Vehicle maintenance should be a habit for all car owners, but it’s not always this way. According to a survey by Finance Buzz, up to 69% of drivers delay getting their car maintained. Unfortunately, the delayed repairs often lead to problems that are usually more costly. If you’re a vehicle owner, below are some of the top reasons why you should start getting investing in prompt repairs and maintenance:
Avoid Accidents
According to research conducted by the NHTSA, about 2% of all accidents are caused by faulty vehicle components. These crashes often result in extensive vehicle damage, severe body injuries, and even death. The sad part is most of these defective components can be fixed with proper vehicle maintenance, thus saving lives on the road and costly damage.
So, if you’re looking for reasons why vehicle maintenance should be a habit, consider that it can keep you safe on the road. Therefore, you should keep up with your car’s maintenance schedule, especially for critical components like tires, steering, brakes, suspension, engine, and transmission. You can also stay safe on the road with simple maintenance tasks such as checking and topping up your fluids, cleaning your headlights, and checking and inspecting the wiper blades.
However, some of the problems with vehicle components aren’t easily detected until it’s too late. Therefore, you should also schedule an inspection for your car as part of the maintenance process. Of course, your auto mechanic will thoroughly inspect various systems in your vehicle per the manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedule. Nonetheless, you can schedule more thorough annual or bi-annual inspections for peace of mind.
Lastly, you should realize that you could still be involved in a crash, even if you have maintained your vehicle. Therefore, it helps to be well prepared for such an eventuality, for example, by having proper auto insurance coverage. You can also protect your interests further by hiring a car accident attorney.
Utilize Your Garage to its Fullest Potential
You don’t have to use your home garage as a storage space only. Instead, you can transform it into an actual auto garage where you conduct maintenance tasks, thus utilizing its fullest potential. So, if you’re wondering why vehicle maintenance should be a habit, DIY tune-ups are another top reason.
Of course, if you haven’t used your garage as an auto garage, you’ll first need to stock up on some essential tools and equipment. This includes a vehicle jack, tire pressure gauge, torque wrench, socket wrench set, jump start kit, etc. Of course, some of these tools are quite expensive, so you must make your garage secure. Therefore, this will be the perfect time to call for a garage door repair service to fix your faulty door.
Apart from stocking up on the essential tools, you can get your garage ready for vehicle maintenance by sprucing it up. For example, you can hire a cabinet contractor to build additional storage space in your garage. You can also hire professionals to remodel the floors, walls, ceiling, plumbing, and electrical system. Lastly, you can hire a garage door contractor to spruce up or replace the door, thus giving the entire garage a clean, shiny, organized, and beautiful look.
You can also make the most of your garage and get it ready for vehicle maintenance by investing in some convenience features. For example, you can install an automatic garage door opener for easier opening and closing of the garage. You can also invest in better lighting, improving the ambiance and visibility when working on your vehicle.
Avoid Costly Repairs
According to a study by CarMD and as reported by PR Newswire, there was a 2.8% increase in car repair costs in 2022, bringing the average repairs to about $403. Auto parts prices also experienced an upward shift of about 4.7%. From these figures, it’s quite clear that repairing your vehicle can be very expensive.
But luckily, you can avoid most of the expensive car repair costs through regular maintenance at a fraction of the cost. For example, an oil change can help extend your engine’s lifespan. It can also prevent wear and tear of the engine components, thus averting issues like crankshaft repairs and replacements.
Brake system maintenance is another good example of how to save money with regular maintenance. Simple tasks such as inspecting and changing your brake pads and rotors can help to damage your tires and wheels. It can also prevent brake failure, leading to a crash and costly vehicle damage.
Preventing damage to critical components isn’t the only reason vehicle maintenance should be a habit. After all, even parts that don’t seem too crucial can still be expensive to fix or replace in case of failure. For example, according to Car Talk, you can spend up to $1,500 when you hire an air conditioning company to repair or replace your vehicle’s AC unit. However, you could avoid these costly repairs by cleaning the air filter and the radiator.
Keep the Vehicle Body in Good Shape
According to Gauge Magazine, a vehicle’s body parts have several vital roles, from protecting you against the elements to keeping you safe in case of a crash. In addition, they preserve critical car components like the engine and radiator. But more importantly, they are the most essential aspect of your car’s aesthetics. Therefore, maintaining the body in top shape is another reason vehicle maintenance should be a habit.
The good news is that you can leverage several maintenance tips to keep your car’s body looking good. For example, regularly washing your vehicle can keep it looking shiny, creating a great first impression on onlookers when you’re on the road. It can also protect your car’s body from the corrosive effect of road debris, thus extending the paint job.
A paint job refresh is another excellent idea that can help keep your car looking great and protect the inner surfaces of the body panel from damage. You can also invest in other solutions like a car wrap or ceramic coating, which can improve your car’s look and offer protection against the elements of the body panels. The best part about these body maintenance tasks is that you can do them yourself or hire the services of an auto body handyman.
Unfortunately, the body is the most exposed part of a vehicle. Therefore, even with regular maintenance, it’s likely to suffer damage. Therefore, when this happens, you must hire prompt auto body repair to fix the damaged sections. This can include body filling, dent repair, repainting, or a metal fabrication service for the extensively damaged parts.
