1-800-Radiator Survey Reveals Older Hondas, Toyotas, and Chevys Show Highest Summer Boilovers
BENICIA, Calif.--June 30, 2003--Older cars and pickup trucks are more likely to experience a radiator boilover this summer, and according to a recent survey, radiator failures among Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys, and Chevy pickup trucks lead the rankings as the most popular vehicles on the road. That's according to an analysis of radiator failures across the United States conducted by 1-800-Radiator (www.1800radiator.com), the nation's leading independent provider of radiators to consumers, auto repair shops, and do-it-yourself mechanics.
After tracking data from more than 2,500 counties in all 50 states and 663 vehicle makes and models, 1-800-Radiator found that Chevy pickups had the most radiator failures in the South and Midwest, while in the Northeast and West it was the Honda Accord. The Accord, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, and Ford Taurus led the rankings with a total of 326,420 or 10.7 percent. Chevy pickup trucks and Ford F Series pickup trucks also figured prominently with 173,890 failures or 5.7 percent. In all, these six car and truck models accounted for 16.4 percent of all radiator failures over the past 12 months.
Region Make/Model # of failures % of Region
South and Texas Chevy Pickup 44,500 6%
Honda Accord 35,800 4%
Toyota Camry 31,460 4%
Ford F Series Truck 27,320 3%
West: Honda Accord 38,490 5%
Toyota Camry 30,705 4%
Honda Civic 30,405 4%
Chevy Pickup 29,190 4%
Midwest Chevy Pickup 45,600 6%
Ford F Series Truck 27,280 4%
Honda Accord 20,480 3%
Toyota Camry 19,440 3%
Northeast Honda Accord 37,640 5%
Toyota Camry 33,240 4%
Ford Taurus 24,600 3%
Honda Civic 24,160 3%
Total 500,310 16.4%
"The age of the car and truck matters as much as the mileage when it comes to radiator failure, and the summer months are always the worst for boilovers," explains Mike Rippey, president of 1-800-Radiator. "After tracking our customers over time, we have seen a definite trend in radiator failures. All vehicles eventually need a new radiator but there are more Toyotas, Hondas, Fords, and Chevy pickups on the road, so we see a lot more of them than the others."
1-800-Radiator sells factory radiators and parts to consumers and repair shops and schedules repairs over the Internet and via telephone. The company has been tracking radiator failures by manufacturer, make, and geographic region for more than a decade.
"Consumers don't necessarily understand that it's cheaper and faster to replace a radiator than to repair it," said Rippey. "We consider our service as another form of roadside assistance; we can get customers the right parts and find a reliable mechanic in their area and get them back on the road in the shortest time possible."
1-800-Radiator allows consumers and auto repair shops to order replacement radiators over the Internet and via a toll-free number. Parts are shipped from one of 32 regional warehouse locations across the country to customers within a couple of hours, and, and in no more than 24 hours. All parts offered by 1-800-Radiator come with a lifetime warranty.
About 1-800-Radiator
Founded in 1980, 1-800-Radiator is the largest provider of automotive radiators in the United States, offering consumers radiators for all automobile makes and models at competitive prices with a lifetime warranty. Consumers can call 1-800-Radiator or log onto www.1-800-Radiator.com to purchase radiators and other cooling system parts for any car make or model, and the skilled support staff at 1-800-Radiator can arrange for installation of the radiator by one of its 25,000 repair shop customers anywhere in the country. Custom and specialty radiators and parts are also available for classic car aficionados and do-it-yourself mechanics.
1-800-Radiator has its corporate headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area with regional distribution centers at 32 locations throughout the United States. For more information, call 1-800-Radiator or visit on the web at www.1800Radiator.com.