Acworth is a northwest suburb of Atlanta, about 30 miles away from the ATL. American Guardian Warranty Headquarters may be in Chicago’s southwest suburbs, but we’re proud to reach all over the United States. We recently got some very kind words from Mike in Acworth, who was glad to have a warranty company that didn’t give him the run around. Thanks for the testimony, Mike!

“We just arrived home driving our tow car because we had to leave our motor home in Florida for repairs. The part needed is going to take a couple weeks to build by the manufacture. We wanted to thank everyone at your company for the excellent service we had this week. We were a little worried about purchasing an extended warranty because of all the complaints you see in the Motorhome magazines. We bought the warranty before our first big trip and didn’t need to use it at all.

This time however has been a different story. Over the last week, we have had to replace the alternator, repair a roof air and in the process of replacing a wiring harness that is not going to be cheap. Each time the repair companies called you for authorization, they were amazed with how good you were to deal with. All of them said that normally these warranty companies try to give them the run around just to get out of paying the claim.

My family would like to thank you for your service. Without it, this trip would have been a very expensive nightmare. We have already refferred you guys to all the people in the camp ground that came by while they were hitching up the tow truck and we plan to write into the Motorhome magazines to express our delight.

Please keep up the great work.”

Even though auto-pilot has been around for a while, this is still a huge step forward in terms of our transportation. Google’s cars use motion senors and GPS to navigate the road and traffic.

Even though the car doesn’t require a driver, a person can still manually handle the car by moving the steering wheel or hitting the break. So you don’t need to worry about freaking out if you see a car driving without someone sitting in the driver seat. The driver-less cars will also be clearly marked to let other drivers know that the car is automated.

The engineers claim that these cars will be on the road for everyday use sooner than you think, probably within the next decade. With all of the distracted driving accidents going on today, these cars couldn’t have come at a better time.

Check out the video below from ABC to see the cars in action.

Check here for more automotive technology news or learn about American Guardian Warranty’s reputation here.

Voided.

Worried that one tiny thing will void your auto warranty? The good news: as long as you follow your carmaker’s recommendations and specifications, you should be in the clear. But what are some of the most common examples that see owners unwittingly voiding their warranties? Here are three of them.

1. Keep all receipts on any maintenance work done at facilities other than the dealership while your car is under warranty. No receipts? No warranty coverage.
2. Performance Modifications: Don’t modify or “chip” your car. If, for example, your engine fails because you installed a power chip to boost performance, your claim will rightfully be rejected.
3. Don’t tow a trailer with a vehicle that is not designed to tow. We run into this one a lot. In order to tow a trailer, a vehicle must have an increased cooling system capacity, auxiliary trans oil cooling, beefed up rear frame area to support the hitch receiver, beefed up suspension to handle the additional weight, heavy duty brakes to stop the increased load, and special wiring to power the trailer lighting. If your vehicle doesn’t have all of this, don’t tow.

See the AOL article for the rest of the list. We welcome your feedback in the comments below. If you’d like more information about American Guardian Warranty, head over to our Reputation section.

While that may seem reckless, keep in mind the Autobahn is a place where German drivers are free to punch the accelerator without fear of reprimand from police, for there’s no speed limit. The drivers are well aware of this fact, and every one of them knows the left lane is a dangerous place to be if they don’t plan on passing, and passing quickly. Notice how aware other drivers are of the presence of the 135i. All other cars in the left lane move over to the right as soon as they can to let the BMW pass.

That said, the United States enforces speed limits for good reason. There’s a good chance unlimited speeds will never be allowed on American soil, and that’s just fine with us. For a glimpse into how fast a souped up luxury car can travel, we’re content to watch the video instead of trying it for ourselves.

2012 Nissan Titan

• Potential Autos Affected: 918 (manufactured between June 10 and July 22 of 2011 and equipped with the sports appearance package)
• The Summary: There is incorrect seating capacity information displayed on the tire placard.
• The Consequence: An incorrect capacity label may lead to vehicle overloading, which can increase crash likelihood.
• Additional Info: Click here.

2011 and 2012 BMW 5-Series, 6-Series, Others

• Potential Autos Affected: 2,846 (for complete list of models, click the Additional Info link below)
• The Summary: Certain BMWs are being recalled because the circuit board for the electric auxiliary water pump can overheat.
• The Consequence: This could lead to a smoldering of the pump of an engine compartment or vehicle fire.
• Additional Info: Click here.

For more auto news, visit our Recalls section.

From the Ezilon infobase:

“The benefits of oil changes are not so great as the drawbacks of not getting your oil changed, which are catastrophic. While you do increase the life of your engine and keep your horsepower maximized by getting your oil changed regularly, these are not as significant as the problems that can arise if you do not change your oil when it is recommended to do so. Firstly, not changing your oil often enough can cause significant damage to your engine, as the oil is necessary to keep all of the moving parts lubricated. By not having enough oil or by using oil that has outlived its usefulness (is filled with dirt or has low viscosity), you run the risk of allowing parts to not work as efficiently as they possibly could.

In the long run, such parts grinding together without lubrication in such a stressful environment as an internal combustion engine could eventually lead to such parts fusing together, jamming up or altogether failing. This is catastrophic to your engine, as the engine could simply stop working or actually explode if enough parts refuse to work.”

Life gets busy and it can be difficult to stay on top of keeping your car well oiled. But whenever you get a spare moment, change that oil. It’ll save headaches and costly repairs down the road.

Get more from the AGW Tips section.

