Discover valuable insights into our battery recycling program, ensuring environmental sustainability. Get your vehicle ready for spring with our expert tips. Dive into the delightful world of quirky car features that’ll leave you grinning from ear to ear. Learn about roadside assistance tailored for electric vehicle owners. Explore our new car buying service and exclusive vehicle discounts. At your service for all things automotive!
AAA Conservation Efforts
AAA recognizes the importance of conservation and the impact an organization of our size can have on the environment. As a result, AAA educates drivers on the maintenance needed to extend a vehicle’s time on the road and ways to conserve fuel and reduce emissions.
Raising public awareness is only part of AAA’s commitment to greater sustainability for the planet. The idea of being “green” is integrated into many of our business practices. Since 1992, AAA has collaborated with the National Parks and other similar groups to promote ecotourism. Two automotive initiatives, AAA’s battery program and Car Care Month, offer ways for members and the public to operate and maintain their vehicles in an environmentally conscious manner.
On a state and national level, AAA supports legislation that encourages drivers and industries to minimize vehicle impact on the environment. Many of our clubs have moved to paperless systems, both with our members and around the office. Employees across AAA also volunteer for a wide range of environmental activities, from cleanups to tree plantings to events promoting biking.
We’ve also expanded our presence in the electric vehicle space by offering mobile charging to our members in select cities, providing a variety of education resources, and increasing the number of certified repair technicians at our Approved Auto Repair shops and Car Care centers who are skilled in working on these vehicles.
Electric Vehicle Information
Recycling Matters! Especially When It Comes to Your Car’s Battery
Unrecycled batteries can discharge large quantities of lead and sulfuric acid into the environment, creating health, safety, and fire hazards for humans and animals alike.
The AAA battery program is a year-round effort that collects and recycles as many old batteries as are installed annually. Last year alone, AAA recycled over 2.5 million batteries with the lifetime total of the program topping 30 million.
For more information about the AAA battery program:
Battery Recycling Information
Your Spring Vehicle Checklist
– When Winter is Over –
Content provided by AAA’s Discounts & Rewards Partner: NAPA Auto Parts
Congratulations, you made it through winter! As the weather starts to warm up, you’ll probably want to get out more and enjoy it. But before you do, make sure your vehicle is up to the task. A good spring vehicle inspection is an important part of any maintenance schedule, as there are a few specific things to look out for after winter has done her worst.
The Suspension Is Killing Me
Hey, nice lane assist technology! Too bad your steering components might be damaged and compromising it. The cold weather and road salt wreak havoc on bushings and rubber seals exposed in the undercarriage. This can cause loose linkage and ineffective suspension. Check for extra play underneath, as well as shock absorber condition which can take a beating from all those fresh potholes. Need repairs? Visit a AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility.
Lights!
Now’s also a good time to make sure all your headlights, taillights, parking lights and turn signals are working as expected. Bulbs are another easy fix that make a huge difference. Not only are they integral to safety, but it can also help you avoid getting pulled over. Spring checks might not yield a ton of extra work to be done (let’s hope!), but it’s important to do a vehicle tune-up before small problems grow into something big. Save on lights at NAPA Auto Parts.
Old And Tired
Speaking of potholes, give your tires a once over because they suffer too. Check for rim damage, irregular wear and tread depth. Remember that rainy season is around the corner, and you want to go in prepared. Save on new spring tires at Discount Tire.
Inspector: Gadgets
You might have all the latest gadgets and assists and auto-everything and cameras galore, but they aren’t going to be good for anything unless you take care of them. Much like suspension components, these components (many of them sensors) and electrical connectors suffer mightily from salt and freezing temperatures. A dirty sensor isn’t going to do its job properly and a corroded electrical connection is going to cause all sorts of gremlins and misreadings to pop up. Do yourself a favor and give these a visual inspection and make sure they’re clean.
