Trust
Editorial Policy & Fact-Checking
How we decide what is solid enough to publish, where our figures come from, what we do not claim and how to get a mistake fixed.
Last updated Applies to cartipsmentor.com
00The short version
Editorial Policy & Fact-Checking, in four lines.
A summary to read first. The full text below is the version that counts.
Sourced
Every figure that matters points to a numbered source at the foot of its page.
Dated
Every guide shows the date it was last updated.
Independent
Advertisers do not choose our topics or change our conclusions.
Correctable
Report an error and we will check it against the source and fix it.
Our standards
Three standards every page has to meet
Accuracy
A claim is published only when we can point to where it came from. If we cannot verify a figure, we leave it out instead of estimating it.
Independence
What we cover and what we conclude are editorial decisions. Nobody can pay to change either one.
Plain English
We write for the person who owns the car, not the person who repairs it. A technical term is explained where it first appears.
Research and sources
Where our information comes from
We work from the original source wherever one exists, and we name it on the page. These are the kinds of source our guides cite today.
| Source type | Examples we cite | What we use it for |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. government | NHTSA, the EPA, the FTC, fueleconomy.gov, Ready.gov and state attorneys general | Recalls and safety, emissions and OBD rules, consumer protection law and fuel economy |
| Industry and consumer data | AAA, CarMD, Experian, Cox Automotive, J.D. Power and Edmunds | Repair costs, ownership costs, loan rates and used car prices |
| Standards and trade bodies | SAE International, UL Solutions and the International Window Film Association | OBD2 code definitions, product safety standards and tint terminology |
| Product manufacturers | The maker’s own published specifications | Durability and performance figures, always labeled as the manufacturer’s claim |
- We give the edition or the date of the data, because repair costs and loan rates change every year.
- We quote a range when the source gives a range.
- We say when a figure is a manufacturer’s own claim and not an independent measurement.
- We do not use other blogs, forums or social posts as the source for a fact.
Expert review
Who reviews a guide, and how
Guides are published under the CarTipsMentor Team byline. Before a guide goes live, each factual claim in it is checked against the source cited for it.
When a guide has also been reviewed by a certified technician or another specialist, that reviewer is named on the guide with their credentials and listed on our About page.
Product testing
What we say about products, and what we do not
We do not run a test lab, and we do not claim hands-on testing that we have not done.
Where a guide discusses a type of product, such as an OBD2 scanner, a jump starter or a ceramic coating, it explains what to look for and why. That guidance is drawn from manufacturer specifications, published safety standards and the way the product is designed to be used. See the Accessories library for how that works in practice.
- We do not rank products we have not used.
- We do not publish star ratings or “best overall” awards.
- We label a durability or performance figure as the manufacturer’s claim when that is what it is.
- If we begin testing products or earning commission on them, this page will change first and the guides involved will say so.
Updates and corrections
How pages stay current, and how errors get fixed
- 01
Scheduled reviews
We aim to review each library at least once a year, and sooner when a source it relies on publishes a new edition.
- 02
Dated updates
When a page changes in substance, its “last updated” date changes with it. Fixing a typo does not move the date.
- 03
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix the page. If the error could have affected a decision about safety or money, we add a note saying what changed.