The other night my father-in-law (a master technician) was chatting with my husband about the funniest thing that happened at work recently. It was such a great story I had to share it with you, but it also poses a great question “Are our cars smarter than us?”…
A couple came in last month to complain about a problem the were having with the new car that they had just purchased. The man was very angry. He told the service writer that this is the second time he has asked someone to look at his steering problems. Concerned, the service writer put two techs on the job to make sure nothing was being overlooked. They couldn’t find anything wrong with the car so they, personally, spoke with the owners and explained that they couldn’t see anything wrong with the cars steering.
The car owner was furious! He quickly demanded to speak with the owners of the dealership about taking the car back. Before the techs and service writer called in the dealership reps, the tech asked him to explain what exactly they were struggling with regarding to the steering. The gentleman stated:
“when I am driving I have to fight the car. When I near the center line the car pulls to the right. When I drift towards the outside line of the road, the car pull towards the center of the road. — It’s almost like it is has a mind of it’s own.”
The technician smiled and said, “Sir, your vehicle is equipped with a lane assist/control feature. Your car will automatically recenter when it nears the outer or inner lines of the road. All you have to do is switch it off if you don’t like it..”
Embarrassing, right?
What I find most interesting about this story, is that it isn’t the first one I’ve heard. A few years back my husband actually had to help a driver on the roadway who was driving erratically in front of us at night. They had just purchased a new car and their headlights were going off every time another car approached — my husband had to show them how to use their headlights!
Don’t let it be you!
You can avoid this happening very easily. When you purchase a new car, make sure your auto salesperson teaches you how to use everything! Ask a lot of questions. If your car has a specialty feature, ask how to use it. Don’t assume you will learn it on the fly, ASK to be taught before you leave the lot!
