But unlike large repair facilities he doesn’t have a staff to handle the more mundane tasks of running a garage. So many times a car is dropped off, an estimate is given, a deposit is collected for parts and the car is repaired. But the owner does not approach back in a timely manner to pick it up. Usually this has something to do with finances and paying for the repairs. Mike spends his time trying to call and collect but the car just sits in his repair bay taking up valuable space and becoming a liability.

Recently Mike took a vacation. Not from work but from accepting new work. He spent two weeks doing nothing but cleaning his property of vehicles. He finished all the repairs that had been put on hold, he took in no new business and spent time collecting for outmoded business. When he was finished there were 5 cars left on the property. These cars had all been there more than 60 days and one almost a year. They were repaired and ready to be picked up. His investment in labor and parts was over $5000. A significant sum of money to a itsy-bitsy one man operation.

While visiting Mike one day we talked about these cars and what should be done. So a tiny bit of research told us that these cars could be declared abandoned and he could take title and sell them at a public sale to recover his costs. Seemed like a lot of work, cost and legal minefields to win through but it was a task he was determined to accomplish. While most states have abandoned vehicle laws and procedures for disposing of them each state is different and what Mike was able to do only applies to Alabama abandoned vehicles.

The AL statute that applies to abandoned motor vehicles is The Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act, Code of Alabama 1975, Title 32, Chapter 13. The act is designed to protect both novel owners of vehicles and also those to who vehicles are entrusted. There are a number of steps involved in getting title to an abandoned vehicle and those steps must be followed in order to complete the transaction and ensure a clean title for the eventual owner of an abandoned vehicle.

The first step has to do with determining whether a car can be declared as abandoned. For a repair facility this means either 60 days after it is left for repair when no time is agreed upon or 60 days after repairs are complete. These days are significant and must be noted by the garage in order to make sure that the vehicle will be declared abandoned by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The second step is obtain a vehicle report from the state that shows the current owner and their address along with any lien holders on the title. Again very important to build sure that this report is obtained from the status and is accurate. Once this information is obtained the owner must be notified or attempts must be made to notify the owner and the lien holders of the vehicle’s location and the costs to recover the vehicle. You must also tell them that it will be for public sale and what date that sale will take place.

The garage owner must also space an announcement in the local paper or in the courthouse that gives notice of this sale. The notice must be posted twice at least 7 days apart and 30 days prior to the sale. Again the time and dates are very specific and must be followed to ensure a proper transference of title to any new owner. One the sale is complete there are several other state forms that must be completed prior to transferring title. These forms are not difficult but do require some time to make sure that they are done right.

So far Mike has gotten $3600 for his troubles and he still has 3 cars to go. He will recover his expenses and actually not accumulate burned when all is said and done. However, this lesson has taught him one of the great lessons of any business. Maintain gracious records, make apt decisions and follow up on all your current business.

1. Going out to accept the newspaper makes you get up, get dressed, brush your hair or put on a hat and go outside to, as my folks used to say, “get the stink blown off”! Oh sure, sitting down at the computer might be easier, but it does not prepare you for the rest of the day clothing or stink blown off wise.

2. You get your daily influx of news, both local and national, sports and weather. Come on, admit it, it’s easier flipping the pages of a newspaper instead of jumping from site to site on the Internet. And, in lots of instances, local newsworthy events are more up to date and easier to find in the paper as opposed to searching the net.

3. Checking out local events in your area is a breeze using the newspaper. All you do is turn to the “Local” section of the paper and voila, there are all the notices about Red Cross blood collection sites and hours, special events happening at the mall, big price slashing sales at the grocery store, what community centers are offering meals for senior citizens that day, the list goes on and on.

4. While this offers the biggest distraction to reading their product, most newspaper editors graciously offer up daily television programming information. Perhaps sometime in the future, there will be a television reality display based on a group of people reading the newspaper!

5. Have you ever tried to line the bottom of a birdcage with a lap top computer instead of a few sheets of newspaper?

6. The “Classified” listings of the newspaper brings you a plethora of information, categorized under specific headings, relative to what people want to sell, what they want to purchase, what jobs are available, real estate, rental properties, vacation opportunities, lost and found, automotive sales by dealers and individuals, pets for sale; if it’s something you are looking for, there is probably a classification for it in the want ads.

7. You can use sheets of newspaper to wrap fragile china and glassware for storage. I guess you could also use your computer for that, if you have the time and it’s worth the effort to print out sheet after sheet on your printer labeled “glass”, “plate”, “bowl”, etc, etc, etc..

