If you think auto maintenance is too much of a hassle, there’s another way. You can neglect all that troublesome maintenance, suffer constant car trouble, impair your safety and spend a lot more on repairs and replacement vehicles.
True, it’s not exactly a better way. In fact, it’s plain terrible.
But if you use a motor vehicle, these are your only two options. Either you stay on top of car maintenance or endure a never-ending series of automotive tribulations.
Clearly, getting the maintenance done is the smarter way to go. Take a look at these 6 long-term benefits of keeping your car maintained.
1. It Keeps Your Car Alive Longer
Cars are complex machines with many interworking parts that serve many different functions at once. When you think about it, they’re not all that different from the human body.
Our bodies need a healthy diet, vitamins, and exercise to function properly and live longer. If we eat only junk food, smoke a lot, and never exercise or go to the doctor, we shorten our lifespan.
Similarly, cars require special care and maintenance to stay “alive” as well.
When we take good care of our bodies, our worn-out, old cells are replaced by healthy, new ones. Car health works the same way.
But cars don’t regenerate on their own. It’s up to us to replace the oil, brake pads, air filters, and other parts when necessary to prevent harmful complications.
Using only the best parts, oil, and other chemicals in your vehicle will preserve all its parts from wearing out as quickly.
All cars wear out eventually. But if you regularly maintain all the different aspects of car health, it will last significantly longer. This saves you from having to buy a new car as often.
2. It Saves on Your Next Car
When it is time to get a new car, you’ll still be glad you took care of the old one. Getting the proper maintenance helps retain the value of your car.
If you’ve maintained it well, it should still be in great working condition when you start shopping for a new one. That means it’s still valuable to trade in or sell. You could have several thousands to put toward your new vehicle.
On the other hand, if you try to trade in your old, neglected clunker, don’t expect to get a lot back. A poorly maintained car is about as valuable as scrap metal. Actually, it pretty much is scrap metal.
3. It Saves on Repairs and Replacement Parts
Maintaining your car can sometimes feel like spending extra, unnecessary money. But it actually saves you money in repairs.
Maintaining your car prevents harmful complications. These complications require repairs and replacement parts that are much more expensive than the maintenance.
For example, replacing a brake pad costs $30. If you don’t replace a worn-out brake pad, it will damage the brake drum, which sets you back a few hundred dollars.
Taking care of the cheap parts regularly will spare you from having to replace the expensive ones.
Also, regular maintenance allows you to spot problems before you even notice any symptoms. This also saves you money. It’s less expensive to take care of the problem early before it becomes a bigger one.
As an added bonus, getting the maintenance prescribed by your dealer will keep your vehicle under warranty longer. This will save you money when certain problems arise.
4. It Saves Gas and the Environment
A healthy car runs better. And “better” means “more efficiently.”
When all the parts of your car are running smoothly, as they should be, it’s easier on your engine. When something’s not right with your car, the engine has to work harder to do the same job. Or if you don’t change the oil often enough, the dirty oil will hinder your engine from running as efficiently.
When your engine is working too hard or inefficiently, it burns fuel faster. And that burns up your money along with the ozone layer. Getting needed maintenance will prevent this.
5. It Saves Your Sanity
Here’s a stupid question. Which of these cars would you rather have?
- A car that always runs smoothly without any problems
- A car that has trouble starting and constantly breaks down on the highway
A well-maintained car is a reliable car. In addition to added expense, a poorly maintained car adds constant, stressful surprises to your life.
Why wait until there’s a problem before you take your car in? Do you like the idea of always having car problems popping unexpectedly into your life?
Wouldn’t it be nicer to fix problems before they start, according to your own schedule? Staying on top of maintenance makes life so much easier.
6. It Saves You
You may have noticed in that last point that an unreliable problem car doesn’t sound very safe. You’re right; it’s not.
A blowout or breakdown on an 80 MPH highway can easily become a deadly, multiple-car pileup. It could also launch you off the edge of an embankment into a 2,000-foot drop.
Your brakes or steering can fail. A cracked windshield could shatter into your face.
These aren’t just possibilities. These are real situations that actually happen every day. In fact, there are on average more than 94 fatal car crashes per day in the United States.
And remember the Carr Fire that recently incinerated over 145,000 acres in Redding, CA? It all started because of a flat tire.
Let’s not forget that, even in perfect condition, cars are extremely dangerous. They’re heavy and fast enough to kill and powered by explosive chemicals.
In short, motor vehicles are not to be taken lightly. So give them the respect they’re due. Keeping your vehicle maintained could save lives.
The Long-Term Benefits of Regular Auto Maintenance
As you can see, neglecting auto maintenance is a really bad idea. We’re talking life-or-death bad.
It costs extra money, adds extra stress, and endangers your life. In other words, don’t do it!
Instead, stay safe and save money. Get your vehicle the maintenance it needs when it needs it.
Get more automotive tips right here, right now! Check out these Three Methods to Make Purchasing a Business Car Easy and Cost-Effective.