Familial crises abound, from a daughter leaving Mom's Ford Explorer left running overnight, to a husband unable to wash his wife's Nissan without rendering it unable to start the next day, and a marital disagreement over who owns a freshly shoveled parking space. Also, door locks that don't know when to quit, and a Puzzler from the chicken soup department.

We hear from our most astute critics--a class of 8th Graders. Also, a "bogging out" Accord bums out Dad's wallet, a Physics Professor lives on the edge of timing belt disaster, a truck won't stop starting, and on Stump the Chumps, the Good Neighbor policy gets a big test.

Did Tom and Ray help dislodge a Mini from a frozen puddle? We find out, as Katie from Boulder returns for Stump the Chumps. Also, a Jeep makes what is most likely the most embarrassing car noise possible, a Chevy owner needs to run red lights to avoid cold air, a couple gets into a heated debate over warming up cars, and how a toothbrush helped start a Mercedes.

A Volvo owner's heater problem becomes more acute, due to her dog's flatulence problem. Also, the new owner of a Crown Vic needs help de-copifying his car, a Mom wonders if a blowtorch is the best way to remove a piece of tree bark her son stuck in the driver's door lock, a new word for Subaru drivers, and the number one reason mechanics love Saab owners--they never blink!

A used car salesman chooses an opportune moment to become a consumer advocate. Also, a pregnancy induced impulse buy turns into a very large and unreliable gas guzzler the one family member can't even fit in. Plus, how not to fix a vacuum leak if you value your eyebrows, and Tommy gets hit with a flash of brilliance--or idiocy. You decide.

A Winter driving tip: don't leave your Mini parked in a slush puddle, unless you want ti find it encased in ice. Also, a simple timing belt repair turns into a scavenger hunt inside the engine of a '96 Civic; an unfortunate oyster shucking incident somehow leads to a new grinding noise in an '01 Escort; and, is a '91 Cougar asking for a bale of hay?

A teenager's birthday present for Dad turns the family BMW into a roach coach--literally. Also, on Stump the Chumps, a repair with a very different outcome than we'd imagined; a Golf tries to escape; a Mustang owner looks for a cheap (if not totally ethical) fix for a cracked roof; and, a new career for Tommy?

This week on Car Talk, a few choice lines from Rodney Dangerfield set the stage for Sam in Vermont, who's about to learn he has a cracked block--and his car isn't doing so hot, either. Also, a married Dad's need for speed hits a bump in the form of his wife, and Tom and Ray; a Yukon owner tries to convince her Dad and her mechanic that her car really is making a strange noise; and a cardinal becomes overly fond of a Side-view mirror.

The Car Talk forensics team tries to help Judith in Virginia figure out why her Mazda burst into flames while driving home for the holidays. Also, will speeding over speed bumps do more damage to a Jeep or the driver's teeth, a backyard clutch replacement gets challenged, and on Stump the Chumps, did someone actually follow Click and Clack's career counseling?

What do a tire pressure gauge, a football helmet and a spaceman suit have in common? They're all suggestions from Tom and Ray to help a caller get over his fear of inflating tires. Meanwhile, another caller wonders if jumper cables are overrated after watching a battery-to-battery jumpstart. Also, a Corolla that won't quit--even when its owner wants it to, and a biathlete searches for the perfect $400 car.