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Denis Flierl - Senior Reporter and specialized automotive journalist

Member for

14 years 2 months
Bio

Denis Flierl | Senior Reporter

Denis Flierl is a Senior Reporter at Torque News and a specialized automotive journalist with over three decades of industry expertise. Since 2012, Denis has been a mainstay of the Torque News editorial team, drawing on a deep background in high-level consulting for major global automotive brands. This unique "behind-the-scenes" experience allows him to provide readers with a wealth of insider knowledge that extends far beyond the standard spec sheet.

Based in Parker, Colorado, Denis is a prominent member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP). He utilizes the region's high-altitude terrain as a rigorous testing ground to provide "boots-on-the-ground" analysis for readers across North America. He specializes in breaking automotive news, exclusive owner perspectives, and technical deep-dives into vehicle reliability and maintenance.

Technical Specialization & Authority

  • Truck & 4WD Technology: With a focus on long-term reliability, he frequently reports on Toyota, GM, Ram, and Ford truck platforms, analyzing mechanical faults, drivetrain durability, and the transition to EV technology.
  • Data-Driven Reporting: Prioritizing a "Technical-First" structure, Denis anchors his reports in Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), official manufacturer recall data, and technical specifications to empower consumers with factual, actionable information.

Work Experience & Education

  • 2012–Present: Senior Reporter and regular contributor on Torque News, hundreds of automotive reviews on Automoblog, and a contributor to JC Whitney. 
  • Automotive Consultant: Over 13 years providing strategic, technical, and market consulting for major global car brands (Ford, GM, Ram, Toyota, Tesla).
  • Professional Test Driver: Years of hands-on vehicle evaluation, verifying real-world performance against engineering claims in Colorado's extreme high altitude environment.
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Technical Philosophy & Reporting Standards

In an era of automotive reporting often clouded by marketing hype, I adhere to a strict objective standard. My goal is to respect your time and intelligence by delivering neutral, reporting-style language. Whether I am investigating machining debris issues in a new V6 engine or detailing a Starlink software update, I prioritize technical descriptors such as "critical fault" or "thermal limit" over emotional narratives.

I see myself as a bridge between the factory's technical world and the driver's everyday world. My "education" in this industry was forged by three decades of collaborating with the engineers who build these machines and the technicians who keep them on the road.

Personal & Other Works 

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Outside of the automotive world, Denis is an accomplished writer and the author of the novel "Kingdom Runner," available on Amazon.

Connect with Denis

Visit DenisFlierl.com for technical deep-dives, vehicle testing archives, and full investigative reports.

Do you have a technical news tip, a specific DTC question, or an automotive query? Follow Denis for the latest data-backed insights:

About Torque News

Since 2010, Torque News has served as a dedicated, independent voice in the automotive world. For over 15 years, our team has focused on providing expert analysis and honest, "boots on the ground" vehicle reviews. Driven by a commitment to transparency and technical accuracy, we prioritize the reader’s needs over marketing hype to help you navigate a rapidly changing industry.

Article Published Comments
I Called Toyota to See How Much It Would Cost To Get a New Key Fob For My Corolla, They Told Me $1,000. I Had My Dad Call and the Price Was Suddenly $250 26
Help, My Waymo Robotaxi Keeps Circling the Airport Parking Lot and I Can’t Get Out Of the Car, I’m Going To Miss My Flight, Has This Been Hacked? 0
My 2024 Ford Escape Only Has 12,000 Miles and My Temperature Warning Light Stays On, Now Ford Says There Are Metal Shavings In the Engine 8
My GMC Sierra Texas Edition Looks Great, But With Only 91,000 Miles, I’ve Replaced the Transmission Twice, And the Drivetrain Is Junk 141
Toyota Serviced My Corolla Transmission and Used the Wrong Fluid, They Said It May Cause Issues In the Long Run, But Don’t Worry, We’re Getting It Fixed Up Right Now 7
I’ve Had My Tesla Model 3 For 2 Days and I Already Want My Toyota Camry Back, Don’t Believe Them If They Tell You a Tesla is Better Than a Camry 24
My 2024 Toyota Tundra Has 548 Miles and "It’s Garbage," Just Sitting Here In the Parking Lot It’s Rebooting, There it Goes Again, It’s Rebooting Again, I’m Trading It Off Already 8
I Took My Subaru Forester In For an Oil Change, They Tell Me I Need the 60K Check-In, My Oil Change Just Cost Me $1,000, A Fatal Flaw, Never Take It To a Dealer 64
Tesla Cybertruck Explodes Outside Trump Hotel Las Vegas, “In a Split Second, There Was an Explosion, My Wife and I Fell to the Ground, We Could Have Been Killed” 1
My Toyota Tundra Suddenly Lost Power and I Need a New Engine, I’ve Been to the Dealer Countless Times, Now They Say My $60,000 Truck Is Only Worth $35K 54
I Bought a Tesla Cybertruck, But I Didn’t Check the Cost of Insurance, Now My New Truck Costs More Than Half of My Mortgage 3
Toyota is Desperately Trying to Stop Their Brand Image From Taking a Straight Dumpster Dive, Now The Tacoma Transmissions Are Failing 32
I Got the Call That Every Mom Dreads, “Mom, I Was In an Accident With My Forester, I Was T-Boned By a Ford F-250” 3
Hertz Shot Me a Ridiculous Price of $18K For a 2023 Tesla Model 3 That I Rented, Great Price, I Was Shocked When I Found Out How Many Miles It Had 5
We Bought A Jeep Grand Cherokee, Had Our 4th Major Breakdown In Less Than a Year, and It’s Been In the Shop 60 Days Already 1
My GMC Sierra Pickup Has 20,000 Miles, and It Won’t Start, My New Battery Is Dead and the Dealer Says They Can’t Fix It 15
I Drove My GMC Acadia Without the Keys In the Car For 20 Minutes, How Did My Car Go That Far Without the Keys? It’s a Hazard 5
Rivian Employee Says, “I Was Brought to Tears By My Frothing Red-Faced Angry Boss In Front of My Coworkers, I Reported It to HR But They Did Nothing 0
I Was Sideswiped By a Tesla Cybertruck in Miami, and Then I Was Shocked By What I Found, I Kept the Evidence 0
We Saved Up For a Year For Our Jeep Cherokee, Only Had It Two Weeks, I Looked Outside and It’s Gone Right Before Christmas 0
My Subaru Forester Has 275,000 Miles and It’s Held Together By Metal Roofing Screws, But It Keeps Me Alive 6
Ford Dealer Says “My Ford Raptor R Customers Always Want Me to Remove the $1,800 Graphics, But I Would Keep Them On” 33
I Covered My Tesla Model X In Christmas Lights, RIP to My $100K Car, Who Let Me Do This, and Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This Was Going To Happen? 16
My Volkswagen Jetta's Seat Got So Hot the Heat Warmer Burned a Hole In the Seat and My Sweater, Guess I Need Pink Seat Covers To Hide the Hole Now 0
I Saw A Cadillac Escalade Advertised For $63K, When I Inquire, the Dealer Raised the Price $6K Without Warning, Says We Have Been Getting a Lot of Inquiries Today 8