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For car lovers, maintenance and repair are standard issues. We take pride in keeping our ride in pristine condition. After all, you never know when you’ll run into another car enthusiast.
But for many drivers, maintenance and repair are an afterthought – until something breaks. When you make the commitment to become a car owner maintenance and repair is a part of the package. Even brand new vehicles have to be maintained.
Clutch Auto Repair, a service center offering car repair in Tucson, explains that there are a number of factors to consider in terms of keeping your vehicle in good condition. The environment is one of them. For example, in Arizona, the temperatures soar in the summer and the air is dry, which affects performance. Local road conditions are another key consideration as Arizona car accidents are at a 9-year high.
If you need a few more reasons to invest the time, money and energy into keeping your vehicle in good repair keep reading.
#1 Reason to Maintain a Vehicle – It’s Safer
As we catapult down the road at 30+ miles per hour, we rarely think about how much we rely on the vehicle to protect our lives. Same goes for airplanes and trains. We put a lot of emphasis on making sure planes and trains pass safety inspections and are properly maintained, yet many people fail to hold their own vehicle to the same standard.
If you’re shooting down the highway in a metal casing, wouldn’t you want to make sure it’s working properly and safely? The only way to ensure safety is with proper maintenance.
It’s the Law
In many areas of the country, owners are required to maintain their vehicles to a minimum operable standard. In states like California, you must pass annual vehicle inspection tests in order to keep driving on the road. If your vehicle fails you’ll have to do the work anyway so why not save yourself some of the hassle and inconvenience.
Side note: Failing to maintain your vehicle could also impact your auto insurance coverage. Often insurance policies have a stipulation that the vehicle must be maintained and in good operable condition.
Maximum Value
Folks with classic cars that are shown off at events like the Hawkesbury Ontario Car Club show know that regular maintenance and proper repair are reflected in the value. Cars that aren’t maintained are going to show their age quicker and not perform as well as expected.
The vast majority of vehicles are going to lose value the second they are driven off the lot. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t salvage what value you can. When it comes time to sell or trade the vehicle in you’ll be happy you made maintenance a priority.
Lower Cost of Maintenance
At first glance it may seem like regular maintenance would cost more than taking measures here and there to prevent an impending repair. However, there are a number of advantages that can actually make maintenance less expensive.
The more you work on your car and understand the inner workings, the easier it is to handle maintenance needs. Being able to do basic maintenance on your own is a huge money-saver. Practice makes perfect. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule even if it seems excessive.
If you prefer to take your vehicle to a professional shop, you may be able to get discounts when you’re a regular. Shops are more likely to knock a little off future servicing or offer special pricing for seasonal maintenance packages.
Lower the Cost of Repair . . . or Avoid Them All Together
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The ounce in this scenario is the maintenance and the cure is a repair that could have been prevented. Something as simple as not doing regular oil changes can cause complete engine failure.
Even if the repairs are imminent, regular maintenance can catch them quick so a catastrophic failure doesn’t occur. In the long run, more maintenance generally means fewer repairs.
Vehicles are machines. All machines, no matter how well they are made, need maintenance. Eventually, they will also need repairs. As drivers, it’s our responsibility to make sure our machines are safe and fully operable every time we get behind the wheel.