So Clean, Clean
While you’re at it, clean everything! Inside and outside alike. Getting all the grim off will stave off rust and premature wear to components, and at the same time, you’ll be able to get a better look at any potential problems. And cleaning your car’s interior will improve air quality before mold has a chance to take hold. Save at Washman Car Wash and Quench & Drench.
Brake Time
Assisted braking and ABS are literal lifesavers, but brake components can corrode and rust, and rubber lines and seals can be compromised resulting in leaks or brake fluid contamination. Check calipers for smooth piston movement, rotors for rust and pads for thickness. Peek in the master to make sure your fluid doesn’t need to be topped off or flushed. Get brake replacement at your local AAA Approved Auto Repair Facility.
Wiped Out
Ah yes, the rain. You’ll also want to make sure your wiper blades are in fighting condition. They can often become damaged cleaning off sleet and ice and end up doing a better job smudging than clearing. These are easy to replace and make a huge difference. Get discounts on windshield wiper blades at NAPA Auto Parts.
Strange Car Features: A Look Into The Past
Content written by Andrew Sheldon
Today’s cars come with features galore, most of which are tried and true, positive additions to any motor vehicle. Navigation systems, smartphone compatibility, remote start, heated seats – the list goes on and on. But over the century-plus history of the automobile, not every new feature has hit the mark.
Whether strangely obscure, especially useless or astonishingly bizarre, here are some of the strangest car features ever offered.
Photo: Stellantis
Chrysler Highway Hi-Fi Record Player
In a major milestone in the evolution of car audio systems, Chrysler unveiled a custom record player in several of its 1956 models. The intention was pure, the execution muddled. Despite working well in high-end models, poor suspension systems in lower-tier vehicles caused records to skip. Additionally, Highway Hi-Fi could play only proprietary 7-inch records, forcing owners to go out and repurchase albums just to play in their car.
Toyota Van Ice Maker
It’s fair to say that this vehicle was not the most thought-out model Toyota ever produced. The company did, after all, name it “the van.” Then, there was the optional feature available in the LE trim: a shoebox-size freezer. The compartment was cooled by air-conditioning lines and came equipped with ice trays. This strange feature was surely a hit at tailgate parties, but otherwise, we’re not entirely clear on why anyone would need it.
Subaru BRAT Jump Seats
This strange car feature doesn’t even pass the eye test. One look at these rear-facing, open-air seats in the vehicle’s cargo bed seem to have “safety hazard” written all over them. And, indeed, passengers did get injured while riding in the back of the BRAT. Making matters worse, the seats were added only to save Subaru money. During the years the BRAT was being manufactured, the U.S. “chicken tax” imposed a 25% tariff on any trucks being imported into the country. By adding the ill-fated jump seats, Subaru could classify the BRAT as a passenger vehicle and save millions of dollars in taxes.
Honda Motocompo
The Motocompo holds the distinction of being the smallest scooter Honda has ever built. So small, in fact, it could fit into the trunk of the automaker’s subcompact cars, which is precisely what it was designed to do. The handlebars and seat folded into the toy-sized bike’s body to form a roughly 4-by-2-foot rectangle.
Some pose that the Motocompo was Honda’s attempt to promote itself as a manufacturer of both two- and four-wheeled vehicles. Unfortunately, no one could seem to rationalize why you would need a secondary mode of transportation within your primary mode of transportation. Introduced in 1981, the Motocompo was out of commission by 1983.
Fiat 500L Espresso Machine
In an attempt to make the morning commute less chaotic and more caffeinated, Fiat offered an optional espresso coffee machine in its 2013 500L model. The machine, developed in tandem with Italy’s Lavazza coffee company, was fully integrated into the passenger’s dashboard. It even came with accessories, including spoons and sugar holders. For safety and practical reasons, the machine worked only when the car was off. For safety and practical reason, the machine is no longer available. In fact, the 500L was discontinued itself several years back.
