Q: I purchased a 2011 Corolla in June. It had a gaping hole for the radio, which the dealer then installed. It is just recently that I have had to use the rear defroster, and I found out that it cuts out my FM radio station while it is on. I have been gathering as much info on this as I can, and it’s definitely “a thing” out there. I only have 500 miles on the car, but it is beyond the 60-day warranty, so the dealer said they probably won’t make any necessary repairs.
My main concern is if it should be any more of an issue than just a temporary nuisance I can live with. Your expert take on this?
J.F., Chicago
A: The radio antenna is in the rear window, and damage in the rear window defroster circuit can interfere with radio reception. But you don’t have to live with this nuisance. You can plug your phone into the almost hidden port on the lower dash next to the glove compartment to enjoy your favorite tunes.
Q: I have been told the two front struts on my 2017 Buick Enclave should be replaced. The replacement parts come two ways. The lower-cost way is to purchase the strut and re-use the bearing plate, jounce bumper, dust boot, coil spring, lower spring isolator and upper spring isolator. The higher-cost way is to purchase the complete strut assembly that includes the bearing plate, jounce bumper, dust boot, coil spring, lower spring isolator and upper spring isolator. What are the pros and cons of these options?
R.H., Central Hills, Pennsylvania
A: As a mechanic, I favor the complete assembly. It saves a lot of time. Rebuilding the struts is a hassle and will also take a couple more hours. Keep in mind that labor rates may vary.
Q: My dashboard lenses were looking a little scuzzy. I tried Windex and they are worse — hard to see the dash clearly. My Toyota dealer (2020 Rav4) suggested headlight cleaner. Best idea or any other thoughts?
B.J., Rockford, Illinois
A: Headlight restoration stuff may be a little too aggressive. To clean and remove small scratches on my Harley windshield, I use Novus 2. (Novus 3 is for deeper scratches and Novus 1 only cleans and shines.)
Q: I just purchased a 2025 Camry Hybrid XSE with all the upgrades. Imagine my surprise when I went to set up the memory seats, but there were no buttons to do that! Memory seats are shown in the Camry manual, but they don’t exist. The dealer said none of the Camrys come with memory seats. How can that be? Even some lower-level cars have them!
D.P., Port Charlotte, Florida
A: The memory seats aren’t available on the XSE. They are only available on the XLE with the premium or premium plus package.
Q: The blind-spot warning (BSW) on my car has been working intermittently. I got a new battery and now it works just fine. If the battery was constantly being recharged at 13.5 volts, why should the BSW sometimes fail, since the voltage on the power bus is always well above 12 volts?
R.L., Naperville, Illinois
A: The voltage on the power bus may be constant, but the message for the serial bus node for the BSW may have had a glitch. I have a hunch that replacing the battery may have acted like a cold reboot.
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