Q. My wife owns a 2003 Toyota. In late October 2008, she took it to her Toyota dealer for maintenance. The bill came to over $700. She was very upset over the bill and had to pay by her credit card. On Feb. 12 of this year she had to take it back for more maintenance. The bill came back (three pages) for $1,300. They worked on the car for 3 1/2 hours and the labor portion of the bill came to $926. This had to be paid on a credit card, which now exceeds $2,000 in less than six months. It has created quite a hardship for both of us. We are both senior citizens on limited income. We don’t know what to expect for the car in the future; it could break down at any time. This is not saying too much for Toyota or the dealer. We would appreciate your thoughts on our problem.

A. All cars, even Toyotas need maintenance and repairs. Without knowing what repairs were performed, it is hard to say if these repairs were necessary and priced fairly. A good professional shop will call the owner prior to performing work on the vehicle to provide an estimate or to discuss additional work. I will say that since the economy has changed, I have seen more and more cases of what appear to be overcharging or maintenance and repairs performed far too early.

Sensor failure?

Q. My 1998 Saab 900SE starts fine when the engine is cold. However, the engine turns over and over before it catches when the engine is warm. Last fall, I had new spark plugs and a new battery installed. I have also added dry gas every time I refuel. Any ideas why my car is hard starting?

A. First off, don’t add gas line antifreeze at every fill-up, it’s not necessary. Gasoline today has alcohol in it, which is the main ingredient of gas line antifreeze. Have your repair shop check the electrical reading on a part called the crankshaft sensor. The crankshaft sensor supplies information to the car’s computer to allow it to start. The resistance reading of this part should be measured with the engine both hot and cold to avoid misdiagnosis.

Lack of use can hurt

Q. My 2002 Saturn L300 with 34,000 miles went to the dealer for service because the parking lights would not go off unless the remote to close doors was pushed twice. After a couple of tries, the dealership suggested replacement of the body control computer and the dimmer switch. They also discovered that the steering gear seal is leaking, parking brake cables corroded, air and cabin air filters are dirty, and the “service engine soon light” is on. This car is no longer under warranty and I am very disturbed that so many things could be wrong with a car that has so few miles. What do you think?

A. The body control computer is most likely the cause of the problem with the parking lights. The leaking steering seal and rusted parking brake cables are related to the age of the car. The dirty filters are nothing more than maintenance. Even though the car has only 34,000 miles, it is still seven years old. There are times that lack of use is worse than abuse. At this point, I would recommend you bring the car in for an overall inspection at least once a year so you are not faced with surprise repairs.

Mouse damage

Q. We recently spent $1,700 to repair the damage caused by mice eating away at our Toyota Sienna’s fuel injection wires that shorted out the computer system. Is there a way to stop this from happening? The car is kept in a garage, which is obviously not mouse proof. Also, is there a car company that makes a car that is mouse proof? This problem seems both a health and an economic issue. Before the wires were eaten; they’d get into my van and leave droppings everywhere! I can only guess what I would have done if a critter had crawled into my view while I was driving. It’s obvious this problem is not uncommon, with over 62,000 hits on Google related to this topic. You would think technology/design would have considered this issue. If you have an answer to this problem please respond soon, I can’t afford to fix the damage again!

A. There is no such thing as a mouse-proof car. My first suggestion is to remove anything that is attracting the mice both inside the car and out. Start by removing any food source from the car or the garage such as pet or bird food, recycling, and a water supply. Oil of peppermint is reported to be a good mouse repellant. People have also told me to try fabric softener dryer sheets. Also, most hardware stores carry a product called “Predator Urine” that may keep the mice out of the garage. After these measures are taken, traps and poison may be the only answer, or you could get a cat. Readers, if you have any additional suggestions that have been proven to work, please e-mail me. My e-mail address is jpaul@aaasne.com .

Ignition problem

Q. I have a 1998 Buick LeSabre that doesn’t want to start all the time. When I call AAA, the car always starts for the driver who arrives. The car has been to the garage twice and they have tested everything and can’t find anything wrong. When the car doesn’t start the lights come on but the car doesn’t crank over. Do you have any suggestions?

A. The most common problem is with the ignition switch. Most General Motors cars have an antitheft device called “Pass-Key” built into the ignition lock. Over time the lock and key can both wear and cause the vehicle not to start. I would suggest you have your garage perform a re-learn procedure. This re-learn may fix the problem. If it continues after this procedure is performed, you may need to replace the ignition switch.

Riviera won’t start

Q. I have a 1995 Buick Riviera that sometimes will not start (and the security light is on). If I wait about three minutes, the car starts right up. Sometimes it will do this two or three times before the car starts. This is driving me crazy, help!

A. Of all the problems that continue to drive even the best technicians crazy are the intermittent ones. When a car is performing normally it is almost impossible to find the cause of an occasional problem. Your problem sounds very similar to R.B.’s problem with his Buick LeSabre, have your technician look for problems with the security system. Your car may also need to have the ignition lock/switch replaced.

Engine gusher

Q. I took my 2008 Altima Coupe in for its first service (oil change) at the end of October ’08. Since then I have driven barely 1,000 miles. Yesterday I checked my oil level. Not only was the engine shroud covered with oil splatter from the oil change, but I was down a full quart of oil! My old ‘97 Corolla would barely use a quart in 3,000 miles. Do you think this was just a mistake by the (obviously not too careful) service technician in putting in too little oil? I can’t see a brand new car with only 4,000 miles using a quart of oil in 1,000 miles.

A. At this point I would go back to the dealership and ask them to wash off the engine and top off the oil. I suspect at some point the oil fill cap was left off and oil sprayed around the engine. I would not expect your new car to use more than a quart of oil between oil changes.

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