Cadillac Eldorade Brougham Drink Tumblers
At more than $120,000 in modern money, the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was the most expensive production car in the world at the time it rolled off the assembly line. Although they paid handsomely for it, owners certainly got a lot for their money. The Cadillac came equipped with power seats, power windows, automatic locks, electronic trunk opener and air suspension, all premium midcentury amenities that have become commonplace today. But the Brougham’s most unique feature, and one you certainly won’t find in your next car, was in the glove box – six stainless steel drinking glasses held down by magnets.
Rolls-Royce Vignale Champagne Cooler
When American businessman Joseph Maschuch commissioned renowned Italian car designer Alfredo Vignale to customize a 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, he had several requirements. Everything under the hood was painted green, all visible pipes were chrome-plated, air conditioning was installed and a full bar was added to the rear compartment. The most distinctive feature however, was out of plain sight. Underneath the right rear passenger seat was a toilet complete with a gold seat. The receptacle came with a mechanism allowing you to dump the contents onto the ground below. Before your imagination runs amok, know that the owner claimed the feature was used only as a champagne cooler.
Water Bumpers
Water balloon bumper sounds like something out of a Moe, Larry and Curly skit. But believe it or not, these safety devices were real and nearly made their way onto commercially available vehicles.
The idea behind Hi-Dro Cushion cells, as they were known, was simple: the water could absorb the force of a collision, then redirect that energy by shooting through vinyl water chambers behind the bumper’s metal facing. In the end, the two colliding bodies would be cushioned, significantly reducing the chance of damage and injury.
Water bumpers never reached mass-produced vehicles, but they were constructed onto taxicabs in New York, San Francisco and other cities, where the most interesting thing about them came to light: they worked. Initial testing on taxis found accident repair costs and accident claim payments decreased more than 50%. But alas, between the extra weight, water turning into ice during the winter, and rather comical site of water balloons popping after a collision, water bumpers never caught on.
Electric Vehicles: Roadside Requests
The hardest working parts of an electric vehicle (EV) are not the battery, the powertrain, or the on-board navigation. The hardest working parts are the tires. EVs are, on the whole, 30% heavier than internal combustion vehicles, according to Greg Brannon, director of automotive research for the American Automobile Association (AAA), and that can mean a pounding.
“A shock from a pothole has to go somewhere, and the tire is trying to absorb that,” he says. Regenerative braking, which allows an EV to convert the heat and friction created when the brakes are applied into electricity that can be stored in the battery, also causes some resistance—and stress—in the system. “EVs are just hard on tires,” says Brannon. “They seem to be failing at a higher rate.” Much higher. The AAA has found that the rate of tire issues (mostly flat tires) in EVs is almost twice that in internal combustion vehicles.
AAA Car Buying Service
We can help you buy most any make or model of new car. Rely on us to make it easy.
We believe buying a car should be a big event, not a big hassle. Our goal is to make the process easy by taking the stress out of the car buying process so you can focus on better things. Our team of auto buying professionals can work with AAA members in Oregon to determine the perfect vehicle that fits both your needs and budget, without you having to ever step foot on the dealership lot. Have a trade in? We can help. Need help with obtaining financing? We can help with that too!
AAA Car Buying Service
SiriusXM
Add some entertainment to your next road trip with a AAA exclusive four-month Platinum streaming free trial of SiriusXM.
Shell Fuel Rewards®
Get complimentary Gold Status and save 30¢/gal on your first fill-up at Shell when you join the Fuel Rewards® program.
LensCrafters
Sunny drives call for some stylish shades! AAA members save 30% non-prescription sunglasses with LensCrafters.
Autio: Road Trip & Travel App
Autio is a mobile audio entertainment app for travel that uses geolocation technology to automatically play stories of landmarks, cities & towns nearby. The app features 23,000+ stories spanning the United States and beyond. Many of these stories are narrated by some of your favorite voices like Kevin Costner, John Lithgow & Phil Jackson alongside passionate locals. AAA members get 25% off Autio’s Annual Subscription, including annual renewals.