8. It’s easier to roll up a section of newspaper to shoo away flies or other bugs rather than trying to swing a lap top or PC at them.

9. The Sunday paper usually contains a comics section with brightly colored cartoon selections. Believe how entertaining it would be to recycle that brilliant section of the paper as gift wrap!

10. Those portions of the comics section that you don’t use as gift wrap, can be creased and folded and with extreme artistic deftness on your part, be turned into party hats for whatever celebration you are giving the gifts at.

11. If you have a pet dog or cat, a couple sheets of newspaper on the floor can manufacture hours of entertainment for them, trying to burrow under it to see what lies hidden beneath. If you have a cat as easily entertained as mine, a balled up section of paper becomes a toy that he can bat all over the house and chase until he wears himself out. This particular form of pet toy is a whole lot cheaper and less noisy than those infernal plastic balls that have little limited bells inside that will invariably wake you up at 2:30 in the morning when the cat decides it’s time to play.

12. As day turns to night, and the temperature starts to plunge, remember that news print has superior insulating qualities versus your computer. When you’re snuggled in your recliner, preparing to watch the television program that you read about in reason number 4 and your feet or hands start getting a little chilly, unbiased place a section or two of your daily paper over them. Almost immediately, you will start to feel the comforting warmth of your own body heat, trapped under that simple insulating layer of paper.

13. You would not use a lap top to house break a puppy would you? If you did, I’m distinct the warranty that came with the computer would be voided. Newspapers don’t care what ends up all over them after they have lived out their usefulness as a source of information.

14. Continuing in the vein of using newspapers in conjunction with animals, if you enjoy putting bird feeders in your yard to attract swarms of feathered friends throughout the year, you know that some of those tube style feeders don’t offer the largest of targets into which you pour the bird seed to fill the tube. Instead of relying on a steady hand and a good contemplate, why not take a couple sheets of newspaper, roll them into a makeshift funnel, and then pour away. No more wasted bird seed all over the ground to attract unwanted pests. This however will not keep your annoying cousin Charlotte from complaining about the bird poop that gets on her car whenever she comes to visit you.

15. Have you ever tried to start a fire using a computer as kindling? While not recommended to begin fireplace fires, newspapers are handy to have when trying to ignite bonfires or campfires. You don’t want to be making “s’mores” over a fully involved computer fire!

16. Newspapers are far superior to computers when it comes time to relax in a hammock on a sunny day or make your way from under cover to your car on a rainy day. You regain done mowing the lawn and choose to rest up for a bit in your hammock. The sun is beaming down so fiercely that even when you close your eyes, you still get that impression of glowing red through your eyelids. Solution at hand – objective drape a section of newspaper across your face. Hey, that brings to mind the fact that newspapers can protect you from melanoma worthy better than a computer can! On a rainy day, when you walk out of your workplace or shopping center, and you need to make that hundred yard dash to your car, would you rather have a newspaper or a six hundred dollar lap top to hold over your head protecting you from the rain? If you knew it was going to rain and you’re a proactive type person, I guess you would have an umbrella at your disposal for this instance thereby negating the need of the newspaper. But you should have bought the paper anyway because of all the other reasons I’m giving you.

17. You can use an inexpensive daily newspaper to attain the same protection that you would regain from a much higher priced drop cloth if you decide you need to spray paint something that is not stationary. Just spread that handy paper out, place whatever you are painting atop the protective paper shield, shake the living daylights out of that can of spray paint, and then Michaelangelo away to your heart’s content. When you’re done, the item you wanted to paint is painted and the surface below where you were painting is not painted. This of course becomes a moot point if you want the item being painted and the site around it to all end up the same color. If that’s the case, don’t bother reading this suggestion.

18. Let’s say you have just had modern carpet installed in your home or you just spent a lot of effort cleaning the carpet you already had. Company is coming over and wouldn’t you know it, here comes the rain as well. You never thought to purchase a shoe or boot tray on your last shopping hotfoot and you don’t want your current (or freshly cleaned) carpet to be subjected to the wet shoe soles that you know are arriving with your guests. Ta Da, just break out a couple sections of your handy, dandy daily newspaper and spread them neatly on the floor near the door. Then when your guests arrive, you can politely explain to them your carpet situation and request that they remove their wet shoes and leave them on the papers by the door. This not only saves your carpet from becoming soiled prematurely, it also affords you the opportunity to see which of your guests has the audacity of leaving home with holes in their socks! Further research will probably reveal that those folks were never chided by their mother about leaving the house with dirty underwear. You know, “what if you get hit by a car and need to be taken to the hospital and when they take your clothes off they see you’re wearing dirty underwear. What are they going to think about your mother if that happens”?

