maintenance

Imagine you're pregnant and stranded on the freeway.

That was Meli Arevalo's biggest worry when one day, smoke suddenly started coming out of her engine. She was seven months pregnant at the time.

"I was pregnant and just being stranded in the freeway ... would've not been a good thing," she says.  

Image via iStock.

"Our car was kinda getting hot," Arevalo remembers. "But we didn't know why."

Luckily, Arevalo had a device installed in her car that could help her spot the issue right away: Hum by Verizon.

Through the Vehicle Diagnostics feature provided by Hum, Arevalo was able to pinpoint the car's alternator as the exact source of the problem. She then gave their helpful Mechanics Hotline a call, and they even assisted her with the next steps she needed to take.

Image by Hum by Verizon.

"I explained what happened," says Arevalo, "and they transferred me to a mechanic right away and the mechanic answered all my questions."

Now that she knew what was wrong, Arevalo was able to quickly have her car fixed before anything more serious happened.

"If it weren't for [Hum]," she adds, "I honestly don't think we would've ever known. It saved us a lot of money."

Hum also helps prevent all sorts of unpredictable hassles down the road — something incredibly important now that Arevalo has two lovely kids and needs the car for their daily routine.

"We only have one car, so it's everyday," she says. "We drive everywhere with it."

When you're a busy family racking up miles on your car, it helps to have a device that can make life a little easier.

Forgot where you parked? (We've all been there.) Well, Hum can find your exact spot and let you know through the app. In fact, if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, just use their Pinpoint Roadside Assistance to let Hum know exactly where to send help. Plus, if your car is stolen, you can find it on the app and notify police right away. "It's right on your phone," says Arevalo. "Like the tip of your fingers."

"Knock on wood that won't happen, but you have peace of mind that if it does happen, we can get the car back," she adds.

Image by Hum by Verizon.

One of the coolest things that Hum provides is the monthly health report. It provides useful data on your car so you always know how it's doing. It's like having your car checked out — without actually having to drive anywhere.

Today, Arevalo and her family drive with much less worry knowing that Hum has their back.

Whether it's visiting family, going to school, or heading to a doctor's appointment, Hum is right there with them every step of the way. "We really like it, and we even recommended it to friends and family," says Arevalo. "Just because of how easy it was for us and the headache that it saved us."

"Even my mechanic asked me what it was so he could tell his clients."

When you have a device whose main purpose is to make owning a car much easier, it makes all the difference when it comes to giving your family a safer — and most easygoing — ride in town.