How Do You Know If Your Car Is Defective? 5 Warning Signs.

Last Updated on April 4, 2024

Have you ever been driving and all of a sudden your car just died? You pull over to the side of the road, call a tow truck, and spend the next few hours getting your car towed and repaired. You ask yourself, how did this happen? Was it something I did? Or is my car defective? If you’ve ever been in this situation before, then you’re not alone. But, how do you know if your car is defective?

5 Warning Signs Your Car May Be Defective

In some cases, the defects in your car may not be obvious until after it has been driven for a while. There are a few telltale signs that might indicate your car has an underlying defect that needs attention. As an example, if any warning lights are illuminated on the dash, car is shaking or shimmying, or odd smells from your AC and heater. Some defects are not as easily noticed however.

In fact, according to a study by CARFAX, 1 in 5 cars have some sort of defect that’s unknown to the driver. So how do you know if your car is defective? Here are five warning signs to be aware of.

Excessive Noise

The first and most obvious sign of a car defective is on start-up the car emits excessive noise. This noise could be either from the drive train or surrounding components such as a heat pump. Hybrids and Electric cars require components to heat the batteries to keep a better charge and maximize the car’s driving range. A problem here could impact the effectiveness of the battery to maintain a charge.

Faulty Software

There’s a reason why cars have such sophisticated technology in them and it isn’t just because we wanted fancy Infotainment features. Software in a modern automobile is a important component that is responsible in monitoring critical functions of a car. Defects here can cause some pretty major issues with your vehicle–like unintended acceleration, brake failures, EV charging problems, air bag failure, and even accidents due to glitches in autonomous driving systems.

Software defects tend to show up early in a vehicle’s life fortunately. If you start to notice erratic or inconsistent behavior from your vehicles critical functions–check to see if a software update is available. It’s possible a software update was released and it failed to fully download and install.

Excessive Oil Consumption

Have you ever had to add oil, but can’t find any leaks? Your car might be burning it. The symptoms of this are often more subtle–like an increase in engine noise when accelerating or decreased gas mileage. The reason could be an internal defect in the engine. If this is the case, oil consumption will likely continue and potentially cause engine failure.

EV Battery Charging Problems

As electric vehicles become more mainstream and begin to dominate the roads, battery defectives are sure to ensue. If you own an EV car and begin to notice your car won’t take a charge, or the charging symbol appears on the dash but charging does not initiate–this is a sign something isn’t right.

Additionally if begin to notice a sudden drop in driving miles per charge this could indicate a defect in either the charging or battery systems.

Delayed or Erratic Transmission Shifts

If you’re driving and your car starts struggling with changing gears or lacking a smooth transition from one gear to the next, then this may be early signs of a faulty transmission. Delayed or erratic transmission shifts should not be ignored and is a warning sign that your transmission needs attention sooner rather than later. 

Suspect A Potential Defect With Your Vehicle?

If you suspect a potential defect there is no need to panic–just have the vehicle inspected by a dealership you trust. Your safety and the safety of your family is worth it.

As with any product on the market, sometimes defects slip through and end up affecting consumers. This has led to vehicles being recalled and even some manufacturers to offer extended warranties for their vehicles.

Final Thoughts: How do You Know if Your Car is Defective

One of the most important aspects in car manufacturing is quality assurance. Cosmetic or not, some defects are still very costly to repair. Others pose severe risks for drivers and passengers alike.

If you begin to experience any of the issues mentioned above with your vehicle you should contact us right away for a FREE evaluation.