19. Energy conservation is on everyone’s mind these days. It is a lot cheaper to operate a daily newspaper for a couple of hours (especially if it is recycled newspaper) rather that firing up the old computer. I don’t care how energy star compliant computers are, I just know that it costs more to use electricity than to read a paper.

20. My final offering is for those who have kids who have ever had to produce a school project. Oh the computer can be a huge help with homework and projects but they will never,ever be able to take the place of the good old fashioned daily newspaper when it comes time to produce one of those elementary school assignments – creating a mask or a solar system or a building – out of paper mache!

Well there they are, twenty good reasons that you need a daily newspaper in your life. And, as if on cue, there goes my doorbell. I think I’ll carry out a number 18 followed by number 3 and if that fails to cause us all to leave the house, I’ll check out number 4 in case we run out of things to talk about – that we discovered this morning in number 2.

Vehicle insurance ratings are independent evaluations of an insurer’s customer service, financial solvency, billing policies and customer satisfaction. Several different organizations offer some version of these ratings, and evaluating them can lead to a much smarter purchase than you would have made without them.

J.D. Power & Associates

The most well-liked (and often most trusted) source of vehicle insurance ratings is J.D. Power & Associates. They provide consumers with fair data related to most insurance companies, and establish ratings in five categories: overall satisfaction, contacting the insurer, policy offerings, billing and payment, and pricing.

You can use the vehicle insurance ratings provided by J.D. Power & Associates to make an informed decision about your insurance lift. You can decide which of the categories you value most, and you can balance the ratings against recommendations from friends, family and independent reviews.

A.M. Best

The vehicle insurance ratings provided by A.M. Best are different from those offered by J.D. Power & Associates. Rather than rating customer service and pricing, they focus on the financial solvency of an auto insurance company.

At A.M. Best, you can determine whether a car insurance provider is financially sound enough to trust with you and your vehicle. They rate companies from A++ to D, and most consumer advocates recommend choosing an insurer with a rating of B+ or better.

Using Vehicle Insurance Ratings

Finding vehicle insurance ratings is not difficult, but deciding how to use them might be. Looking at letter grades or one-to-five ratings will only give you a snapshot of how a car insurer performs, which isn’t usually sufficient for educated and savvy consumers.

The best design to utilize vehicle insurance ratings is to compare them with other options on the market. Luminous that one company received three out of five stars might seem like an excellent score, but if you know that five other companies received four out of five stars, you might rethink your decision.

Additionally, consult buyer’s guides and consumer reviews to help you choose a car insurance agency. When considered along with vehicle insurance ratings, these resources can provide you with lots of information about how car insurance companies work, and whether they value their customers.

Realize as well that vehicle insurance ratings change from year to year. A company with a long track record of high marks is sometimes a better bet than a company that has come out of low rankings for a single year.

Sources:

A.M. Best

J.D. Power & Associates

When I started driving the rules were simple. If you were in a wreck, whoever got the trace at the scene of the accident or was deemed to be at fault by the police officer would be forced to have their insurance pay. Therefore you controlled your insurance destiny to a large degree. If you drove carefully, didn’t speed and didn’t drink then you would develop a good driving record and your rates would go down. Also if you did well in school you may even have gotten a “good student” discount.

As with so many things it seems in our country, we decided to stop rewarding individual responsibility by making the person not at fault impartial as guilty as the person at fault. These were called “no- fault” laws. If you got in an accident then you and the other parties’ insurance would split the costs or in some cases battle it out.

What was the purpose of this change?

Of course “no-fault” everything had near into fashion such as no-fault divorce. It was fair a way to expedite cases through the court systems.

In the situation of auto insurance, instead of having to rely as much on individual driving records, companies could obnoxious their rates on the type of car, age and position as much as a driving recount. However, it also gave them an opportunity to eschew benefits for genuine driving records.

That is not to say that companies still don’t weigh in on good driving benefits. However, I think if you study the promotions you find companies try to collect you to sign up with initial discounts as opposed to definite driving history.

Another thing that has changed is the rules for drinking and driving. Many times a driver who is a first-time offender basically gets a “slap on the wrist.” It isn’t until they flaunt the rules more than once or get into an accident that they pay a major price and then they may lose their driving privileges for a period of time.

