Why It's Important to Pay Attention to Recalls

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CARS.COM — You hear about recalls for cars and wonder, am I at risk? We'll tell you why you need to pay attention, and why you'll need to keep paying attention, to keep you and your family safe.

Automakers issue safety recalls when something in a car goes wrong. It could be a minor thing, such as a label with the wrong information, or it could be something very dangerous, such as a faulty airbag. Either way, you should always pay attention to recall notices. The most famous recall today, affecting millions of Takata airbags, concerns a flaw that federal regulators say contributed to at least 10 deaths in the U.S.
If your car has been recalled, you should get a brightly colored recall notice in the mail.
Don't throw it away. It isn't junk mail.
Open it and follow the instructions. Your best bet? Call your local dealer and schedule an appointment to get the recall work done. The dealer will do it for free.
Sometimes, though, a fix hasn't been determined or the repair parts are still on order.
In that case, the notice may tell you what you can do to mitigate the risk until your car is fixed. Follow those directions, and if you don't feel comfortable driving until the repair is done, see your dealer about getting a loaner car. Several automakers are providing loaner cars for vehicles affected in the airbag recalls.
Two more tips.
First, make sure your car is registered at your home address. If it isn't, you won't get these notices.
Second, get in the habit of entering your vehicle identification number into the government's online recall database at least twice a year to see if it has any unfixed recalls. If your car has one, call your dealer and get it fixed right away.

Read more at https://www.cars.com/articles/video-why-its-important-to-pay-attention-to-recalls-1420690467325/#05vphMqcqK1lL0Co.99

Why Are My Brakes Squealing?

By Rick Popely 

https://www.cars.com/articles/why-are-my-brakes-squealing-1420684417093/

If you're lucky, the squealing (or squeaking) noise that your brakes make when you first drive your car in the morning, particularly after rain or snow, is just surface rust being scraped off the rotors by the pads the first few times you apply the brake pedal, or the result of moisture and dirt that collects on the rotors, including from condensation caused by high humidity. If it goes away after a few brake applications, no worries.
If the noise persists most times or every time you apply the brakes or stays on continuously while you're driving, the cause is more serious — and the fix will be more expensive.
A continuous high-pitched squeal while you're driving is usually the sound of a built-in wear indicator telling you that it's time for new pads. As the pads wear down and get thinner, a small metal tab contacts the rotor like a needle on a vinyl record to warn you it's time for new pads. (Some wear indicators may work differently and engage only when you apply the brakes.)
Other squeals and squeaks will require a brake inspection to diagnose, and may require cleaning, lubrication or adjustment, and possibly new parts. Most brake noise is caused by worn or loose parts.
For example, an unevenly worn rotor (often referred to as "warped") won't let the brake pads press flat against the rotor when you apply the brakes, and that can create vibrations that generate noise. Likewise, an unevenly worn pad won't press tightly against the rotor and may chirp. Another possibility is that the pads are loosely mounted, or the shims that hold them in place have corroded or become loose.
And then there are the pads themselves. Some mechanics warn that bargain-bin pads are more likely to be noisier than higher-quality, more-expensive pads. In addition, loose or sticking calipers can contribute noise.
Because there are several possibilities, and because brakes are a crucial safety feature, it is best to have a pro diagnose noise.
A grinding sound usually means that the pads have worn away, and now the backing plates on which they were mounted are being squeezed against the rotor. This metal-to-metal contact means that you will need to replace the rotor as well — and that you probably ignored some earlier warning signs of brake wear.