Iqbal Taher
(He/Him)
Covers:
US car repair costs, engine oil and fluid specs, safety recalls and used-car reliability. Built from manufacturer manuals, NHTSA filings and the raw federal complaint file. Nothing sponsored.
Doesn't Cover:
No new car reviews, press launches or motorsport. No buying, finance or insurance. No EVs, no brand recommendations, no tuning, and no step-by-step repair procedures.
I write about what cars cost to keep. Every number gets a document behind it, and when one turns out wrong I publish the correction. Editor of Oil & Miles.
Interview
Have you ever used a typewriter?
No. My tools are a text editor and a 1.6 GB federal data file. The oldest thing in my workflow is the PDF format.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Not a hashtag. The funniest thing in my beat is that cutting a belt interval by a third, on an engine under federal investigation, is officially called a "customer satisfaction program".
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Python for the data work, on NHTSA's raw complaint file rather than its API. pypdf to read manufacturer manuals at source. A hand-built static site with automated fact and link checks.
What's your favorite social network?
X
Who do you wish followed you?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Most of my work is built on their complaint file, and I would quite like to know whether they think I am reading it correctly.
Why did you become a journalist?
I came to it from the trade. I run an oil and parts business and could never find repair figures that showed their working, so I started reading the manuals and filings myself.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
The one where I published a number that was 42 percent too big, then wrote up how I found it. A federal file counts rows, not complaints. Getting that wrong once changed how I check everything.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time, by email. Timing matters far less than whether there is a document attached. Send the filing, the bulletin or the data and I will read it. Send a press release and I probably will not.
What's your favorite drink?
Mineral Water
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That complaint counts measure reliability. They measure who bothered to file. A model that sold well or got recalled attracts reports, which is why the popular car always looks like the worst one.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.