Mother's Day Gift Giving Guide -- CarMD® Vehicle Health SystemTM (Review)

Know how much repairs should cost -

• Get vehicle repair details and costs at home


• Diagnoses engine lights for you in easy-to-understand English


• Know issue severity in seconds from the front seat

Yes, I know what you are thinking, "Why would I want a car gadget for Mother's Day?"  Well, this isn't any gadget.  CarMD is a device that will not only save you money on car repairs (necessary and unnecessary),  but it will provide you with peace of mind, when you bring your car to the shop to be worked on.

Unfortunately my husband is not a car guy, so whenever we have issues with our cars, we have to take it to a mechanic to have the problem diagnosed and repaired.  It wasn't until recently that I began to get leery of the folks we took my husband's car to to have fixed.  My husband heard a squeaking noise in the front end, and after having it looked at, the mechanic said we needed a new radiator.  Now, we don't know much about cars, but we knew it couldn't be this.  I ended up having my father take the car to a family friend who was a mechanic, who diagnosed the problem as needing new brake pads, and an axle.  Even though these repairs were over $500, it was way less than the radiator repair quote, which if we had done, wouldn't have fixed the issues.  Since this incident, I now make my husband take the cars to a few mechanics for diagnosis and pricing, until we can find a mechanic close by we trust.

But, what can we do in the meantime when a car problem needs diagnosing?  I can simply pull out the CarMD device and have it scan my car's system to check for and report minor repairs that need to be attended to.  Included in your full report, which you retrieve from the CarMD website, you also are given all the recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs), in case you didn't receive them in the mail or were unaware of them.  These minor repairs can save you hundreds and keep your car running properly.  I was surprised at the recalls for both my husband and my car, which we never knew about.  And, with the phone number to call, I was able to confirm that our cars fell under these recalled items, and was able to have them fixed this past week at the dealerships, free of charge.  Without the handy car diagnostic gadget, we wouldn't have known about these recalls, and other minor repairs, including a burnt out taillight, that needed to be addressed.

Even if you have a mechanic-minded husband at home, the CarMD will come in handy when he is not available, or isn't sure what the problem is.  I also think that device would make for a great graduation gift, for your teens who are heading off to college with their cars.  CarMD will provide you with peace of mind, when it comes to diagnosing problems with your vehicles, which in turn will save you $$$ when you bring it to the repair shop and let them know what is wrong.

 What Sets CarMD Apart from Other OBD-II Tools / Code Readers?:

• The CarMD® Vehicle Health System™ is designed as a consumer empowerment tool to provide the average driver with the tools and information needed to monitor their vehicles’ health and make educated decisions about the vehicles’ health and maintenance. It is not designed for professional or heavy do-it-yourself users.

• Sitting behind the CarMD device is an unparalleled backend database built and updated daily over the last 15 years by CarMD’s North American network of automotive service excellence (ASE)-certified mechanics. When CarMD presents you with a most likely fix for your vehicle, we are sifting through more than a half-million real-life fixes made by skilled mechanics who work on cars just like yours every day. Other code readers simply produce a diagnostic code, whereas CarMD connects to the CarMD Vehicle Health Database through your Mac/PC to help diagnose problems, estimate repair costs by postal code, look up safety recalls and technical service bulletins, and catch problems before they turn into expensive repairs.

• While there are other OBD-II code readers designed for do-it-yourself and professional use, CarMD is the only product that gives average drivers both the diagnostic tool and access into the largest database related to on-board diagnostic failures. It features real-life fixes for real-life failures based on OBD-II codes, year, make, model, engine and transmission, and mileage, and even earned the 2009 Professional Tool & Equipment News award for best repair information service. This online service empowers consumers whether they visit the mechanic or want to do the repairs themselves.

Product Updates and Features:

The most current version of the CarMD Vehicle Health System is designed for use with both Mac and PC

systems.

•Everything you need to diagnose your registered vehicles is included with the price of a CarMD purchase, including FREE lifetime software and firmware updates.

•The updated CarMD product also features completely upgraded components that allow it to read ABS (anti-lock brake) and SRS (safety restraint system) diagnostic codes. CarMD customers are now be able to diagnose dashboard-warning lights beyond the “check engine” light with more of an emphasis on safety, for those makes and models that comply with ABS and SRS OBD2 standards (availability varies by make and model).

•The CarMD handheld device covers newer model hybrid, heavy duty and clean diesel vehicles, and is

updateable to pass along coverage for future model years at no additional cost, which means that the CarMD system you buy today can be used on the car you buy tomorrow, a rarity with today’s electronic products.

•The CarMD diagnostic reports have been re-designed in easy-to-navigate tab format. The reports now feature a Staying Healthy category that includes a list of safety recalls for each registered vehicle, as well as a list of Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs), which can often lead to low- or no-cost repairs and catch intermittent, finicky or known problems. This may be of interest to consumers because recalls have been abuzz in the news.

•The updated www.CarMD.com web portal is also completely re-designed, with value-added updates applied to the site regularly. It features new video content, including Vehicle Health Matters features, do-it- yourself how-to’s and used car video reviews to help educate consumers and save drivers money.

•CarMD customers can quickly check an unlimited number of vehicles. They can also register up to three (3) vehicles and run a total of six (6) monthly diagnostic reports for their registered vehicles. If more coverage is needed, CarMD now offers the option to add additional vehicles and reports for a nominal charge.

•CarMD also offers the option to purchase a Premium Vehicle Health Plan Membership, which provides CarMD customers with value-added information to monitor their vehicles’ health, including warranty & scheduled service information and access to see detailed descriptions for all of the technical service bulletins for your registered cars. This can often result in low- or no-cost repairs, and is a great value if you have more than 10 known TSBs for any one of your vehicles (some vehicles have more than 600 TSBs). The product includes free lifetime updates. This subscription option is not required for a customer to benefit from the CarMD product

So, with Mother's Day a week away, why not order the CarMD for your mother or daughter today?  Once you buy this device, you can upgrade your membership to add additional vehicles to your plan, which is great for larger families.

---BUY NOW---

Click here to purchase CarMD online for only $119.85, which you can split up into 3 monthly payments.

Disclosure:  I was sent a sample from the vendor in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.