In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show

The car market is doing better than the mood of the country, and that contradiction is exactly where we start. We talk with Jack Nerad from America on the Road about what he’s seeing up close, from California fuel prices to the real-world demand that keeps new vehicles moving even when the media drumbeat says the economy is falling apart. Jack shares highlights from a trip to Georgia to see Hyundai and Kia production firsthand, including how fast modern plants build vehicles and why early al...

Recalls are supposed to be rare. Lately they feel like a weekly habit, and we’re not letting them slide by as background noise. We kick things off by walking through a stack of new automotive recalls and what they mean for real drivers, from incorrect front wheel hub bolts to rollaway risk, seatbelt warning system problems, rear camera failures, airbag inflator concerns, and even driver-assist systems that can hit the brakes when you least expect it. If you care about car safety, reliability,...

Four-wheel steering sounds like magic the first time you feel it. One moment you’re guiding a big SUV through a tight parking lot, the next it feels weirdly nimble, like the vehicle shrank around you. We dig into what all-wheel steering (AWS) actually does, when the rear wheels turn opposite the fronts, when they turn in parallel for stability, and why modern drive-by-wire control brings both benefits and new worries. We also get honest about the parts nobody puts in the brochure: added weigh...

Indy didn’t just get faster in the 1960s, it transformed. We’re joined by racing author and veteran journalist Rick Saffer to unpack the Indianapolis 500 era from 1962 to 1972, when track records fell at a shocking pace and the Speedway became a live laboratory for IndyCar engineering. We talk about the people who shaped it, the cars that redefined it, and why that decade still explains so much about modern American open-wheel racing. Rick takes us through the biggest technology shifts at In...

Woodie wagons are usually filed away as beach-cruiser nostalgia, but once you hear the details, they turn into rolling history lessons. We’re back with Mary Argruza from the Savoy Auto Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, for a lively tour through a woodie display that connects craftsmanship, wartime problem-solving, and the moment the American station wagon became the default family road trip machine. If you love classic cars, automotive museums, and the stories behind the sheetmetal, this one i...

You can feel it when a business is built on momentum instead of luck and Jesse Jackson brings that energy in a big way. We talk with the founder of Mango Automotive about how she jumps from software and automotive industry data into the brick-and-mortar world, buying her first auto repair shop while still learning what it truly takes to run a service bay, lead a team, and win customer trust. The result is a fast growth story that’s equal parts mindset, operations, and gritty daily execution.&...

Recalls, auction shockers, racing, and a little automotive history whiplash all land in one fast-moving hour, and it starts with a simple reality: most of us are driving computers on wheels now. We dig into the latest vehicle recalls, from Mercedes-Benz instrument display issues and seat belt concerns to Tesla rear view camera problems and a Ram tire speed-rating warning. The most useful tip is also the easiest one: we walk through how to use SaferCar.gov with your VIN so you can confirm open...

Run-flat tires sound like a simple promise: keep driving after a puncture and skip the spare. The reality is more nuanced, and we dig into the details that actually matter when you’re stuck on the side of the road asking the big question: can a run-flat tire be plugged? We talk through why run-flats cost more, how the reinforced sidewall carries the load after pressure drops, and why the puncture location (tread vs sidewall) changes everything. We also get into the practical stuff most driver...

128 cars entered a factory stock dirt race and the winner took home $30,000. That single stat says a lot about where American racing energy is flowing right now, so we sit down with award-winning track announcer Rodney Rodriguez to unpack why dirt track racing in Texas and Louisiana keeps growing while asphalt fights for attention. We get into what “affordable” racing really means, how teams spend money, and why the crowds and car counts keep showing up for dirt. Then we zoom out to the driv...

A wheel stud that “may separate,” airbags that are “misassembled,” and fuel tanks that can leak after a crash. That’s not clickbait, that’s our recall list. We kick things off with straight talk on the latest automotive recalls, including 2026 Hyundai models, the Tesla Cybertruck, Volkswagen Taos, Land Rover Defender, Audi Q5 seat belt concerns, and even instrument panel display failures tied to the Dodge Charger EV and Jeep Wagoneer S. If you like your car news useful, fast, and a little ske...

Ford supplying boat propellers sounds like a punchline, until you hear what happened next. We break down a Detroit manufacturing story where Ford becomes the supplier for a startup propeller company and uses 3D sand casting to collapse lead times from months to days. It’s not just a cool headline, it’s a clear signal of how advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and deep supplier networks can reshape a small business overnight. From there, we zoom out on the bigger question: a...