If vehicle service warnings were more obvious when you were in college, you and your father would have gotten along better. In fact, every time that you get in your new vehicle you think of your dad. You still remember his frustration when you would neglect to get the oil change, the tires rotated, and other necessary vehicle services. In your new car, however, would have to be both hard of hearing and seeing to miss the vehicle service warnings. Every timer that you start the ignition, the car runs itself through a system check and provides a warning for anything that might ned to be serviced.
Car repairs can turn into an expensive event if you do not pay attention to the need for necessary service calls. These repairs can be especially expensive because none of these expenses are covered by auto insurance coverage, meaning that these are monies that have to come out of pocket.
Next to your house, a car may actually be your biggest investment, so it is important to make sure that you follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions when it come to maintenance. And while auto repairs can be expense, the cost of more damage if you do not make the initial repairs can be significantly more.
When you purchase a vehicle and get insurance, it is important to remember that car insurance coverage does not cover repair or maintenance. For this reason the most responsible and organized people set aside funds on a monthly basis to cover these maintenance costs.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the many maintenance and repair issues that you may face if you own a vehicle:
- Research found that 18% of vehicles had low or contaminated brake fluid, according to a recent car maintenance survey.
- Research found that an estimated 77% of cars were in need of maintenance or repairs, according to a recent car maintenance survey.
- The average auto repair bill comes to between $500 and $600, and one in three drivers can’t pay it without incurring debt, according to a recent study by AAA.
- Weather, negligence, fender benders, and high speed collisions are the four main causes of auto body damage.
- One of the most expensive repairs, the average cost of transmission replacement ranges from $1800 to $3500, according to Transmission Repair Cost Guide readers.
- 35% of Americans have skipped or delayed service or repairs that were recommended by a mechanic or specified by the factory maintenance schedule, according to a recent AAA survey.
When you make the decision to purchase a car, it is also important to budget for repair services and regular maintenance.
