Four Drivers Car dealers found themselves on the wrong side of three customers who contacted us over the last week or so. They, plus a fourth who skipped his dealer, have something to teach those of us in the auto industry. Number 1 Our first case involved a dying key fob. Fortunately, her car continued …
Category: Articles & Commentaries
Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/03/wait-you-were-locked-in-the-car/
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/03/a-tale-of-four-drivers-and-the-dealers-that-failed-them/
The Single Most Misunderstood Warning Indicator on Your Instrument Panel – Part II
Misunderstood Warning Indicator: Part II This suggests four possible scenarios. The first three assume the light is not flashing: 1) All the tires are low on air (check your spare in the trunk too, if you have one). This occurs seasonally as the weather cools, and possibly several times. Solution? Check the pressures and inflate …
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/01/the-single-most-misunderstood-warning-indicator-on-your-instrument-panel-part-ii/
Two Agencies Cite Evidence That Hands Free Is Not Distraction Free
Hands Free? Earlier this month, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a study stating that new vehicle hands free features may actually increase mental distraction. Now, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) finds that a 2013 truck, train collision at a highway railroad crossing in Maryland was caused in no small …
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/10/two-agencies-cite-evidence-that-hands-free-is-not-distraction-free/
Seven Things to Know About Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems
Know Your TPMS Its Fall (2014) and time once again for your car’s equivalent of Seasonal Affective Disorder, your Tire Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS. If equipped, one of the two TPMS warning indicators shown will soon attempt to get your attention (Drivers most commonly describe the lights as horseshoes with exclamation points or arrows in …
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/09/seven-things-to-know-about-tire-pressure-monitoring-systems/
Crash Revisited: NTSB Cites Pilot Mismanagement
It Was the Pilots The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has cited pilot mismanagement and confusion in the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco in 2013. The Agency also blamed the system’s complexity in the accident that cost the lives of three passengers. We’ve called attention to this before (here) and care about …
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/06/crash-revisited-ntsb-cites-pilot-mismanagement/
Automotive Culture Needs an Empathy Reboot
Automotive Culture DashboardSymbols.com was founded on the basis that the industry was leaving its driver’s behind at crucial points in the driving experience – namely when something goes wrong. Recent events reinforce this basis. First, General Motors and the ongoing saga surrounding very, very bad ignition switches. Evidence continues to point to GM treating the …
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/06/automotive-culture-needs-an-empathy-reboot/


Wait, you were locked IN the car?
Locked IN?? A few months ago, an item out of New Zealand relayed a story of an older couple who spent 13 hours locked inside their new keyless start Mazda, and nearly died. They had left the key fob outside the car and mistakenly thought that it was the only way to unlock the car. …
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