How Regular Maintenance on Your Car Saves You Money

It seems counterintuitive to increase the amount of maintenance and professional care for your car. Doesn’t it just increase your costs? First of all, a lot of routine maintenance won’t set you back a lot --- oil/filter changes, topping up transmission fluid, replacing a brake pad etc. Sure, you pay the mechanic at the dealership for the repairs, but these small bills are actually saving you money in the long term. The reason? You are saving your car from more serious defects and damage that would happen if you left this routine maintenance undone.

 

Your car is made up of many moving parts, all of which are connected to each other. If even one thing is damaged, like the timing belt, for instance, then it starts a chain reaction on its connected parts, leaving dents, bent parts and even holes in the engine. Here are some ways that basic maintenance will pay for itself in savings:

1. You maintain gas mileage --- money saved on gas

Keeping your tires at the right pressure; keeping the car properly aligned; ensuring that the timing belt is working well, and other similar small jobs may cost you some cash, but thy all help your car achieve its best-possible gas mileage, which means you are always saving money you’d otherwise be throwing away buying gas. All this is before those small problems turn into something more serious which then lands you with a huge mechanic’s bill as well.

2. You can use your car for longer

A well-maintained car will last longer without the need for upgrades or major repairs. You’ll enjoy using it at optimum capacity for a longer period, thus removing any need to fork out for a new lease or new vehicle outright.

3. The preventative approach

An oil change might set you back $100, say. And you might get one twice a year, or maybe more, depending on your annual mileage. Failing to maintain fresh engine oil can cause total engine failure. A new engine can cost well into the thousands of dollars. Keep getting the oil changes, and never miss an engine tune up.

4. Re-sale value

We all know and understand that a car is a depreciating asset. It loses about 20 percent of its value as soon as you drive it off the lot. If you decide to sell it on before purchasing another, how well you’ve maintained will be one of the main reasons you give for your higher asking price. People will pay a little more for a pre-owned car that has been looked after to the point where it’s still like new. The extra care is worth it.

Don’t get careless with your car’s maintenance. There’s more at stake than you think, and those simple routine checkups are potentially saving you thousands over the years of your car’s life. Look to the dealership for expert advice and assistance with keeping your car in good order.