So today in the 21st Century, what should be the young drivers’ approach to their “driving career? “

You should know that if you are in an accident impartial being “in the proper” may not do you any good at all. That makes it doubly, no “triply” important that you drive defensively. Areas that you have control over, obey the law such as drinking and driving and speeding. If you are a very young person be careful how many pals you transport at once. We all tend to lose are heads in front of an audience.

Keep this in mind: Just as you have little in the way of individual achievement to keep you out of “general grouping,” if you get in a bad group it will take longer to get out of it.

Car Rental Insurance; Is it provided by your auto insurance policy?

Before signing an agreement to catch rental car insurance, check with your private automobile insurance for coverage options. Some private insurance policies already cover car rentals, and will provide a coverage amount as well as specifications. Look over insurance policy for in-state or out of spot coverage. If your trip is out of state, or to a foreign country, your private auto insurance may or may not cover rental cars. In addition to initial coverage, check your policy for expenses that will be covered such as medical bills or vehicle repairs.

Car Rental Insurance; Will business hide expenses?

If you are planning a business promenade, you should check with the employer for any corporate coverage already provided. There is no need to purchase additional car rental insurance if your company has a policy in place. In case the employer does not have coverage, check for business trip reimbursement policies so that the rental car insurance amount can be reimbursed to you. Keep track of all receipts and documents provided by the car rental company, as they will be required for reimbursement to be issued.

Car Rental Insurance; Is it money well spent?

Most travelers will breathe a sigh of relief when a trip is over and there has been no damage to the rental car. They will feel as if money spent on rental car insurance was a slay, as nothing unpleasant happened. However, accidents can occur, even if it is not the rental car driver’s fault. Even minor damage to the rental car will require you to owe an explanation to the rental car agency.

Rental companies will charge for the physical damage to the vehicle, repairs, labor hours and materials. In addition to these claims, some companies charge for diminished sale value of the rental car. Vehicles that have been in previous accidents or have had repairs would have diminished resale value. The rental agencies may also charge for loss of rental income, as the vehicle was unavailable to rent to other travelers.

Car Rental Insurance; Are you willing to take the risk?

Rental car insurance comes down to a decision; yes or no. The driver choosing to rent a vehicle is also taking all the responsibility, including any monetary claims. If you are willing to purchase the risk, and hope for the best, then rental car insurance is not a peril. However, if you would prefer to be rather generous than sorry, rental car insurance should be an important part of your trip planning.

If you need one, your driving record is more than dented. You have had your license suspended or revoked until you can prove insurability to the state. The cost of the high risk insurance that coincides with an SR22 filing is always huge. But, if you have found yourself in this situation, all is not lost. There are some ways to keep money even on a high risk auto insurance policy.

Shop hard for the best deals on insurance.

This is the time to be objective with friends and acquaintances about your status. Ask everyone you see what they know about where the cheapest high risk auto insurance can be found. Almost everyone knows of someone who has needed to purchase high risk insurance at some point. While not all high risk insurance comes attached to a court-mandated SR22 filing, all high risk insurance is expensive.

Multiple accident claims that may not have all been related to your driving habits can cause your insurer to abolish your policy. Suddenly, you find yourself searching for high risk insurance. So, many people end up facing this type of policy along the way. Take advantage of this truth to help you find the best deals in your situation. Word of mouth trumps glitzy ads every time when you are dealing with this type of insurance. Check with a dozen companies if indispensable to find the lowest rate available.

Do not descend in love your car insurance company, agent, or broker.

Believe it or not, most insurance companies will not roll your rates back just because you have been a top-notch driver for a while. They like getting large premiums without having to pay out claims. To secure lower rates, you may have to switch insurers frequently. Some insurance companies will quote you lower rates to gain your business. If you have logged a year or more of safe driving, more than likely there is a company out there who will give you some type of discount even with the SR22 filing.

Use a broker rather than an agent to get your car insurance.

This is probably your only option because many companies with captive agents do not write high risk insurance in their advertised brand. However, if it is an option, a broker can almost always derive you a better tag for high risk car insurance. The broker has the ability to shop multiple companies and is already familiar with which ones offer the better prices in various situations.

Try to regain added to someone else’s insurance as a part-time driver.

This is a last resort effort for most people. The cost will still be high, but if you are not considered to be a full-time driver, it can cleave the stamp. You would have to reimburse the policy owner for the additional cost. If you can find a company that will accept this, you may find a big discount. However, the policy owner does run the risk of being considered high risk and having the entire policy rated upward. In this case, it would not be a great plan to do this.

Limiting your driving and learning to correct the issues that make you high risk will help.

If you will agree to only drive to work and back, the company may be able to reduce your rates. If drunk driving is your dilemma, you may have to install a device to analyze your breath before the car will start. Driving school may be in your future if you are serious about getting better insurance quotes. None of these are guarantees, but some companies give them a reasonable amount of consideration. It is worth the time to ask about what type of things would support reduce the cost of your insurance.

Buy only the minimum amount of insurance necessary.

If you do not have to choose collision for your car because of a loan, do not buy it. Staying with the minimum amount of liability insurance required by law was reduce your cost of insurance as much as is possible.

Many small business owners believe that that having computer firewalls and virus protection software will protect their computer data and hardware. This is not always the case. The use of security software can protect many companies against cyber attacks, but they do not guarantee 100 percent security.

Smaller companies that do not have dedicated information technology staff tend to underestimate the most accepted forms of Internet attack, which are through e-mails and rogue Web sites designed to infect computers and harm hardware and data. Consistent and regular online backups is just good business.

Computer virus costs

Viruses are now capable of attacking the entire computer network just through one person opening an infected e-mail or opening the wrong Web site. Each day millions of computers are infected by new viruses that firewalls and anti-viral programs cannot detect.

When systems are shut down because of undetected viral attacks, money is lost and productivity comes to a standstill. The costs to microscopic businesses that do not do online backups and ignore the convenience that online backup services offer is immeasurable, as some attacks target the computer hardware as well as data.

If the cyber attack causes a complete system failure, then data is destroyed and important records can never be recovered. With an online backup service, companies can recover all the data that has been backed up. Instead of having catastrophic disaster, the company may only lose a few hours of work.

Online backups

Online backups are an easy way to insure that the hard work and hours put into the company are not wiped out by a catastrophic event, such as a virus attack. Online backup services use an installed software product, which collects, compresses and encrypts a company’s computer data. The software then sets up its own file transfer and makes contact with the online backup service’s server. The business’s files are then transferred through the Internet to the online backup service. Once a business installs the online backup software onto its desktop or server, the process becomes automatic.

For smaller businesses, the loss of productivity, data and possibly hardware can be exceptionally costly, especially since smaller businesses maintain slimmer profit margins than larger corporations. The cost of replacing customer information, sales data and other information that is vital for business survival can mean the difference between a profitable year and a business failure.

References:

Internet Attacks Are Growing More Potent and Complex – NYTimes.com

Developing world, developing problems

Consumer Online Backup Services Reviews, Best Internet Backup Service

Article, Stay Intellectual Online: Step 8: Back-up your online data

White Paper: Guide to Online Backup

Kabooza Global Backup Survey: Global Backup Survey 2009-02-15

Backups for Business: Online Backup Services – Business Center

PC Magazine: How to Prevent a Data Disaster

Article: Are you ready? Three years after 9/11, CEOs have made scant have made scant progress in keeping their companies safe., Gale Group 2004

The Disaster Recovery Planning Guide: A-Z Business Continuity Plans

1. Find out if you're eligible for group insurance rates. If you're a member of your local Rotary Club or civic group, you may be eligible for a group insurance rate. Some employers also extend auto insurance benefits to their employees, so contemplate asking your Human Resources department if you are eligible to receive a group discount under your employer's account. Group auto insurance rates are typically lower than the average, and can help you save money on car insurance in the long accelerate.

2. Drive your car less frequently. Many insurance providers factor in the usage and distance you drive your vehicle when calculating your insurance rate. If you can show them that you are driving your car less than usual, because you are carpooling, using public transportation or walking more, you may be able to lower your insurance premium. In this situation, the insurance company can re-evaluate your account and ask you to submit the total distance (in miles) you expect to drive over the course of the year.

3. Update your account information regularly. Many people who have been with a single auto insurance provider for an extended period of time forget or don't bother to update important personal narrative information, such as their marital status, number of vehicles that they are using, or if someone on the policy has retired. All of these factors do have an impact on your insurance premium, and any major lifestyle changes may result in a lower rate. Keep your account up to date so that you are getting the most out of your insurance policy.

4. Check your credit score. Your auto insurance company will review your credit score and credit history prior to renewal, and some will expend your creditworthiness as an important factor when determining your rate. Make sure your credit report is accurate so that you are not being penalized with a higher rate than you deserve.

