5 Things for Your Car That Are a Complete Waste of Money
This is nothing new. The automotive aftermarket is a multibillion-dollar industry. And if there’s money to be made, there are people out there running scams. From fuel additives to decor, there’s an incredible amount of junk out there. And unfortunately, plenty of people are happy to buy it without asking questions.
KhodroCar - Aside from a house, cars are likely the most expensive object most people own. And of course there’s no fixed cost. Once you’ve driven off the lot, you need to worry about insurance, payments, gas, and maintenance.
With that responsibility, many of us like to take care of our cars the best way we know how. That might mean a regular wash and wax, a specific kind of fuel, or a rigorous maintenance schedule. Or it could mean adding flourishes to personalize our cars.
Some products are decent but often misused. Others are useless crap. And a small amount can actually damage your car and end up costing you more money in the end. We’ve taken a sample of all three. Here are 10 things for your car that are a complete waste of money.
Some products are decent but often misused. Others are useless crap. And a small amount can actually damage your car and end up costing you more money in the end. We’ve taken a sample of all three. Here are 10 things for your car that are a complete waste of money.
Fake vents
Some performance cars, such as the Corvette Z06, have functional cooling vents on virtually every body panel. These send much-needed cool air to the engine and brakes, which are designed to handle extreme conditions for hours at a time. Your used 13-year-old Lincoln Aviator has no need for extra cooling, so its design team didn’t give it any in the first place.
Still, that hasn’t dissuaded millions of Americans from plunking down $10 or more on crappy stick-on faux vents. They make your car look ridiculous, wreak havoc on its paint, and show the world you’ve been taken for a few of your hard-earned bucks.
Some performance cars, such as the Corvette Z06, have functional cooling vents on virtually every body panel. These send much-needed cool air to the engine and brakes, which are designed to handle extreme conditions for hours at a time. Your used 13-year-old Lincoln Aviator has no need for extra cooling, so its design team didn’t give it any in the first place.
Still, that hasn’t dissuaded millions of Americans from plunking down $10 or more on crappy stick-on faux vents. They make your car look ridiculous, wreak havoc on its paint, and show the world you’ve been taken for a few of your hard-earned bucks.
Most fuel treatments
Walk into any parts store, and you’ll likely find a whole aisle of fuel additives, boasting increased mileage or near-magic restorative powers. Although very few of them are actually bad for your car, not many can deliver as promised either.
There are a few standouts — Chevron and Lucas Oil both offer some quality products to clean fuel injectors — but for the most part, you can skip this aisle altogether. And if you’re a regular at your local instant oil change, don’t throw your money away on this stuff, no matter how hard they try to sell it.
Walk into any parts store, and you’ll likely find a whole aisle of fuel additives, boasting increased mileage or near-magic restorative powers. Although very few of them are actually bad for your car, not many can deliver as promised either.
There are a few standouts — Chevron and Lucas Oil both offer some quality products to clean fuel injectors — but for the most part, you can skip this aisle altogether. And if you’re a regular at your local instant oil change, don’t throw your money away on this stuff, no matter how hard they try to sell it.
Light bars
Off-road-ready trucks, such as the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Raptor, have exploded in popularity. Of course, very few of these trucks actually go off road, but that hasn’t stopped dealers and buyers from outfitting them with giant tires, bull bars, and extremely powerful light bars.
For a few hundred bucks, you can buy a 100,000-lumen light bar, which can be seen from miles away. Although they might look cool, they’re extremely dangerous for oncoming traffic and might be illegal depending on your state. So before you drop the cash to make your urban 4×4 look tough, check your local laws. Otherwise, you’ll be out a couple hundred — plus legal fees.
Off-road-ready trucks, such as the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Raptor, have exploded in popularity. Of course, very few of these trucks actually go off road, but that hasn’t stopped dealers and buyers from outfitting them with giant tires, bull bars, and extremely powerful light bars.
For a few hundred bucks, you can buy a 100,000-lumen light bar, which can be seen from miles away. Although they might look cool, they’re extremely dangerous for oncoming traffic and might be illegal depending on your state. So before you drop the cash to make your urban 4×4 look tough, check your local laws. Otherwise, you’ll be out a couple hundred — plus legal fees.
Spoilers
High-performance cars have teams of engineers working on complex aerodynamic solutions to keep the car planted to the ground at speed. That includes air dams, special ducting, and spoilers. On cars like the Dodge Viper, spoilers play an integral part in how it handles at speed. But buying an aftermarket spoiler and drilling it into your trunk lid probably won’t have any effect on your car — unless it gets ripped off in the car wash. So don’t waste your money.
High-performance cars have teams of engineers working on complex aerodynamic solutions to keep the car planted to the ground at speed. That includes air dams, special ducting, and spoilers. On cars like the Dodge Viper, spoilers play an integral part in how it handles at speed. But buying an aftermarket spoiler and drilling it into your trunk lid probably won’t have any effect on your car — unless it gets ripped off in the car wash. So don’t waste your money.
Window tint
A number of crossovers, SUVs, minivans, and trucks come from the factory with dark window tints. But if you’re willing to spend up to $500 at a shop for dark windows, you might want to think again. Laws vary from state to state, but for the most part windshields and the front side windows need to stay relatively clear. Like light bars, if you drop all that money on this modification without doing your research, you might be stuck with legal fees on top of paying to undo that tint.
A number of crossovers, SUVs, minivans, and trucks come from the factory with dark window tints. But if you’re willing to spend up to $500 at a shop for dark windows, you might want to think again. Laws vary from state to state, but for the most part windshields and the front side windows need to stay relatively clear. Like light bars, if you drop all that money on this modification without doing your research, you might be stuck with legal fees on top of paying to undo that tint.
Latest News