Owner Tips
Owner Tips: All Articles

What to Know About Wildfires and Car Insurance
With wildfires on the rise, here’s how to make sure your car is protected.

Own the Road with AutoTrader, Episode 29: Unwritten and Forgotten Rules of the Road
Dan and Jodi take the terrible driving they’ve witnessed recently and turn it into a refresher course on forgotten and unwritten rules of the road.

You’re Probably Making Some Tire Pressure Mistakes
5 reasons why it’s important to check your tire pressure often, especially in the spring.

What is Vehicle Depreciation and How Do I Calculate It?
Understanding how your car depreciates is key to knowing how much it’s worth.

Own the Road with AutoTrader, Episode 24: Why Are We So Grumpy About EV Charging?
If you don’t have a place to charge at home and are considering an EV, don’t miss this episode.

Winter Tire Experts React to Misinformed Comments Section
Here are some of the funniest / scariest / misinformed comments about winter tires we’ve ever seen.

Stop Faster and Avoid Crashes This Winter with One Easy Trick
Winter tires can be the difference between getting into a crash or staying safe.

Truck Driver Has Lightbulb Moment After Trying Winter Tires for the First Time
Winter tire expert and winter tire virgin compare notes on the Toyo GSi-6 LS

Lesson Learned: Reddit Posts Show Why Spark Plug Changes Are Best Left to the Pros
A shoddy spark plug job can end up costing you thousands in repairs.

Real Talk About Electric Vehicle Maintenance
It’s a misconception that EVs don’t require any maintenance. Here are the facts.

7 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Vehicle Expenses
With inflation knocking us all out, here are seven easy ways to cut your vehicle expenses because every little bit helps.

Where and How Should You Store Your Winter Tires?
Definitely don’t throw them into the backyard and call it a day.

Winter Tire Talk: Here Are All the Terms You Need to Know
We demystify the most common winter tire terms you’re likely to come across when shopping around.

How to Deal with a Damaged Windshield
Basically, you need to fix it before it gets worse.

Lesson Learned: 2 Mistakes That Turn Your Car into a Ticking Time Bomb
It all starts with understanding how to read and measure tire pressure.

We Answer Your 7 Most Popular Questions About Winter Tires
The short answer is: Yes, you absolutely should have winter tires.

Lesson Learned: How to Protect Your Catalytic Converter from Theft
Some clever and sometimes weird ways to protect this commonly stolen part.

Experts Answer Your Most Common Questions About Getting a Flat Tire
Better read this stuff now before a flat tire catches you by surprise.

Lesson Learned: Using These Little Hooks Could Save You Thousands
These photos of a messy gravy spill will make you cringe – and it could have been easily avoided.

Lesson Learned: Here’s Why You Need to Be Extra Careful with Your Car’s Electrical Components
Messing it up can result in not-so-fun scenarios that can involve fires, melting, and repair bills totalling into the thousands.

Answering Your Most Common Questions About Saving Fuel
If high gas prices have you looking for easy ways to save on fuel, read this!

Top 6 Contributing Factors in Fatal Car Collisions
Over the past 100 years, car safety has improved exponentially and continuously. Despite these advancements, the only things more fatal than fatal automotive collisions are heart disease and cancer. In ascending order, here are the leading contributing factors in deadly car collisions and how you ca

Should You Get Your Alignment Checked? Yes, and Here’s Why
Tire misalignment is surprisingly common, and it can result in premature tire wear, increased fuel consumption, and reduced handling capability. It also tends to come on gradually, so you may not notice there’s an issue until you need to replace a set of tires earlier than expected.

Is It Normal for My Car to…?
Answering the internet’s top questions asked by you

Lesson Learned: Here’s What Happens When Lightning Strikes Your Car
Downloading from a different kind of cloud.

How I’m Dealing With EV Driving in Atlantic Canada
It’s not perfect, but perfectly doable

The Pros and Cons of Higher Speed Limits
Ontario is raising the speed limit for parts of its highways – what effects might it have?

7 Things I Learned as an EV Newbie
What to expect with EV ownership

Lesson Learned: Here’s Why You Should Leave Suspension Work to the Pros
Having someone unqualified do the job can result in a dangerous situation

Pothole Problems: What Happens If a Pothole Damages Your Car?
Winter wreaks havoc on Canadian roads

What’s With These High Gas Prices and What Can I Do?
Our best tips to minimize fuel costs

Lesson Learned: A Bad Assumption About Run-Flat Tires Totals a BMW
This isn’t how run-flat tires work

Lesson Learned: Here’s What NOT to Do When Your Car Gets Stuck
Flooring the gas pedal to get out of a jam can be a costly mistake.

Lesson Learned: Corrosion Protection Adds Years to the Life of Your Vehicle
Corrosion can steal years from your vehicle’s life and thousands of dollars from its resale value.

Top Tips on Preventing Auto Theft
Car theft is on the rise. Here’s what you can do to protect your vehicle.

Winter Washup! Where to Wash Your Car During Winter?
Options are numerous and compelling in keeping your ride’s body and underneathy bits clean this winter.

Lesson Learned: How to Avoid Losing a Wheel
Wheel Bearing of Fortune

How to Get the Most Out of Your Electric Vehicle in the Winter
Cold is the range-killer

Here’s The Stuff You Should Always Keep in Your Car
Not all are as obvious as you’d think

Lesson Learned: How to Prevent Wildlife from Making Your Car Their Winter Home
Our best lessons from years of covering creatures in cars

Tucking in Your Summer Car for the Long Winter Ahead
What to do when storing your fair-weather ride for the cold-weather season

Lesson Learned: The Wrong Way to Turn Off Your TPMS Light
Whoops, your tire’s a ticking time-bomb

10 Easy Tips to Make Your Vehicle Last Longer
Avoid headaches and keep your vehicle going

Everything You Need to Know About Charging an EV at Home
Charging options and installation considerations for new EV owners

Lesson Learned: Can Your Sunroof Survive a Summertime Downpour?
A moment’s maintenance can prevent sunroof disasters during summer storms

What Should You Do With Your Old Car Tires?
Don’t simply kick your old rubber to the curb.

Lesson Learned: Dramatic Video Shows Why an Overheating Engine Should Never Be Ignored
Learning your temperature gauge the hard way

Lesson Learned: Don’t Forget About Your Car's Humble Rubber Belt
Routine maintenance doesn't begin and end with an oil change

Lesson Learned: Frightening Video Shows Why You Should Never Delay Your Oil Changes
Resetting your oil life monitor doesn’t reset the oil

Best Practices for Preparing Your Car for Spring
When to swap your tires, how to spring clean your car, and more