Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - January 31, 2026 - Hour 1 - Why Car Repairs Cost More and Take Longer

This week, Ron breaks down a story you won’t notice until your car is on the lift: the First Brands Group Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the wind-down of major North American units—impacting familiar names like Autolite and Cardone. Ron explains what this means for parts availability, backorders, rising repair costs, and why “instant gratification” is disappearing from auto repair. Then it’s on to calls: a tire-wear mystery on a Jeep in Maine, plus a Wisconsin listener with a new Chevrolet Silverado asking how to protect a truck that tows hard—DFM, oil choices, fuel quality, and why maintenance beats gadgets. Finally, Ron makes the case for the value of diagnosis with a real-world click-noise story that was misrepaired until the root cause was found. Grab your Car Doctor gear – T-shirts & more at CarDoctorShow.com Follow the wrench – Instagram @ronananian for shop life & behind-the-scenes Watch & learn – Auto repair tips & videos on our YouTube Channel Got a car question? Call the Car Doctor Hotline 24/7 – (855) 560-9900 Join the conversation LIVE – Saturdays 2–4 PM Eastern    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.