10 Surprising Car Secrets You’ve Never Heard

For many people, discovering your vehicle’s quirks, facts, and features is as enjoyable as driving it. Many vehicles boast fun facts that seem hard to believe, but trust us; they’re all true. After visiting an online car community, they offered these fun facts.

From turn signal sound origins to the optional air conditioning – and everything in between – we will unveil some truly mind-blowing facts and quirks about many of your favorite vehicles.

Volvo’s Turn Signal Sound

Volvo's Turn Signal Sound
Image Editorial credit: William Barton / Shutterstock.com

We have to admit. Our jaws hit the floor when we discovered this amusing fact about Volvo vehicles. Volvo’s turn signal sound comes from the sound of branches being broken in the Swedish forest. “Took about 300 different branches to find the perfect sound.” This kind of attention to detail is why many drivers swear by Volvo and the vehicles it manufactures.

Mazda’s Low Gas Light

Mazda's Low Gas Light
Image Editorial credit: Thierry Hebbelinck / Shutterstock.com

We can’t believe it took Mazda so long to add this necessary feature to one of their best-selling vehicles. It was 2003 before the Mazda Miata got a low gas warning light. So while the Miata always has had a fuel gauge, owners didn’t have the luxury of an illuminating light signifying it is time to stop at a gas station until curiously late in the car’s production.

Jeep’s Optional Air Conditioning

Jeep's Optional Air Conditioning
Image Editorial credit: Everyonephoto Studio / Shutterstock.com

Many drivers are blown away by this fun fact: until 2023, air conditioning did not come standard in Jeep Wranglers! If a car buyer wanted their new Wrangler to have that particular creature comfort before 2023, they would have to add it to their model’s configuration, which was an option that cost up to $1500. Luckily, Jeep has finally come to its senses and stopped this “evil upsell,” as one driver calls it.

The Most Popular Plug-In Hybrid EV Today

Jeep Wrangler
Image Editorial credit: Tom B Paye / Shutterstock.com

Speaking of the Jeep Wrangler, it has the dubious distinction of being the most popular plug-in hybrid-electric on the market today! One notes, “The best selling PHEV in America in recent months is… the Jeep Wrangler…I never saw that coming.” As one of the most popular gas-powered vehicles on the market, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Jeep lovers also support different engine variants.

Honda’s Little Secret

Honda
Image Editorial credit: The Bold Bureau / Shutterstock.com

It’s no secret that many car and truck enthusiasts will only buy American-made vehicles. However, this fact utterly shocks us. The 2019 Honda truck had more American labor and parts than Ford, Chevy, and Dodge trucks built that year.

It’s true. MotorBiscuit.com has confirmed this fact, which has confounded many American-made vehicle owners in recent years! We don’t know how it’s possible, but Honda is doing their part to support American-made companies.

Subaru’s Little Branded Lights

Subaru's Little Branded Lights
Image Editorial credit: Walter Eric Sy / Shutterstock.com

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make us smile. Ask this Subaru owner who has identified a fun quirk about their vehicle. “My Subaru has little lights in the mirrors in the shape of the Subaru logo that illuminates when you open the door.” That’s the quirky thing about it. While this may not be the most shocking fact on this list, it can be appreciated nonetheless.

Volkswagen’s Adaptive Cruise Control

Volkswagen's Adaptive Cruise Control
Image Editorial credit: Best Auto Photo / Shutterstock.com

Many drivers are blown away by Volkswagen’s trick it pulled with the Golf. One owner explains, “My 2019 VW Golf has a manual transmission and adaptive cruise control.” You can shift gears, and the system stays on. It pulls the throttle as you press the clutch pedal and then adds the throttle back after you shift.

Honda Secretly Supports Gamers

honda hdmi port
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

Gamers rejoice. Thanks to Honda, there’s been a way to take your home video game console on the go. “My 2016 CRV has an HDMI port, I plugged in a mini Nintendo, and it works on the screen,” says one CRV owner, who admittedly blew the minds of many other drivers when he revealed this fact. But remember, don’t video game and drive.

Cadillac’s Innovation

Cadillac
Image Editorial credit: Caddy Man / Shutterstock.com

Stick shift-loving drivers have Cadillac to thank for developing the modern manual transmission, according to many knowledgeable people. “It was the Type 51- I don’t own one, but my grandfather used to work on them,” says one driver. It’s the first car to have a modern driving layout and a synchro mesh manual transmission.

Saturn’s Suspension Tuning

Saturn
Image Editorial credit: Peter Albrektsen / Shutterstock.com

The Saturn Ion Red Line was built for speed and has developed a cult-like following among driving enthusiasts for its abilities on the track. One owner reveals, “The long block can handle double the factory horsepower before internals needs upgrading. And the suspension was tuned on the Nürburgring!”

This thread inspired this post.

This article originally appeared on MyCarMakesNoise.

Avatar photo

Author: Dave Johnston

Dave is a hands-on automotive technician with experience in performing service, diagnostics, and repairs on domestic and imported vehicles. He enjoys writing and sharing his knowledge far and wide.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *