Q. I am still very interested in the Toyota Prius because of its great mileage, in spite of recent reports of brake problems. My question is: Are Toyota dealers still selling them? What kind of warranty or evidence of no brake problems should I ask for?

A. Toyota dealers are still selling the Prius and with the various incentives there may be no better time to buy one. Regarding the brake issue, there was never an issue with brake performance. The issue was with brake “feel” and only on bumpy roads.

Q. I have a 2010 Honda Civic I got in December of last year, with only 11 miles on the speedometer. I just found out the trunk has been filling with water that leaks into the back seat. Now the car smells like mildew. Do you have any suggestions for a remedy?

A. Return to the dealer as soon as possible and have the car tested for a water leak. Any wet carpet should be removed and any padding replaced. If there is mold or mildew in the car, washing it down with a bleach mixture should remedy the stinky situation.

Q. A couple of weeks I called into your radio program to talk about a problem with porous alloy wheels. The tires on this car can lose up to eight pounds of air per week. My thought was to install tubes, and you suggested against it for a number of reasons, including heat build-up. You did suggest the product Slime. I just wanted to let you know that the product worked great. It has been a couple of weeks and the tires are holding air.

A. Slime will work as advertised and works well as a preventative measure to help eliminate most flat tires. Unlike older products, Slime doesn’t affect the balance of the tires and doesn’t use a flammable propellant. Slime should never be used on a flat tire without knowing what caused that tire to lose air. Adding Slime to a tire with a damaged sidewall is extremely dangerous.

Q. How do I check my transmission fluid in a 2004 Ford Explorer?

A. Ford doesn’t use a conventional dipstick on this model vehicle. The procedure involves several specialized tools to check the fluid. The reason for this is to avoid overfilling, as well as improper fluid use by consumers.

Q. Why does my car tremble? I have a Saturn and replaced the spark plugs and wires but still the car trembles at an idle. It seems okay driving down the road. Do you have any suggestions?

A. There are still several possibilities including clogged fuel injectors, but the area I would concentrate on is a vacuum leak. Since the car drives well, have the repair shop check for a leaking intake manifold. A slight leak could cause a rough idle but wouldn’t be noticed while underway.