Without a doubt, every owner dreads the moment when their car won’t start. What should you do? Who should you call? Can you fix it yourself? Here’s a list with ten common reasons why cars don’t start up and what you can do about it.

'The first step is to define the no start' said Joe Spadafora, certified instructor at Universal Technical Institute’s Exton, Pennsylvania campus. Spadafora spent the majority of his career in working in the service department of several dealerships and receiving factory training from GM. He’s certified as a Master Technician and certified by Chrysler as a Dodge Viper technician . He also holds certifications from Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Lexus and Scion as well, so if there’s something wrong with your car, chances are he’s seen it before.

To diagnose the reason your car isn’t starting, you need to pay attention to happening when you turn the key. 'Does the engine crank but not actually start or, when you turn the key, does literally nothing happen?' he said. 'In a customer’s eyes, the following two options are the same because both create a scenario that results in the vehicle’s failure to run.'

While the two situations might seem similar, they have very different meanings that are important to a mechanic and can signal different problems calling for a variety of solutions.

'It’s important to note that a vehicle is an extremely complicated machine and can exhibit similar symptoms for a variety of reasons,' he said. 'That is why it’s important to first look at the type of ‘no start’ and then at the list of conditions that could be causing it in the first place.'