Many types of door dents or small dings are fixed without sanding, filler or painting, preserving the integrity of the vehicle’s original factory finish. Ford technicians use specially designed tools that allow them to access the problem and actually massage it out. If paint touch-ups are required, the technology is available to match your vehicle and repair scratches, minor chips and blemishes on most surfaces.

Like dents and dings, chipped cracked glass can also diminish the value of a car. However, the fix is not necessarily a new windshield. Seventy percent of all glass damage is repairable. Using resins that are constantly being improved, technicians not only can fix your glass, but also make it stronger. Additionally, keeping your car properly cleaned will add to enduring good looks.

More than one-third of car owners use damaging non-automotive products when washing their cars-products that could contain harmful detergents, abrasives and additives. And almost half of motorists don’t ever wax their vehicles.

“Waxing at least twice a year is recommended for maximum protection, yet surveys show that 48 percent of motorists don’t wax their vehicles at all,” said Jeffrey Webb, director of retail marketing at Turtle Wax, Inc. “That’s leaving money on the table at trade-in time, as a clean, well-maintained car can be worth up to 50 percent more than one in ‘fair’ condition, according to the Kelley Blue Book.”

Motorists should avoid dish detergent, which contains harsh chemicals that, intended to cut through grease, will strip away the wax finish on your car. Some are hard to rinse off and leave streaks. Washing an automobile on a regular basis protects it from the natural elements that harm the finish.

So whether you are driving a Ford Mustang, Expedition or Focus, be pro-active in keeping your car clean and well maintained.

Do you ever think about the air you breathe inside your car?  Studies have proven that the air in the cabin, as it’s called, can be worse than the air outside due to mold, mildew and other contaminants. So what are we to do?

Change your cabin air filter or have it changed for you, says the Women’s Board of the Car Care Council. Why?  Contaminants, such as pollen, dust, mold spores and smog, can easily enter a vehicle’s passenger compartment through the air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems, making the air in the car six times dirtier than the air outside.

Motorists can protect themselves and their passengers from these contaminants by replacing the vehicle’s cabin air filter annually or more often in areas with heavy contaminants. Whenever heating or cooling efficiency is reduced a cabin air filters will keep you breathing easier. These filters clean the incoming air and remove allergens - especially beneficial to people with allergies.

If your vehicle is model year 2000 or newer, there’s a good chance it is equipped with a cabin air filter, according to the Women’s Board. Many can be replaced easily in a few minutes; others may require a Ford certified technician to handle it.

There are about 30 million vehicles in North America that currently have cabin air filters. However, most people have never heard of a cabin air filter or don’t know if their vehicle is has one. You should refer to your Ford owners’ manuals for this information.

If the cabin air filter is not replaced, it can cause musty odors in the vehicle, and over time, the heater and air conditioner may become damaged by corrosion. A dirty or clogged cabin air filter can also cause contaminants to become so concentrated in the cabin that passengers actually breathe in more fumes and particles when riding in the car compared to walking down the street.

What can you do if you don’t have a cabin air filter? Clean your vehicle thoroughly with car care products for vinyl, carpet, your seats and headliners, says the Women’s Board. Use odor-eliminating products. Remember, car care products are designed for cleaning your car — don’t use household products as they are designed for your home. The difference is that car automotive interior and exterior components can easily be damaged by harsh household chemicals. Use the correct products and read the labels.

So unless you are only driving a Ford convertible with the top always down, you should get into the habit of checking your cabin air filter on a regular basis.

In light of recent testing of their 2009 models, it’s Ford Motor Company that’s earned more Top Safety Pick ratings form the institute than any other automaker, with a total of 16 vehicles to date.
Achieving the “Top Safety Pick” rating requires a vehicle to achieve top marks in front, side and rear impact testing, while also being sold with standard electronic stability control to help prevent a crash from occurring in the first place.

Most recently, the 2009 Ford Flex and Fusion models earned the rating from the IIHS, as did the Lincoln MKS and Mercury Milan.  Other winners included Taurus, Fusion, Edge, Escape, Mariner and the F-150 truck.  Ford partly credits extensive use of ultra-high strength boron steel in their B-Pillar for side impact protection.

The institute said the larger number of Top Safety Picks was largely a consequence of the widespread adoption of electronic stability control, which the government has required for vehicles by the 2012 model year. The feature senses when a driver is about to lose control and helps the vehicle stabilize and avoid skidding or rolling over.
At Ford, officials and employees were celebrating the news of their top safety performance.
“We want to set ourselves apart from the other American companies,” Steve Kozak, Ford’s safety chief engineer, told the Free Press on Monday. “We’re ready and able to compete head-to-head with the Japanese.”