Save on Gas
Do you feel like you’re giving more and more money to oil companies every time you fuel your car? Besides the rising gas prices, poor maintenance may be to blame. One of the top reasons vehicle maintenance should be a habit is that it improves your car’s performance and fuel economy. Consequently, this can help you to save quite a lot on gas expenses.
Several vehicle maintenance tasks can help you save on gas. For example, according to the Department of Energy, keeping the tires properly inflated can improve your car’s fuel efficiency by up to 3%. That’s because inflated tires generate less road friction, allowing your vehicle to move more smoothly.
Regularly changing the engine oil is another excellent tip that can help reduce your gas spending. New engine oil helps to offer better lubrication to the moving engine components. This helps to reduce friction, which is to blame for energy loss in the engine and, subsequently, higher fuel consumption. According to Fueleconomy.gov, you can get an extra 2% increase in fuel efficiency when you use manufacturer-recommended engine oil.
Apart from tire and engine oil, filters are another excellent way you can save on gas. Regularly changing your filters will help to keep contaminants away from the air, oil, and fuel entering the engine. As a result, your engine will run smoother, cleaner, and with less friction, leading to reduced fuel consumption.
Make Your Vehicle More Reliable
A breakdown is something you should be prepared to deal with during the lifespan of your car. It can be caused by several reasons, from a faulty battery, alternator issue, tire problems, electrical problems, faulty spark plugs, and more. However, you can prevent most of these issues with regular maintenance, which can greatly increase the reliability of your car. This is another one of the top reasons why vehicle maintenance should be a habit.
One of the top ways you can make your car more reliable is by strictly following the manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedule. Doing this will help to keep various critical components of your vehicle in top shape, thus reducing their likelihood of developing problems. Consequently, you’ll be able to drive without fear of a breakdown that can leave you stranded on the road.
You can also improve your vehicle’s reliability through prompt repair once it develops a problem. Of course, quick repairs will save you from more expenses. However, it will also ensure that the situation doesn’t worsen or cause hidden damage to other parts of the vehicle, causing more inconveniencing issues in the future.
Lastly, you can keep your vehicle in top shape and increase reliability by investing in quality replacement parts. While they are expensive, good spare parts will reduce the chances of a breakdown, saving you money. On top of that, they’re less likely to damage other components of your vehicle or, worse, compromise its safety.
Keep Your Trailer in Good Shape Too
A trailer can be a great addition to your vehicle, increasing your ability to haul large and heavy goods. And while it might not be an original part of your car, it needs proper care to keep it in perfect condition. Therefore, you should also make it a point to service your trailer if you agree that vehicle maintenance should be a habit.
One of the top benefits of maintaining your trailer is saving you money. Without regular maintenance, parts like tires, wheels, braking systems, and the body panel can suffer from excessive wear and tear, leading to expensive trailer repair. In addition, failing to maintain the trailer’s moving parts can significantly affect the fuel efficiency of your vehicle, leading to high gas expenses.
Maintaining your trailer also helps to avoid accidents, keeping you safe on the road. For example, the braking system can fail without regular maintenance, affecting your vehicle’s stability and possibly causing a crash. Poor tire pressure, corrosion of the trailer attachment, suspension damage, and oil leaks are other trailer problems that can lead to accidents on the road. Fortunately, you can avoid these issues by keeping a routine maintenance schedule.
Besides maintenance, you should invest in prompt trailer repairs to fix problems before they become more costly. For example, replacing worn-out brake pads and rotors can prevent damage to the rest of the braking system and the tires. Other critical issues you shouldn’t overlook include faulty suspension, tires & wheels, trailer lights, axle, and the body panel.
Maintain Your Vehicle’s Value
According to NerdWallet, most vehicles lose up to 60% of their value within the first five years, leading to a low resale value. But did you know you can mitigate the depreciation rate by taking good care of your car? This is another top reason why vehicle maintenance should be a habit.
One of the best ways to preserve your car’s value is through routine maintenance tasks like changing filters, replacing the engine oil, flushing the brake fluid, and topping up the coolant. This helps to extend the lifespan of critical components like the engine and the brake system. Consequently, you won’t have to spend money fixing your vehicle should you decide to sell.
Avoiding accidents is another way maintenance can help preserve your vehicle’s value. According to WeBuyAnyCar.com, a vehicle’s value will diminish significantly after a crash, especially if it suffers extensive damage. Fortunately, with routine maintenance, you can mitigate the risk of being involved in a collision, thus saving you from a situation where you sell your car at a loss.
You can use several other vehicle maintenance tips to preserve the value of your car. For example, regular paint jobs and auto body repairs can help to prevent structural damage to your vehicle’s body part, which can severely diminish its value. You can also keep your car’s value high by keeping the interiors clean and smelling nice. Lastly, a good service history (and accurate records) can also be an excellent selling point when disposing of your vehicle, leading to a higher asking price.
If you’ve been wondering whether vehicle maintenance should be a habit, the above are some top reasons that can convince you. From improved safety to better fuel efficiency and lower repair costs, there are endless benefits to maintaining your vehicle. And what’s more, it can be an excellent hobby that can turn you into a diehard car enthusiast.
