About

About Car Care File

Car Care File is a small independent publication about car care gear and basic upkeep. We write for US drivers who want to handle the simple jobs and keep the right gear in the trunk.

How we research

We are upfront about this: we have not bench-tested the products on this site. Our guides rest on three things.

• Manufacturer spec sheets. Key specs come from each maker's own product page or data sheet. Each product card links to that page and shows the date we checked it.
• Arithmetic you can check. When we estimate or calculate, we show the formula and the assumptions.
• Public safety guidance. Safety and maintenance advice comes from NHTSA and your vehicle's owner's manual, linked where we use it.

When a maker's own figure sounds optimistic, we label it as the maker's figure.

How we make money

Some links are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Brands do not pay for placement and do not review our articles before publication. Read the full affiliate disclosure.

Corrections and contact

Spot a spec that changed or a mistake in our math? Email hello@carcarefile.com and we will fix it and note the update date on the page.