With the Internet at our fingertips, it’s easy to find information about any car question you have. The trouble is, it also leaves room for lots of fake facts. We’re going to explore 25 car myths that most people believe in this article. Hopefully, you haven’t fallen victim to many of them.
Car Manufacturing Myths
In the world of manufacturing, there are a lot of car myths regarding the process itself and the materials. Let’s examine some things you might believe about automakers and the construction of cars that might not be true.
1. Aluminum isn’t as Safe as Steel
According to Drive Aluminum, a vehicle with an aluminum body is actually safer to drive. That’s because it features better energy absorption, folds more predictably, and has larger crush zones. The bottom line is that the materials themselves don’t make a car safe; it’s how the vehicle is designed that matters.
2. Korean Cars Suck
What most people don’t understand is that Hyundai and Kia both employ top German engineers from companies like Audi and BMW. Still not sure? Go ahead and ask someone with a Genesis, Hyundai, or Kia how they like their cars.
3. American Cars are Made in America
A 2018 USA Today study ranked automakers based on which cars have the most American parts and support American jobs. What they found might surprise you. Honda/Acura has four vehicles in the top 10 list.
4. V6 Engines aren’t as Powerful as V8s
When Nissan released the new variable compression engines back in 2016, we often wondered if V8 engines would eventually become obsolete. Despite the overwhelming evidence that a V6 can be just as powerful, you’ll never convince a V8 enthusiast that they believe one of the most popular car myths.
Car Insurance Myths
Every driver in the country attempts to figure out what’s going to make the car insurance company happy. This is one of those areas where car myths abound.
5. Red Cars are More Expensive to Insure.
Esurance tells their customers that the color of a vehicle has nothing to do with the auto insurance premium. Some of the factors that actually matter when determining what you’ll pay for car insurance include:
- The make of your car
- Production year of the vehicle
- The car model
- What body style it is
- How old the vehicle is
- Your driving record
- How many miles you put on the car
- The number of drivers (and who they are) on your policy
6. SUVs are Safer Than Cars
Every modern vehicle comes equipped with some sort of safety features. These include airbags, alarms, anti-lock brakes, driver-assist technology, and more. The safety of your car, SUV or otherwise, depends on these factors and the impact ratings. You can’t believe the car myths that classify a whole group of body styles as safe because there are a lot of manufacturers that don’t put as much attention into making safe vehicles.
In fact, the SUV in itself poses a higher risk to other drivers and pedestrians because of its size. The best thing you could do is research the crash ratings of a vehicle you want to buy first. Then, you’ll know if it’s safe or not.
Car Buying Myths
A quick search online yields many results on how to shop your next vehicle. The trouble with that is you’ll end up with a whole bunch of car myths. Let’s see if we can shoot down a few of the most popular for you.
7. Paying Cash Gets You a Better Price
If you tell the dealer you’re paying cash, the price might end up higher for them to recoup what they feel they might have lost on the financing. If you’re dead set on paying cash for a vehicle, don’t mention it until the price is ironed out.
8. A Special Order Vehicle Costs More Money
Keep in mind that incentives on vehicles only occur on delivery. So if your incentives and rebates are ending, ordering might not work for you.
Car Maintenance Myths
When you search for information related to taking care of your car maintenance, you’ll likely find contradictory guidelines. Dispel those car myths with these facts.
9. Perform an Oil Change Every 3,000 Miles
According to Advance Auto Parts, the new guidelines are anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000-miles depending on what oil and filter you’re using. There are sometimes this isn’t applicable. For instance, if you only drive your car 10 miles each day, it’s going to take you a long time to get to that mileage mark. That’s why you’ll want to rely on time instead. For these cases, it’s best to change your oil twice a year.
10. Flush Your Coolant at Every Oil Change
Electric Car Myths
With the release of electric vehicles on our roads, the car myths continue to grow. Here are some of the most common car myths related to EVs and the truth you need to believe.
11. Electric Cars are Likely to Catch on Fire
According to CNN, the change of fire with electric vehicles seems to be less than the gasoline counterparts.
12. There aren’t Enough Places to Charge the Car
Hybrid Car Myths
Just like with the electric vehicles, any time new technology is created, there will be car myths associated with them. It simply comes down to people not understanding the innovation and is easily remedied by looking at facts. Here are some of the most common car myths related to hybrid vehicles.
13. Hybrids are Slow
With new technology, hybrid batteries are more efficient, lighter, and more powerful than they ever were before. This equals more speed for the consumer. Take one for a test drive and you might just be impressed.
14. When the Battery Dies, the Car Stalls
Car Wash Myths
Whether you wash your car weekly or monthly, it’s possible that you’ve believed some of the car myths related to the cleanliness of your vehicle.
15. Dirty Cars are More Fuel Efficient than Clean Cars
A dirty car might actually slow down your car and reduce the fuel economy by up to 10%.
16. You Can Wash Your Car With Dishwashing Detergent
Car Seat Myths
If you have kids, it’s likely that everyone has offered information about how to protect them. That’s where all the car myths relating to your car seat come in.
17. Comfort is the Most Important Factor
The best way to test this is to pinch the car seat straps one inch below the shoulder. Use your index finger and thumb. If there’s excess, you need to make it tighter. Car crashes are the number one reason children die. It would be better than a slightly uncomfortable child that lives than a comfortable child that dies in a car crash.
18. High-Priced Car Seats are the Best Ones to Buy
Car Care Myths
It’s natural to want the best for your vehicle, but avoid believing these car care myths.
19. Premium Fuel Causes Your Car to Run Better
20. You Need to Warm Up Your Engine Before Driving
The only time you should start your car before you’re ready to go is when you need to clear the windows of ice, or if you want heat for a cold day.
Car Battery Myths
If you’ve ever had a dead battery, it’s likely you’ve heard lots of car myths. Let’s take a look at some of the most common.
21. Never Place Your Car Battery on the Ground
Northeast Battery says that sitting your car battery on a concrete or cement floor actually shields it from extreme temperature changes which could cause damage to the cells.
22. Your Battery Recharges After a Jump Start
The radio, heated seats, and other car accessories you run continue to use the battery power, so there’s little time for the alternator to recharge it. Your best bet is to use the best car battery charger to get the job done.
Car Mileage Myths
Everyone is in a race to get the most gas mileage as possible. With that also comes plenty of car myths related to car mileage.
23. Manual Transmissions Offer Better Fuel Economy Numbers than Automatics
24. Running Your Air Conditioner is Better than Opening the Windows
25. Fill Up Your Gas Tank in the Morning to Get More for Your Money
Did You Believe These Car Myths?
It’s okay if you did; we all believe what we hear without doing a lot of checking for ourselves. Sometimes it comes from false information from a friend, but many times we’ve simply grown up believing these things.
That’s why it’s important you research everything you hear and ensure your sources are credible. Otherwise, you’ll continue spreading car myths to other gullible people.