](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/timing-belt-symptoms): Timing belt symptoms are mostly absent: the federal complaint record shows belts rarely warn before they fail. What actually tells you it's due.
- [Warped Rotors: One Word, Three Faults, Three Bills](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/warped-brake-rotors): Warped rotors are usually misnamed. Different faults share the name, they cost very different amounts, and one step decides whether you pay once or twice.
- [Car Smells Like Burning: What Each One Costs, When to Stop](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/car-smells-like-burning): Car smells like burning? The kind of smell points to the cause. Which ones mean stop now, which can wait, and what each costs to fix.
- [How Long Can You Drive With White Smoke From Exhaust?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/driving-with-white-smoke-from-exhaust): White smoke from the exhaust is harmless vapor or burning coolant. The tailpipe shows which within minutes, and when to stop.
- [Steering Wheel Shakes When Braking: 5 Causes by Cost](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/steering-wheel-shakes-when-braking): If the steering wheel shakes when braking, it's usually not warped rotors. The real causes, in the order a shop should check them, and what each costs.

## Used cars

- [22 High-Mileage Cars to Avoid: Ranked Worst First](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/high-mileage-cars-to-avoid): High mileage cars to avoid, ranked by what they cost to repair rather than by complaint counts, which mostly track how many were sold.
- [100k Mile Maintenance Cost: Every Quote Stops at 75,000](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/100k-mile-maintenance-cost): 100k mile maintenance cost, item by item: what's due at the milestone, what arrives just after it, and what each job should really cost.
- [Ford 1.0 EcoBoost Wet Belt: Is Your Car in the Recall?](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/ford-1-0-ecoboost-wet-belt): Ford's 1.0 EcoBoost wet belt recall covers the oil pump belt, not the timing belt. Which Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport are in it, and why the VIN decides.
- [Used Car With a Wet Belt Engine? Three Checks First](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/buying-used-car-wet-belt-engine): A used car with a wet belt engine is one to check properly, not cross off. The paperwork that matters, what the oil tells you, and when to walk away.
- [PureTech 1.2 Wet Belt: What Stellantis Covers](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/puretech-1-2-wet-belt): Stellantis extended cover on the PureTech 1.2 wet belt in Europe. What the terms say, which cars use the engine, and how to tell the belt from the chain.
- [Honda CR-V 2017-2022 Oil Dilution: The 1.5T Problem](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/honda-crv-2017-2022-oil-dilution): Honda CR-V oil dilution, counted from the complaint record. What it means for a used 1.5T today, which years to avoid, and how to check one before you buy.

## Owner guides

- [Catalytic Converter Theft: What Actually Stops It](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/catalytic-converter-theft-prevention): Catalytic converter theft: which cars get targeted, what actually buys you time, who pays when one is stolen, and what to do the morning after.
- [Do Catalytic Converter Cleaners Work? Two Cases of Six](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/do-catalytic-converter-cleaners-work): Do catalytic converter cleaners work? On a couple of faults, maybe. Which ones a bottle can reach, the free option that works better, and what to check.
- [What Is a Catalytic Converter? Three Metals and a Honeycomb](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/what-is-a-catalytic-converter): What is a catalytic converter, and why is it so expensive? The price is in what's painted onto the ceramic inside, not the steel around it.
- [How Long Does an Alternator Last? 80,000 to 150,000 Miles](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-long-does-an-alternator-last): How long does an alternator last? No carmaker publishes an interval. What every range you read is really based on, and what that means for your car.
- [Where Is the VIN Number on a Car? Two Places, Always](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/where-is-the-vin-number): Where is the VIN number on your car? It's in more than one place by law. Where to look, from outside the windshield to the driver's door.
- [Is a Transmission Flush Necessary? Needed, Upsell, or Risk](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/transmission-flush-necessary): Is a transmission flush necessary? Shops and owner's manuals give very different intervals. What your manual says, and when an old car changes the answer.
- [11 Services Shops Push That Your Car Doesn't Need](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/services-your-car-doesnt-need): Services your car doesn't need, and how to spot them on a quote. What your manual actually says for each, and the one sentence that ends the upsell.
- [How to Read a Repair Estimate Without Getting Overcharged](https://oilandmiles.com/articles/how-to-read-a-repair-estimate): How to read a repair estimate line by line: whether the labor hours were looked up or guessed, overlapping jobs, shop supplies, fees and parts markup.