1. Not using the parking brake

The parking brake is rarely used by most drivers but it can help reduce the stress that is put on your transmission. Whether parking on an incline or even on steady ground, you should pull the parking brake. This locks up your wheels which reduces stress on your transmission. This can add years of life to your transmission.

2. Shifting before coming to a complete stop

When you pull out of a parking space in a hurry, there is a good chance you shifted into drive without coming to a complete stop. It seems harmless but you’ve just added months of wear to your transmission.

3. Holding the brakes down a hill

Instead of riding your brakes all the way down a long hill, alternate between braking and letting off the brake. The longer you hold your brakes, the more the brake pads heat up. The more your brake pads heat up, the faster they wear down.

4. Not changing the oil

Change your oil every 5,000 miles (3,000 on older cars). It’s as simple as that. Neglecting to do so will cause the old oil in your engine to turn black, thick, and virtually unusable by your engine.

5. Using a pressure washer to wash the engine

Power washing your engine seems like a good, productive idea because you can remove all of the grime. However, you also run the risk of dislodging rubber seals, hoses, and electrical bits. Avoid power washing but if you MUST clean your engine, a garden hose can do the trick.

6. Not turning off accessories

Before you shut off your car, you should also turn off any accessories that are on such as; the radio, climate control, wipers, etc. The most wear on your engine comes during start-up. Having those accessories off gives your engine less work to do when starting.

7. Ignoring the sounds

Your car makes a lot of noises. In general, you know how your car sounds when running regularly. Take note of any unfamiliar noises. For example squeaking usually implies that your brake pads need to be replaced.

8. Refusing to clean your interior

This might not exactly affect any mechanical part of your car, but cleaning your interior can really help make your drive more comfortable for you and your passengers. Air fresheners might be able to mask the smell of your gym bag and leftover food for awhile, but eventually even that will be overtaken. Good luck trying to sell a car with the permanent smell of a hockey equipment bag.

Information for this post was found via RideLust. For more information about American Guardian Warranty you can read about our reputation or learn some helpful automotive tips.

“Envia Systems, a technology leader in high-performance, low-cost lithium-ion energy storage solutions today announced test results that verify the company’s next-generation rechargeable battery has achieved the highest recorded energy density of 400 Watt-hours/kilogram (Wh/kg) for a rechargeable lithium-ion cell. When commercialized, this 400 Wh/kg battery is expected to slash the price of a 300-mile range electric vehicle by cutting the cost of the battery pack by more than 50 percent.”

As you can see from the Envia graphic above, the new technology would allow a $20,000 auto to drive 300 miles without needing a recharge, nearly quadrupling the distance of its current $30,000 counterpart. Electric technology in automobiles is becoming more and more feasible.

A variety of manufacturer recalls are affecting almost 750,000 trucks.

2005-2009 Toyota Tacoma

• Potential Autos Affected: 500,000
• The Summary: The spiral cable assembly, which powers the driver’s air bag module, can be damaged over time by steering wheel vibration.
• The Consequence: If such damage occurs the air bad warning light will light up and the air bag might become deactivated.
• Additional Info: The vehicles affected were manufactured from Sept. 14, 2004 – Aug. 29, 2008

2004-2005 Jeep Liberty

• Potential Autos Affected: 200,000
• The Summary: A rear lower control arm can experience a rear suspension fracture due to excessive corrosion.
• The Consequence: The fracture can result in the loss of control of the vehicle.
• Additional Info: The vehicles affected were manufactured from July 3, 2003 – July 14, 2005.

2003-2005 Nissan Infiniti Q45

• Potential Autos Affected: 1,349
• The Summary: A wiring connector issue with the seat mounted airbag can result in increased electrical resistance.
• The Consequence: The increased electrical resistance can result in the non-deployment of side air bags.

2008-2009 Honda Odyssey

• Potential Autos Affected: 45,000
• The Summary: There is a manufacturing flaw with the gas-filled struts that help raise and support the liftgate. The power liftgate system may be prone to early life failures such as reduced strut performance.
• The Consequence: Decreased strut performance can result in unexpected closure of the liftgate, placing an increased risk on personal safety.

On one site in particular there are a number of complaints filed under our company’s name that don’t even apply to our company! We always welcome our customers’ opinions, but these review sites continue to associate irate customer rants with the incorrect company.

The site in question has been contacted by us, but remains unwilling to pull down the reviews that paint us in this negative light. It does not allow us to respond to each customer’s issue, which is why we’re posting this article here.

Below are some of the examples from the site:

“After reading the previous reviews I’m a bit worried now that I need to file a claim with Wheelz.”

“After several days, the repair shop called me and stated that Wheelz warranty/American Auto Guardian Inc. were being difficult and unwilling to authorize the work needed in order to diagnose the problem.”

Both of the above statements refer to “Wheelz” and one even lists us as a company associated with it. However, this is false. “Wheelz” is a product of American Auto Guardian Inc (AAGI), not us.

“This has got to be the worst company in history. I purchased the PLATINUM package warranty from NATIONAL WARRANTY a subdivision AGWS.”

The review above states that “National Warranty” is a subdivision of AGWS (American Guardian Warranty Services). However, this is false. We are in no way associated with the company “National Warranty”.

It can be frustrating at AGWS because we take our customer service very seriously and these complaints can be misleading. Our job is to fulfill the claims that our customers have, and that’s what we pride ourselves on. If we’re able to pull down these inaccurate reviews, we’ll update you immediately.

If you’d like to get to know us better, check out the reputation section of our blog. If you’re just into cars you can head over to other areas of our blog such as the Auto Show section.