Do you like driving a car? How often do you drive in a car? Whether you drive a car or not, you probably will drive in a car sometime. This is why it’s important to know the different parts (pieces) of cars. There are many different car parts to know. You may know car parts in your native language, but do you know them in English? With this in mind (thinking of this), we’ve put together a list of car parts in English.

Don’t worry! We’re not talking about technical car parts in English, but rather car parts you need to know if you’re a driver or a passenger (someone who rides in the car). Keep reading to find out more about car parts in English!

Steering wheel

What do you use to tell a car where to go? How do you make the car go straight, or make a turn? To do this, you use a steering wheel. A steering wheel is a wheel that is in front of the driver. It is used by the driver to steer (lead, direct, guide) the car. Steering wheels are essential (important/necessary) parts of cars, since you can’t drive a car without a steering wheel!

For example:

  • My grandfather always puts a lock on his steering wheel so his car doesn’t get stolen.
  • She was too short (small) to see over the steering wheel, so she had to sit on a phone book to drive.

Dashboard

The dashboard is a car part that everyone knows about, but that some people might not know the word for. The dashboard is like the control center of the car. A car dashboard is where the radio, air conditioning, heating, fans, and clock are in a car. When you’re driving, you should try not to change things on the dashboard too often. However, if you have a passenger in the car, they can do things for you, like changing the radio station.

For example:

  • The dashboard in his new card was made of wood. It was really beautiful!
  • The clock on my car dashboard is broken. Can you fix it?

Pedal

When talking about car parts in English, you have to talk about pedals. In cars, there is a gas pedal, and a brake pedal. The gas pedal helps the car to move forward, and the brake pedal makes it stop. The pedals and the steering wheels are some of the most important car parts. Without these things, cars would not be able to move! If you have a manual car, there is a third pedal call the clutch that you must press with your foot when you want to change the gear of the car.

For example:

  • The gas pedal is very light, so be careful when you’re stepping on it -you will go very fast!
  • When he was learning how to drive, he mixed up the gas and brake pedal and crashed (hurt the car).

Glove compartment

Where do you keep things you need to reach in the car? Look no further than the glove compartment! The glove compartment is a little built-in box next to the dashboard. It is in front of the passenger seat. Most people keep important documents for the car in the glove compartment. This may be their car registration, or important information about the electronics in the car. What do you keep in your glove compartment?

For example:

  • The clock in my car is stuck on one time. Maybe the instruction manual is in the glove compartment.
  • I keep my car insurance information in my glove compartment in case I need it.

Passenger seat

If the driver sits in the driver’s seat, where does the passenger sit? In the passenger seat! There are a few different passenger seats in cars. There is one right next to the driver’s seat in the front of the car, and usually at least two in the back of the car. How many passenger seats does your car have?

For example:

  • I can take the back passenger seats out of my car when I need space for the skiis.
  • When I drive, my boyfriend sits next to me in the passenger seat.

These car parts are really important! Can you think of any other car parts in English? Share them with us in the comments below!


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Erin Duffin lives in Hamburg, is an English teacher, blogger, yoga instructor, and enjoys driving a car on a sunny afternoon.

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