## Tools, data and about

- [Timing Belt Interval Calculator: Is Yours Overdue?](https://oilandmiles.com/calculators/timing-belt-due): Work out whether your timing belt is due on mileage or on age, and which limit arrives first. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.
- [Oil Change Interval Calculator: Normal or Severe?](https://oilandmiles.com/calculators/oil-change-due): Your manual has two columns and most drivers pick the wrong one. Work out which applies to you, and whether the miles or the months run out first.
- [Fair Repair Price by State: Parts, Hours and Your State's Labor Rate](https://oilandmiles.com/calculators/fair-price): What a repair should cost in your state: our sourced parts range plus sourced labor hours at a labor rate scaled to what technicians earn there, from BLS. One job, 50 states and DC, no sign-up.
- [Car Dashboard Symbols and Meanings: All 51](https://oilandmiles.com/dashboard-symbols): Find your symbol, get a straight answer. Keep driving or stop now, what it costs to put right, and the name it goes under in the manual.
- [Car Complaints by Model: What Owners Actually Reported](https://oilandmiles.com/decoders/car-complaints): Look up any car by make, model and year: what its owners reported to federal regulators, ranked by component, and the recalls NHTSA lists for it. No sign-up.
- [VIN Decoder, Recalls and Owner Complaints: Free, No Sign-Up](https://oilandmiles.com/decoders/vin-decoder): Paste a VIN and see what the federal database says the car is, the recalls NHTSA lists for that model year, and what owners complained about. Nothing is stored.
- [The Most Complained-About Cars, 2010-2025: Q3 2026 Report](https://oilandmiles.com/reports/most-complained-cars): The 25 vehicles owners complained about most to NHTSA, model years 2010-2025, counted from the bulk file: 625,987 complaints, 4,087 vehicles, the part named most beside each. Q3 2026 edition, with the method and the table to download.
- [Car Repair Glossary: The Words a Workshop Uses](https://oilandmiles.com/glossary): Plain definitions of the technical terms used on this site, grouped by system, each one linked to the article that explains it in full.
- [What It Costs](https://oilandmiles.com/what-it-costs): Every price on this site on one page, 66 of them, each linking straight to the figure and the source it came from rather than to the top of an article.
- [About Oil & Miles: Who we are and how we work](https://oilandmiles.com/about): How Oil & Miles is put together: every cost and specification checked against a source document, and every article ending with what it couldn't verify.
- [Oil & Miles for AI assistants: facts and how to cite](https://oilandmiles.com/ai-instructions): What Oil & Miles is, how its prices and complaint counts are made, and how to summarize a page without changing what its figures mean.
- [Car Complaint Statistics: 60,408 Filings You Can Cite](https://oilandmiles.com/data): 60,408 owner complaints read from NHTSA's public database across 86 model-years, the method used, and every ratio we publish from it. Free to reuse with a link.
- [Who Writes This](https://oilandmiles.com/author): Oil & Miles is written and edited by Iqbal Taher, who runs an independent oil and parts business. What he is qualified to tell you, and what he isn't.
- [2015 Chrysler 200 Complaints: What Owners Actually Filed](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/chrysler/2015-chrysler-200): 2015 Chrysler 200 problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA: 1,983 complaints, the electrical system named most, the other model years that share it, and the open recalls to check before buying. Counts, not rates.
- [2010 Ford Fusion Complaints: What Owners Actually Filed](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/ford/2010-ford-fusion): 2010 Ford Fusion problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA: 5,126 complaints, the steering named most, the other model years that share it, and the open recalls to check before buying. Counts, not rates.
- [2018 Honda CR-V Problems and Recalls: What Owners Report](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/honda/2018-honda-crv): What 2018 Honda CR-V owners reported to NHTSA: the problems by system, when they start, the codes owners name, and the recalls to check before you buy.
- [Honda Complaints by Model Year, and Where They Peak](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/honda): Honda problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA, model years 2010 to 2025: which systems draw complaints, where each one peaks, and which models carry it. Counts, not rates, with the method on the page.
- [2014 Jeep Cherokee Complaints: What Owners Actually Filed](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/jeep/2014-jeep-cherokee): 2014 Jeep Cherokee problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA: 2,641 complaints, the power train named most, the other model years that share it, and the open recalls to check before buying. Counts, not rates.
- [2023 Tesla Model Y Complaints: What Owners Actually Filed](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/tesla/2023-tesla-model-y): 2023 Tesla Model Y problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA: 1,134 complaints, the forward collision avoidance,  adaptive cruise control named most, the other model years that share it, and the open recalls to check before buying. Counts, not rates.
- [2010 Toyota Prius Complaints: What Owners Actually Filed](https://oilandmiles.com/cars/toyota/2010-toyota-prius): 2010 Toyota Prius problems as owners actually filed them with NHTSA: 2,819 complaints, the service brakes, hydraulic named most, the other model years that share it, and the open recalls to check before buying. Counts, not rates.