Last month, Ford also won accolades from Consumer Reports for the high quality of its vehicles, which the trusted magazine said are now on par with those being produced by Toyota and Honda Motor Co.
The team engineers a variety of safety technologies, such as Ford’s smart Personal Safety System, which deploys air bags based on the weight of passengers and the severity of the crash, among other factors.
“We’re doing our part to help Ford succeed,” Kozak said. “We just need to get past the downturn in the economy, and we need to get past the perception that the public has about Ford Motor Co.”
With so many notable safety features in a wide array of models to choose from, now would be a good time to stop by your Ford Dealer and take a look at this impressive lineup.

“Earning a ‘Top Safety Pick’ is great news because the Insurance Institute’s tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers increasingly rely on them when choosing a new vehicle,” said Susan Cischke, Ford’s senior vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.  “The Ford F-150 offers the best safety ratings, unsurpassed fuel economy and unmatched capability - three of the top purchase considerations for truck customers today.”
The F-150’s legendary toughness contributes not only to its durability and capability but its safety as well.  The 2009 F-150 has an all-new hydroformed steel body structure - including industry-first use of tubular ultra-high-strength lighter weight steel that offers top performance and contributes to the F-150’s unsurpassed fuel economy in the full-size pickup truck segment.
Also new in the F-150 this year is Ford’s standard Safety Canopy(r) side-curtain air bag rollover protection system, which helps protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollovers and side-impact crashes.  It is designed to stay inflated for several seconds, as rollover crashes often last longer than side-impact crashes.   Added to this is a Ford-first - the new “K-bag,” a front seat dual-chamber side air bag named for its unique shape, which is designed to help protect the rib cage from excessive crash forces during a side impact.
Further adding to the standard safety enhancements is a state-of-the-art passenger seat sensor that specifies the timing and type of air-bag deployment based on the weight of the occupant.   Additional sensors in the vehicle - monitoring roll stability control and rollover air bag deployment - have been integrated into one unit, increasing the sensitivity and accuracy of the system.
Ford expects the new truck’s appeal to be even stronger for the “core truckers” who list safety as a top 10 purchase consideration and are a growing part of today’s full size pickup market.  According to recent Ford customer research, 83 percent of F-150 buyers consider safety a top purchase reason - more than purchasers of five of the six competitive trucks.

The best-selling pickup truck in the country has been redesigned for 2009 and now comes in seven trim levels with the addition of a new top luxury level, the Platinum. There are three cab styles: regular, extended and crew cab, with the crew now boasting an enormous backseat. Other changes include the exterior styling, truly helpful bed accessories and even a one mpg. improvement in gas mileage for the model line as a whole.

Exterior
The front end now emulates Ford’s F-250 Super Duty trucks, with a squared-off nose, giant grille and a domed hood that adds 2 inches in height. Believing that almost all pickup trucks look the same from behind, Ford reproduced the grille’s pattern, graphically, on the tailgate.

The most unique features are options offered for the cargo box. Also borrowed from the Super Duty, a step pulls out of the open tailgate and hinges down to ease climbing into the bed. A post on the tailgate swings to vertical and locks, forming a handle to help step up. The last option handed down from the F-250 is the split bed extender. Where the solid U-shaped types rest either on the open tailgate or 180 degrees forward on the bed floor - and are always there - the F-150’s U shape detaches in the center, allowing either side to stow against the bed wall and free up the cargo floor for full use.

Another option that’s been too long in coming is a side step that you pop out of the rocker panel in front of the rear wheel by kicking a button. It allows you to reach over the side of the cargo box - all the better to operate Ford’s take on C-channel rails that let you position tie-down cleats anywhere along the box’s length.

Interior
The interior overhaul includes enlarged buttons and controls and less intrusive door panels with larger map pockets in the SuperCab and SuperCrew styles. Ford enlarged the lockable center storage console to accommodate “two or more” laptop computers and added ridges compatible with hanging file folders.

Ford says the new seats use upgraded materials and are available in some trim levels with powered adjustments, including lumbar, as well as heating and cooling. The new materials are easier to clean, Ford says, and the higher trim levels use real woods and metals and metal speaker covers. Cabin noise has been lowered dramatically.

Other goodies include an optional backup camera (a stand-alone option) that helps line up a trailer hitch, and the first Integrated Trailer Brake Controller to be offered in a light-duty pickup. Sync voice-activation is available with 911 Assist, a new service similar to GM’s OnStar. An optional navigation system uses an 8-inch touch-screen that can show real-time traffic and gas prices for nearby stations when teamed with Sirius Travel Link, a service of Sirius Satellite Radio.

Under the Hood
The mechanical changes started at the foundation with a new, fully-boxed frame. Power plants start with an entry-level 4.6-liter V-8 that’s more powerful than the previous generation’s base V-6 but is also more fuel efficient, despite using a four-speed automatic transmission. This engine is known as the two-valve to distinguish it from the more powerful new three-valve version of the 4.6-liter V-8. The top choice is the previous generation’s 5.4-liter V-8 - tweaked for more output and capable of running on E85 ethanol fuel as well as gasoline. Both of these engines mate to a six-speed automatic. Come 2010, Ford says, a clean diesel and a turbocharged direct-injection gas engine will be added.

