Last updated: July 26, 2026
Auto Features Expert publishes independent, U.S.-market automotive research designed to help readers understand vehicle reliability, common problems, recalls, maintenance, ownership costs, specifications, and used-car risks. This policy describes the rules every article must meet before publication.
Our editorial standard
We publish for readers first. A page must answer a defined ownership or buying question, add useful analysis beyond a summary of other websites, and clearly distinguish confirmed facts from editorial interpretation and owner-reported experience.
Required workflow before publication
- Scope: Define the model, generation, model year, powertrain, trim, and U.S. market covered by the article.
- Source matrix: Collect the primary records and supporting sources needed for every material claim.
- Draft: Write for the user’s search intent without using a fixed word count or forcing unrelated sections.
- Fact check: Verify model years, engine and transmission codes, recall details, service bulletins, specifications, and numerical claims.
- Editorial check: Review clarity, search-intent match, internal links, source placement, unsupported wording, and conflicts with existing pages.
- Human approval: A human editor must approve the final draft before publication.
- Verification record: Every article must display Written by, Reviewed by, Last verified, Primary sources checked, AI use, and Corrections and update history.
Technical claims and evidence
- Every material technical claim must cite a primary source when an accessible primary source exists.
- Recall, investigation, and complaint counts must identify the agency and the date checked.
- Technical Service Bulletins are evidence of manufacturer guidance, not automatic proof that every vehicle has the condition.
- Owner reports are labeled as reports or patterns and are never presented as proof of a universal defect.
- A problem is not described as widespread or common from a single forum post, video, or complaint.
- If reliable sources disagree, the disagreement and uncertainty are stated rather than hidden.
Repair costs and numerical estimates
Repair-cost estimates require at least two current U.S. sources. We state a range, the date checked, and the main variables that can change the price, such as labor rates, region, drivetrain, parts choice, and the extent of damage. We do not present an estimate as a guaranteed quote.
Authorship and review disclosure
Every article displays the named writer and the person responsible for the final source-verification and editorial review. When the writer also performs the review, the article states this directly; we do not invent a second reviewer or imply an independent technical review. The verification record also displays the last verified date, primary source categories checked, the role of AI-assisted tools, and any material correction or update history. We do not claim mechanic, engineering, dealership, or manufacturer credentials that cannot be verified.
AI-assisted workflow
AI-assisted tools are limited to query expansion, outline development, source organization, draft refinement, consistency checks, and internal-link suggestions. AI output is not a source and cannot verify a vehicle fact. Every factual claim is checked against cited evidence, and every AI-assisted draft requires human editorial approval before publication.
Editorial independence
Advertising, affiliate relationships, sponsorships, free products, or commercial partnerships do not determine our reliability findings, years-to-avoid conclusions, rankings, or recommendations. Any material commercial relationship relevant to an article must be disclosed on that page.
Updates, last verified dates, and corrections
Articles are reviewed when new recalls, investigations, service guidance, specifications, or reliable ownership evidence materially changes the answer. A changed date is not used to create false freshness. Significant factual corrections are recorded in a correction note explaining what changed and when. Readers can review our Corrections Policy or report an issue by emailing autoexpert@autofeaturesexpert.com.