5. Install anti-theft devices and security systems. Insurance companies typically offer lower rates to drivers who have vehicles with advanced anti-theft systems, GPS systems, car alarms and other anti-theft devices because the vehicle is less likely to be broken into or stolen. Consider investing in this type of equipment to maintain your car insurance premiums extreme.

Sources:
http://www.ezquoteguide.com/car/
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/116958/article.html
http://www.themoneyalert.com/carinsurance.html

Step 1: Search for Insurance FirmsThe Web has turn into 1 of the greatest tools for shopping and making comparisons between products and services Go to your web browser and open it up to Google Once there you can sort in auto engine repair insurance You will be presented with many distinct possibilities to select from.Step Two: Contact Insurance RepWhen you are purchasing auto engine repair insurance you must talk with 1 of the representatives Several times this is a requirement after an initial quote is made If there is not a phone number, there are on the web chat windows where you can effortlessly request to talk with an insurance rep Step 3: Fill Out FormsAfter you have talked with the representative you will be able to fill out the on line forms This details is standard info such as name, address, vehicle model, and age Anytime that you are filling out this data you ought to be as particular as feasible Step Four: Answer QuestionsOnce you have finished with the on the internet application you may perhaps be needed to answer extra questions A representative could possibly call you back to clarify some of the information and facts you gave to be able to supply you the ideal insurance policy for your dollars Step Five: Make PaymentAlthough talking with the insurance representative you have the choice of being able to begin the policy instantly This will need that you make a down payment, or the very first month’s payment in order for the policy to begin This can be performed by a credit card, or by way of a check payment over the phone Step Six: Renew InsuranceThe premium you are paying for the auto engine repair insurance goes towards protecting your self against big bills Most of the auto engine repair insurance policies are six months in duration This means that you will want to renew after six months .

Two things struck me about Toyoda’s statement on his vehicles’ longevity. First, how very difficult it must be to verify that all those Toyota Carinas and Previas built around 1990 are still on the road. What is the mechanism to tally all the junk that goes to the shredder? The last time an automotive recycler pulled one from our lot to the great beyond the manufacturer name or miles driven seemed to be last things on his mind. He seemed more acutely interested in whether it rolled and whether any sparks were flying when it did. But then again maybe the statistic can be arrived at by just comparing last year’s national fleet registration by make and comparing it to this year’s figure.

The other thing that struck me actually got my head nodding in agreement. And that’s how many more miles owners are driving their cars. I tried in vain to come up with any kindly statistic that indicated the average life (in miles) of a vehicle in the U.S. The chat rooms and forums abound with personal accounts running up into the two millions of miles. The closest instance of a verifiable seven digit odometer reading was recorded in 2006 in an Associated Press article about Peter Gilbert’s 1989 Saab 900 SPG. The Wisconsin salesman drove the vehicle for 17 years and retired it to a museum after Saab verified the mileage according to the AP article.

Everyone realizes that Mr. Gilbert’s experience is an aberration, but it does point out what auto maintenance done right can achieve. I can personally offer more unverifiable anecdotal reporting of the longer life of our national speedy. Years ago (like the 20 years Mr. Toyoda references) a car in for repairs that had 125,000 miles on it was a rarity. Now a vehicle with over 100,000 seems to be mature and it is not at all unusual to see cars approaching or exceeding 200,000.

So what does this higher vehicle mileage mean for the average car owner? First, you have to give some credit to the car makers – their cars are better made. Once the vehicle gets over the shake- out period when all the flaws show up, necessitating recall, they are better. Equal credit goes to the consumer groups that have put enough pressure on the manufacturers to get them do their jobs better.

On the other hand, shouldn’t car companies’ manufacturing standards be raised as a longer vehicle life is anticipated? Remember you don’t have to driving the high mileage car to be involved in an accident caused by a rarely seen age related failure.

But car owners must expect higher upkeep costs as miles mount and acknowledge the need to perform due diligent inspections of the high mileage cars they intend to purchase. But most importantly they have to realize that at some point in a vehicle’s life there comes a point of diminishing returns. That’s the beauty of the narrative of Mr. Gilbert’s Saab. Regardless of his attachment to the vehicle, he took it off the road when he realized that the car’s rusted frame had compromised its safety.

The Associated Press, Car does 1 million miles, retires to museum, msnbc.msn.com
Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s plan to repair its public image, washingtonpost.com