Skipping routine car maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations can lead to costly repairs down the road. Experts warn that neglecting these simple tasks can result in major engine problems and safety hazards.
After the busy holiday season, with credit card bills piling up, it's easy to postpone routine auto maintenance to save money. But those delays can be very costly in the long term. When you fall behind on maintenance like tire rotations or oil changes, you could be looking at costly repairs in the new year.
Millions of cars are behind on oil changes and moreAuto mechanic Jeff Landrum, who manages a neighborhood repair shop called Ron's Service Center, sees this problem far too often with cars behind on simple maintenance like oil changes.'That oil looks dirty,' he said while pulling an oil dipstick from a car in his shop. 'Definitely due for service.'He says the $50 to $150 cost of an oil change is money well spent.'It's the cheapest money that you can spend for preventing problems with your car. That is a fact,' he said.RELATED STORY | Do's and don'ts of car maintenance to avoid big repair billsLandrum says low or even dirty oil can lead to engine failure or other expensive problems.'Especially with the four-cylinder engines they have now in a lot of cars, they work really hard,' he said.CARFAX: What happens if you wait too longDespite that, vehicle data company CARFAX estimates 20% of drivers are behind on oil changes. It also says nearly 30% of drivers are behind on tire rotations.Em Nguyen, director of public relations for CARFAX, said, 'It's millions of people on the road.'Not rotating your tires, for instance, leads to uneven wear, she said, especially for vehicles with front-wheel drive.'Those tires, they're pulling all the weight. They are holding the weight of the transmission, the weight of the engine,' Nguyen said. RELATED STORY |Year-end car deals: Real savings or just hype?Nguyen says not paying for a service now often leads to those unexpected charges later.'What if you're stuck in traffic and a problem arises,' she said. 'Then you gotta pay for a to
CAR MAINTENANCE REPAIR COSTS OIL CHANGES TIRE ROTATIONS AUTOMOTIVE
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