When Nicki says the car is making a different noise, I know to follow up. Her diagnostic skills have proven correct every time and with her superior hearing acuity, it’s often something I haven’t noticed. Latest malady: bad front wheel hub. Her description of the sound was spot-on and the mechanic concurred. Bad wheel hub: critical part.

I know many car owners ignore check-engine lights and squeaking brakes but when you let a lot of little problems build up, it eventually is too costly to restore the car’s serviceability without breaking the bank. A popular filter ad said, “You can pay me now,...