Automobiles are quite the wonder. For thousands of years, people relied on horses or their own two feet for traveling. As the old English proverb says, “necessity is the mother of invention”, and there was definitely a necessity for other means of travel for going further and faster.
Did you know that, when vehicles were first introduced in 1886, few families could afford them and ownership was considered a luxury? Today, there are 1.4 billion cars—that’s about one car for every seven people!
Fasten your seatbelts and check out more interesting car facts. Save these fun facts for your next trivia night or your next road trip and have some fun as you cruise down the highway.
Operational Car Facts
1. About half an ounce of fuel is needed to start a car. Meanwhile, it takes about 2.7 cups of coffee for a human to get started!
2. Airbags move at speeds up to 4,500 MPH and deploy within 40 milliseconds of collisions. They are designed to deploy at impact speeds of 19 MPH. I hope this fact isn’t inflated.
Repair Car Facts
3. The average car contains over 30,000 parts. It’s a guarantee at least one of them will break.
4. Every year, over $60 billion worth of car maintenance goes unperformed. That can equate to billions in repairs later on!
5. Faulty oxygen sensors account for many check engine light related issues. Not the check engine light!
6. The average car has more than 100 miles of code in the vehicle’s internal computer. How does it fit in there?
7. The average vehicle owner can expect to pay about $400 a year on scheduled maintenance, diagnostics, and other repairs. That’s a lot less than costly repairs down the road!
8. The average auto repair costs about $305.55. Includes parts, labor, tax, and associated inconvenience!
Traffic Car Facts
9. The average American spends nearly two weeks of their life sitting at red lights. Better than sitting at the DMV.
10. Traffic congestion wastes about three billion gallons of fuel each year. Talk about a gas guzzler!
Driving Car Facts
11. It would take nearly a month to drive to the moon at 60 MPH. What’s the speed limit in space, anyway?
12. 90% of drivers admit to singing in the car. Hairbrush microphones not included.
13. The world’s first speeding ticket was issued in 1902. The driver was allegedly traveling at 45 MPH. Scandalous!
14. The highest mileage clocked by one car was 2,850,000 miles: the equivalent of driving around the planet 100 times. Maybe the driver refused to ask for directions?
Historical Car Facts
15. The word “car” is derived from the Latin word ‘Carrum’ which means “two-wheeled Celtic war chariot.” Is there a Latin word for Sport Utility Vehicle?
16. The automotive industry employs about 9.9 million Americans. That’s about 5.1% of private-sector employment. It’s a “wheely” good career choice.
17. Volvo is Latin for “I roll”. That’s how I roll.
18. The 2011 Ford Crown Victoria was the last car to offer a cassette tape player as an option. Did it come with a pencil to fix the tape when it jammed?
19. The first windshield wipers were operated by hand. Not very handy.
20. Gas gauges weren’t added to cars until 1922. That’s a little over thirty-five years after the first car was produced. I hope they had roadside assistance for all the drivers that ran out of gas!
Unusual Car Facts
21. Most cars honk in the key of “F”. What if they’re out of tune? Do they need a tune-up?
22. The most people ever to fit in a Smart Car is nineteen. Not very smart or comfortable.
23. “New car smell” is composed of 50 volatile organic compounds (VOC). Prolonged exposure to VOCs can result in serious health effects. Mmm, I love the smell of 50 volatile organic compounds in the morning!
24. In the United States, a car is stolen every 45 seconds. Lock your doors, people!
25. The most popular car color is white. The least favorite color is purple. Go figure.
Thanks for riding along with us through these fun car facts! At Sun Auto Service, we like car facts, but we’re serious about cars. When you have questions about your vehicle, whether it’s about regular maintenance or repairs, visit a location near you. Our friendly Service Advisors can answer any of your questions. When service is needed, our knowledgeable and experienced ASE-Certified Technicians will perform them professionally to your satisfaction.
