We take care of our bodies by eating healthy, exercising daily, and getting enough sleep. But what about your vehicle? When you take care of your car, you can prevent minor issues from becoming bigger problems. Taking your car in for routine maintenance (like getting your oil changed every 3-5k miles and checking your fluids and tire pressure) can keep your vehicle running well and keep yearly maintenance costs down (ultimately saving you time and money). Read below for a reliable guide on how to maintain your car.
What Does Routine Car Maintenance Include?
Regular car maintenance will cover all of your basic car repair and maintenance needs like an engine oil check, tire pressure check, wiper blade and brake pad checks, and a full fluid check including motor oil, radiator coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield wiper fluid. Routine car maintenance starts at 5,000 miles and continues every 5,000-10,000 miles. But every car is different. Check your user's manual to ensure you know the oil type, tire size, and other basic maintenance requirements.
How Much Does a Vehicle Cost to Maintain?
Vehicle maintenance costs will vary depending on the make, model, and engine type of your car. Generally, dealerships and mechanics will top off your car fluids with the cost of a regular oil change, but you can get a good idea for other vehicle maintenance rates with the following car maintenance cost averages:
- Average Oil Change: $55–$161
- Average Tire Rotation: $44–$56
- Average Spark Plug Replacement: $150–$235
- Average Cabin Air Filter: $64–$140
- Average Windshield Wiper Replacement: $70–$90
- Average New Car Battery: $170–$250
How to Keep Your Maintenance Costs Down
There are many things you can do to keep your annual car maintenance costs down, including monthly DIY car maintenance measures. Each month you can check your tire pressure, oil levels and air filters, inspect fluids, and examine your belts and hoses for cracks and bulges. You can also drive without the radio or music from time to time to get to know how your vehicle sounds on the road. Listen for brake issues and take notice of any unusual sounds or noises coming from under the hood or the air vents. You can bring these issues up to your mechanic at your next routine maintenance check to prevent any unnecessary damage to the engine or other parts of the vehicle.
Taking care of you and your car is what we do best. Stop into the Bob Penkhus Volvo dealership today to shop our latest new and used vehicles, to book a test drive, or to schedule your next maintenance check. Don't want to come in? We understand. That's why we're still offering at-home pick-up and drop-off for servicing and all-virtual test-drives. We're here to keep you safe on (and off) the road.
- Your friends at Bob Penkhus Volvo