The Interviews -

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Kayla Van Koll (19 -F)

Car type: Drives a ford fusion - is her second car (12 years old). Has had this car for 3 years. First car was a Nissan Sentra. Was a 2002. Both were given to her from her parents as hand - me - downs. Drives almost every day but tries not to. Drives for work and school, does not drive long distances. 30 minutes is an average - everything is close by. Both cars have been reliable cars however with age, they got more difficult to take care of. Car HISTORY : Her first car had a lot of problems as it was an older, more used car. One example was that the car would shake whenever it was idle, this is something that really worried her. Eventually she got a new car because of this reason. She has had several moments with the car in the past, most of them caused by her. For example, she locked her keys in the car, left her lights on and left the engine running all night long one time. Luckily she had her phone during all of these moments and thus called Triple A and her father, however in the case where she did not have her phone, she would either look for someone who was willing to let her borrow a phone or she would panic. car knowledge: She spends roughly $50 a month, if that on car repairs. Her father taught her about the basic car repairs (tire rotation, oil change)​  She takes her car to her dads mechanic as he is the trusted family mechanic. She says her dad

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Jordin Riley (29-F)

Car type:​ Drives a 2007 Hyundai accent - is her second car (10 years old) First car was a white 91 Pontiach grand prix.  Drives 3 - 4 times a week but likes to take public transportation more now that she's a student. Bought her first car from an auction, her grandparents helped her find and purchase the car. She bought her second car brand new, from the dealer. Found it online and compared it with other types before buying the car. Car HISTORY: Purchased her current car based on three factors: reliability, affordability and good mileage for a big city. Bought that car when she was a student so she needed something easy to take care of and was affordable. Reviews and price were the hero that made her decision.  car knowledge:​ Her car has been fairly maintenance free. The only big moment that she can think of was when her car shut off while at a red light. Her plan of action went like this: Panicked at first, restarted the car and pulled over, as soon as she could, she took the car to the mechanic and had it checked out. She thought the problem was the oil change? That was not the case.

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John Van Koll (52 -M)

Car type:​ Owns 4 cars currently, this is the most he has ever owned in his life. His first car was a Camaro 1977 LT. He currently drives a Chevy cruz, diesel 2017 (just recently bought it) His wife drives a 2012 Mercedes Benz 250. His daughter drives a Ford Fusion 2011 and he has a vintage 1966 Bug. Out of all of these cars, the Mercedes Benz has costed the most in maintenance. Car HISTORY: Recently purchased a diesel chevy because his old commuter car was getting old. While shopping, he was looking for gas economy and comfort. As a younger driver, when shopping for a new car, he was looking for a car based on style and power - this has changed a lot. He crashed his first car. Just recently, his new car stopped working in the middle of the road, he was not able to diagnose the issue at first glance therefore he had to call a tow truck and have it taken to his mechanic. car maintenance: He has used his current mechanic for the past 6 or so years as he is trustworthy, fair in price and honest. 

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John Nelson (35 -M)

Car type: John is very knowledgable when it comes to cars. He served as a mechanic in the airforce so he is very good with his hands and the tools that are involved with machines and engines.  He currently owns two cars, one is for commuting and the other is for pleasure. The commuting car is a Jeep and the hobby car is a 1967 Volkswagon - super cool car. Has owned several cars in his lifetime but the two cars he owns now are his favorite mostly because they are easy, reliable and fun. His wife drives the jeep mostly for work and life and the Volkswagon is something they drive for a fun weekend outing, not something they can rely on.  Car HISTORY: He has not had any major problems with his cars in the last five months but he has had a problem with his cars heater. This was something that did not cause him to take off work and it was not something he could fix in that moment therefor he had to take the car to a mechanic. Since this particular issue, he had discovered a mechanic that he gets a long well with and relies on. However, in most situations he has been able to diagnose a situation and fix it in that moment.  car knowledge: S He has an extensive background with car maintenance.

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Lauren Hipolito (29-f)

Car type: 2008 Honda Pilot, boyfriend has a Toyota SRV. Drives mostly for road trips or for farther distances. She lives in the city so she usually just takes bart to work - she buys cars that are big and reliable for road trips mostly - she doesnt need a car for the city right now Car history: R She has driven several cars in her life and hasn't had too many problems with most of them. She is able to notice when he cars are starting to give out and she then is able to save it before something serious happens.  Car maintenance: Lauren has a lot of prior knowledge with car maintenance as well. Her father and older brother taught her all the basics of tire maintenance as a kid. Growing up in a small farm town, kids were expected to have knowledge of these sorts of things. She is very comfortable changing a tire, changing the oil, starting a battery etc.

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Ashley Ryan  (21-f)

Car type: Drives a  7 year old Nissan Altima Car history: Ashley has a range of problems with her cars. The first was a problem with shaking while on the freeway. All the lights in the car turned on and she had to pull over in a state of panic. She then called her dad and asked for his help in the situation. Triple A was able to help pick up the car and take care of  the situation. Because her car is a hybrid, she's noticed that its maintenance is a little bit different and requires different things but that she would definitely buy the car again as it has been reliable, safe and low gas mileage which means less gas money. Something that she is very happy about. Car maintenance: Ashley has very little car maintenance knowledge. She relies mostly on her parents to help her with big situations. Her car is a hybrid so it has unique problems for it.

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Leo Tamayo (26-f)

Car type: 2008 Ford Focus and 2012 Volkswagon Jetta. Drives only two days a week for leisure purpose as she takes bart to and from work.  Car history: Leo owns two cars know and is very aware of the amount of money and care goes into both. She purchased her cars in hopes that they would require little maintenance, be reliable and be safe. She feels that both of these cars have done just that and has little break downs with both. Besides the fact that she has had some damage to the car due to other drivers, she has not had to take either car in for unusual behavior.  Car maintenance: Leo's brother in law is a mechanic and has taught her almost all she knows about cars today. If on the side of the road, leo would be able to change a tire, boost her battery etc. and she owes all of this information to her brother in law. Leo also asked to learn these things so she feels good about that too.

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Ashley Frohlking (23-f)

Car type: Drives a 2009 Toyota Tacoma Truck. Its her first car she's ever owned and or driven. Got the car as a gift from her grandfather.  Car history: Ashley has some knowledge with car maintenance however its not super great. She's wishes to know much more about car maintenance and wishes that she didn't spend so much money on cars when she could be saving it. She just recently had to take her car into a mechanic to get her brakes redone. She knew that she had to get new brakes for a while but was holding out due to money. She has a family friend that is a mechanic so he took a look at the brakes and told her she needs new brakes. In the past she has taken her car to her friend and he has fixed the car for her with no charge however this time she was not in the are where her friend lives so she had to find a new mechanic. She found a mechanic that she loved. He was helpful, informative, safe and reliable - all the qualities of something she really values. Car maintenance.