Protecting your car's seats from pets: Six easy car care hacks

If you enjoy taking your pets along for the ride when you hit the road, you're certainly not the only one. According to the American Automobile Association, over 80% of fur baby owners drive with their pets in the car. However, it's not as simple as just tossing them in the seat next to you and hitting the highway. Your pets - albeit unintentionally - can actually damage the interior of your car, especially materials like leather, SofTex, and plastic. Toyota of N Charlotte is here with six easy car care hacks to better protect your vehicle next time you take your four-legged friend along for the ride. 

Six car care hacks to protect your car from your pets   

Hack #1: Keep your pet as calm as possible. The calmer your pet is, the less damage they're likely to do to your car's backseat. Keep them occupied with treats and toys to prevent excessive slobbering or moving around the back, and ask your vet for suggestions if your pet gets overly nervous in the car. 

Hack #2: Get them groomed routinely. Another great way to protect your car is to get your pet groomed regularly. Routine grooming and nail trimming will keep your pet from scratching the seats and shedding like crazy, leaving hair everywhere. 

Hack #3: Buy a car hammock. Did you know that we sell pet car hammocks at Toyota of N Charlotte? This car care accessory effectively creates a hammock in your backseat that not only keeps your dog from jumping into the front but also protects the seats themselves from being scratched and drooled on. 

Hack #4: Explore the idea of door protectors. Your seats aren't the only part of your backseat taking a beating from your pets. When they stand up to look out the windows, their nails can damage the plastic and the trim on your car doors. Door protectors may seem like overkill, but they can save you a lot of money in the long run. 

Hack #5: Protect your cargo area. Even if you put your pet back in the cargo area of the car, there's still a risk that they can scratch the plastic sides or that you could end up with endless hair stuck in the floor mat. Protect it all - invest in a cargo area protector to save yourself time and money in the future. 

Hack #6: Think about a car seat for your pet. They actually make these, believe it or not. They're sort of like booster seats that 1) keep your pet contained in one spot and 2) allow you to secure your pet via a harness and the car's seatbelt. So they're dual purpose - your pet is safer, and so is your car. 

Shop for car care accessories at Toyota of N Charlotte 

Want more tips or need to shop for pet car care accessories? Toyota of N Charlotte is here to help. Call us today at (704) 875-9199 or stop by! We're open seven days a week at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. 

Driving in a tornado: What you should know

Driving in bad weather can be disconcerting at best and dangerous at worst. That's why it's best to be prepared for anything and everything that Mother Nature could throw your way. Toyota of N Charlotte has tons of tips on how to drive safely in bad weather, and today we're tackling a big one: tornados. Check out these tips on how to safely drive in a tornado. 

Six tips for driving in a tornado

#1: Know how to spot the signs that one is imminent. If bad weather is approaching, you should get alerts on your phone or on your N Charlotte Toyota's radio. However, it's also a good idea to know how to spot signs that a tornado is imminent, like: 

• The sky is turning a dark green color
• An uneasy, still quietness in the middle of a storm, especially if you were just driving in heavy rain or hail
• A loud roaring noise that sounds like a train or a vacuum cleaner
• Debris falling around you or a cloud of debris at ground-level
• A rotating funnel extending out of a cloud

#2: Get off the road as quickly as you can. Now is the time to get OFF the road and find a safe building in which to shelter. Pull into the nearest parking lot and try to get to safety as quickly as you can. 

#3: Don't try to outrun the tornado. You should never try to outrun a tornado. These storms are unpredictable, can change paths at any moment, and can even disappear and then drop back down in a new spot. Outrunning it isn't a smart option. 

#4: If you can't find shelter, look for a low-lying area. If you can't find anywhere to shelter in place, try to find a low-lying area like a ditch or a ravine around you. Park your car, exit it and make a run for the low-lying area. Once you're there, cover your head with your hands and arms. 

#5: DO NOT park under a bridge or in a tunnel. Parking under a bridge or in a tunnel may seem like a safe space to take shelter, but it's not. These spaces actually turn into wind tunnels when the weather is bad, and you're at high risk of being hit by debris. 

#6: Shelter in your car if you have to. If you can't find anywhere to shelter and there are no low-lying areas to lie in, you should stay in your car. Put it in park, put on your seatbelt, and try to stay down below the line of the windows. You should also cover your head with a blanket or jacket if you have one, as well as your arms. 

Get more tips for driving in a tornado from Toyota of N Charlotte 

Feel like you need to brush up on your safe driving in a tornado or any bad weather? Toyota of N Charlotte always has tips! Call us today at (704) 875-9199. You can also stop by at 13429 Statesville Road, just west of I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. 

What do you do if something gets stuck under your car?

 Road hazards are everywhere around you, whether they look like one or not. And believe it or not, damage to the body of your car isn't the only type of damage you could be looking at when you hit the road. Getting something stuck underneath your car can also do expensive damage to your N Charlotte Toyota, which is why our expert service techs are here to explain what to do in this roadside car emergency and how to handle it. 

How common is it to get something stuck under your car?

You may think it's uncommon to get something stuck under your car, but it's not. Our Charlotte auto service center commonly sees things like: 

• Balls or other sports equipment and toys getting stuck under cars
• Debris or trash from the road, like plastic bags, construction debris, or debris left over from an accident 
• A part on the vehicle actually coming loose, like a skid plate or heat protection cover, and dragging on the ground underneath the car 

No matter what it is, it can do damage to the underside of the car and leave you with an expensive repair bill to contend with. That's why in these roadside car emergency scenarios, it's critical to know how to handle things. Here are the steps our Charlotte Toyota service techs recommend taking should something get stuck under your car. 

#1: Pull over and put the car in park. Your first step should be to immediately pull over and put the car in park once you realize what's going on. Pull into a parking lot if you can; if not, find a flat, level spot free of mud and sand and far away from the passing traffic. Put your car in park, pull your emergency brake, and turn on your hazards so other drivers can see your vehicle better. 

#2: Figure out what's under the car and if you can remove it or not. Next, it's time to figure out what's under the car. Be sure to stay far away from passing traffic as you try to ascertain what it is, and try to avoid crawling under the car if you can. We also recommend keeping a flashlight on hand to help you see better, especially if the lighting is dim. 

After you've figured out what it is, you have to figure out if you can remove it or not. If it feels like you're trying to force it out, hold off - you could actually do more harm than good trying to remove it from under your vehicle and damage more parts, especially if the thing in question is a car part that's come loose. For sports balls, try to deflate them before you pull them out to lessen the damage. 

#3: Have your car checked out after the fact. Regardless of whether or not you think there's damage, you should bring your car to Toyota of N Charlotte to be checked out after this roadside emergency. Let our techs inspect the underside of the car, especially if you notice a leak, an odd noise or smell, or anything else that's out of the ordinary. 

Let Toyota of N Charlotte help you recover from this roadside car emergency

Have questions about this common roadside car emergency? Visit Toyota of N Charlotte today at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. You can also call us seven days a week at (704) 659-2025 or schedule online.