Safety
Standard features, along with the required front airbags, include side curtain airbags to protect front and backseat occupants, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system with traction control and Roll Stability Control, which uses a sensor to detect the start of a rollover and attempts to forestall it.

Step 1 - Go to a virtual auto show.
The Internet is the obvious choice for trends, but the specific sites might escape you. What is our favorite source of new car trends? Auto shows. Every few months, manufacturers showcase the best concepts, features and vehicles you might see in the future. Each show is a rich source of information and ideas.
Simply google “auto shows” or “latest car trends” and choose from the list of possible sites that pop up.  Once you’ve found a favorite or two, bookmarks them for future reference.  Another easy and direct way is to go to Ford.com to see what’s coming up for the new model year and what trends are available on your favorite Ford car or truck

Step 2 - Reach out to friends.
Everyone knows someone that loves cars. Maybe it’s a relative or a coworker who spends most weekends doing a bit of wash and wax. Regardless, it’s easy to find people that can help. The next time you’re in the market for a car, ask your friends to visit your Ford dealership with you. They’ll help walk you through the new features you don’t want to miss.

Step 3 - Turn the road into a research laboratory.
Ever notice that you don’t see certain vehicles until you start thinking about them? All of a sudden, that SUV you’re considering is everywhere. The same is true of features you’re curious about. Make a short list of the things that matter most to you - whether that’s the size of a sunroof, how running boards look or a thousand other options - and start checking for those features. You’ll be surprised by how often you’re able to evaluate what works for you just by staying observant in traffic.

There might still be an obscure tailfin released in Detroit you won’t find out about for months, but that’s OK. The point of this exercise is to focus on the things that matter to you. There are thousands of trends but only a handful that are going to make you happy.

Henry Ford told buyers of his Model T they could select any color as long as it’s black. Today we see cars in any of hundreds of hues, including shades of rust that won’t appear  in new car literature color chips.
“Serious rust damage, including a hole right through the metal, can begin with a minor scratch in a parking lot from a shopping cart,” said Rich White of the Car Care Council. “Steel is strong and lasts a lifetime when it’s protected, but when that protection is invaded, the metal is exposed to the elements. That’s when rust begins its invasion.”
Cover paint chips as quickly as possible, White recommends. For a quick fix until you can get some touchup supplies, dab a little clear nail polish on the scratch. Touchup paint can be found for virtually every vehicle ever built, including antiques. Use the paint code number shown on the identification plate. Your Ford owner’s manual will tell you how to find it.
“Some uncommon colors will have to be ordered where auto parts are sold or from the Internet. Also available are scratch repair kits including everything needed from preparation to finishing a deep scratch,” White said.
Small dents can be fixed with paintless dent repair, but to be sure you get the job done correctly, visit your Ford service department.
Like so many aspects of car care, preventive maintenance is much easier and beneficial than corrective measures. Maintaining the original integrity of the finish keeps the vehicle in “like new” condition. The basic rules of body and paint maintenance apply.
Avoid parking in the hot sun; it can damage interior surfaces as well as the exterior. Wash the vehicle frequently, including areas underneath, with mild, safe products. Select and use cleaners and waxes carefully. A cleaner that is effective for one type of finish could be disastrous for another. Again, consult your Ford owner’s manual to be sure.

Automotive enthusiasts who can’t get enough of their favorite cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, and crossovers understand that there is one venue which can satisfy their craving for all things on four wheels: auto shows. Held around the year and all across the globe, these events allow visitors to get a glimpse of some of the newest cars, most promising concepts, and an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry experts.

But, not all auto shows are equal. In fact, some regional or local shows can be downright disappointing. Particularly hard to take are those shows when major manufacturers are a no show, a special vehicle being shown elsewhere fails to appear, or show hours are too restrictive.

Please read on to learn the top shows her in the states and what you need to know about them.

Los Angeles Auto Show - Held during the last part of November, the L.A. Auto Show is the first major show of the new model year. This edge allows visitors to see all new models just as they reach dealer showrooms. In addition, the show is a popular place for manufacturers to roll out new models and concepts.

North American International Auto Show - Held in Detroit beginning the middle of January, this show is the top show of the automobile calendar in the US. All three US manufacturers are evident in force, vying with each other to show off their latest offerings.

Chicago Auto Show - Held just one month after the Detroit show ends, the Chicago show still has some of its own glamour to display. Other automakers who avoid Detroit are present in this larger market show.

New York International Auto Show - Held in late March or early April, the New York show has the most attendees of any American show, with more than one million people visiting over a nine or ten day period. For that reason alone, the New York show becomes a favorite venue for some automakers.

SEMA Show - This large show is held in Las Vegas, usually in early November. Unlike the other shows mentioned, it is not open to the general public. Instead SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) offers exhibitions to the auto industry including parts, educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, and more.
This year there has been a lot of buzz about the 2010 Ford Vehicles being presented - including the Mustang and the Fusion.  Check websites for more information.