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The Best of Car Talk

NPR

America's funniest auto mechanics take calls from weary car owners all over the country, and crack wise while they diagnose Dodges and dismiss Diahatsus. You don't have to know anything about cars to love this one hour weekly laugh fest.

Location:

Cambridge, MA

Networks:

NPR

WBUR

Description:

America's funniest auto mechanics take calls from weary car owners all over the country, and crack wise while they diagnose Dodges and dismiss Diahatsus. You don't have to know anything about cars to love this one hour weekly laugh fest.

Twitter:

@cartalk

Language:

English

Contact:

Car Talk Plaza, Box 3500 Harvard Square Cambridge, MA, 02238 888-227-8255


Episodes
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#2552: A Second Opinion

7/1/2025
Eric isn't done with medical school yet but he's already being called-in for second opions... by his mechanic. Can Doctors Click and Clack help to save this patient? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:35:47

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#2551: No Shift

6/28/2025
Gus has an old pickup that won't shift into park, which makes leav ing it anywhere that isn't dead flat a real challenge. All the other gears work fine. Should he throw a couple of cinderblocks in the trunk to use as wheel chocks, or will Click and Clack come up with a less ridiculous solution? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:36:15

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#2550: My Car is Afraid of Traffic

6/24/2025
Kristin was heading home from work recently and had a 'near dent experience', just narrowly missing another vehicle. Ever since, her car has become timid -stalling at crucial times. Find out if Click and Clack can solve Kristin's car's confidence problem on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:44

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#2549: Fix it or 'Fix it'

6/21/2025
Alita is so bored up in Quechee, Vermont that she and her boyfriend think it'll be more fun to put a brick on the gas pedal of their Nissan and watch the motor melt than it would be to fix it. Will Click and Clack be aghast at this act of 'autocide', or will they make some popcorn and watch the fireworks? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:44

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#2548: Correlation Run Amok

6/17/2025
Teddi and Gloria both have stumbled onto personal rituals to deal with their unreliable cars. In Teddi's case she's struggling to start her car in the driveway, but Gloria is convinced that turning her car off and back on while flying down the highway is 'the cure'. Can Click and Clack get Teddi going and stop Gloria before she crashes at high speed? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:10

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#2547: Test Drives with a Car Sick Dog

6/14/2025
Jann is willing to consider several different vehicles to replace her Honda, but her labrador retriever is a little pickier. And the doggie expresses her displeasure by barfing all over car interiors. Will car salesman be suspicious when Jann starts covering everything in plastic before test drives, or do Click and Clack have a surefire puke prevention plan? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:34:21

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#2546: Death Valley Dinesh

6/10/2025
There are thrill seekers and then there is Dinesh. Dinesh wants to walk through Death Valley in the middle of Summer -presumably because 'it's there', or something. And somehow this involves a car question that isn't a hearse. Can Click and Clack throw some shade on Dinesh' crazy plans? Or will they just try and convince him to add their names to his life insurance policy? Find out on this parched episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:48

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#2545: The Cruller Curse

6/7/2025
To combat the curse of regular, expensive, brake failures Tamitha has made an offering to the brake gods of a donut that sits on her dash. Months later the donut is getting pretty nasty up there next to the windshield and the brakes keep on failing. Can Click and Clack reverse the curse -or at least offer Tamitha a fresh cruller? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:37:34

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#2544: I Fixed the Car Again, Honey!

6/3/2025
Linda's husband sensed that she was getting tired of their old Volvo. So he decided to turn it into a convertible -permanently- by chopping off the top of the car with a grinding tool. 'Fixed' isn't what Linda is thinking here. What will Click and Clack think? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:51

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#2543: When is it OK to Yell at Your Mechanic?

5/31/2025
Two weeks after being paid to rotate and rebalance her car's tires, Liz' mechanic says they all now need to be replaced. Liz, sensing a rip off or at least bad service, started yelling at him. Was Liz wrong? Find out if Click and Clack get yelled at, too on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:33:44

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#2542: Sailing from Milwaukee to Dallas

5/27/2025
Steph is about to pilot her sailboat, loaded with ten cases of wine, from Milwaukee to the friendly port of... Dallas, Texas. Since she's unlikely to find navigable waters all the way there, Steph wants to get her old Subaru in shape for the trip. Will Click and Clack tell her she's crazy or will they ask to join ship's crew in exchange for some of that wine? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:32:03

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#2541: It's Raining Cars

5/24/2025
The freeways in Los Angeles are no place for the faint of heart. After surviving a multi-car pileup, Matt feels incredibly lucky to be safely ensconced in a tow truck heading home along with his wounded Volvo, until he notices that the Volvo has apparently taken a different route home. Will Matt and his 850 be reunited? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:36:46

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#2540: Some Car Noises are Better Than Others

5/20/2025
Most car noises are annoying or abrasive but Sharon's Ford is making a very regular 'come hither' purrr. Will Click and Clack fix this one or help Sharon patent it and make a fortune? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:37:09

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#2539: Cindy's Maalox Moment

5/17/2025
Cindy is a painter and a nervous one at that. One night, while taking a break from painting to add oil to her BMW she mixed up her containers and accidentally poured a few glugs of maalox into her engine. Cindy's Bimmer no longer has acid reflux, but is it otherwise ruined? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:36:16

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#2538: Noah's Park

5/13/2025
Noah's about to go on a 'voyage' of sorts(Think endless concrete and iron bars instead of ocean). His beloved, a '76 Dodge Van, will be pining away for him until he figures out how to escape. Should he put his getaway vehicle in storage or just leave it idling at the secret hideout? Click and Clack are Noah's wheel men on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:34:22

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#2537: The Bro

5/10/2025
Nancy's hubby has finally gone too far with his car gadget hobby. He's constantly taking an oversized undergarment on and off the front of his Acura. Click and Clack attempt to lift and separate the various underlying issues on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:35:57

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#2536: The Felix Unger Noise

5/6/2025
Car noises can be tricky things to describe. Paula's Ford is making an annoying, whiny, nasal sound that reminds our odd couple of hosts of another 'Odd Couple' from the past. Check out this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:35:54

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#2535: How to Stack Your Sled Dogs

5/3/2025
Liz is a Maine-iac who is looking for a new vehicle for her and her 23 sled dogs that'll get them to frozen parts unknown. Can Click and Clack come up with a car that all 24 of them can fit in, or at least one light enough for the doggies to pull? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:34:30

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#2534: Uncle Know it All

4/29/2025
Scott has an ex-aerospace industry relative who's affectionately referred to as 'Uncle Know-it-all' and has been telling Scott that he's driving his car all wrong. Can Click and Clack land this one safely? Find out on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:35:29

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#2533: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Jalopy

4/26/2025
The jig is up! Morley Safer from CBS' 60 minutes has tracked us down! But, wait: It turns out that ol' Morley just wanted to defend the most indefensible of automobile makers: the French! Morley's folly on this episode of the Best of Car Talk. Get access to hundreds of episodes in the Car Talk archive when you sign up for Car Talk+ at plus.npr.org/cartalk Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

Duration:00:37:18