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CAR REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE -
Scheduled Maintenance (continued)
check to see if the repair shop is ASE certified. If you want to save some money and are a bit adventurous (and your car is off warranty), consider contacting a trade school that teaches auto repair and see if they will do routine service on your car and/or do necessary repairs.
2. If your vehicle is under the vehicle manufacturer’s warranty, make sure you follow the maintenance schedule included in your owner’s manual and keep your receipts as proof that the maintenance was done. This is the best way to avoid disagreements over whether a prior or future repair is covered under warranty, or whether the problem wascaused by inadequate maintenance. However, scheduled maintenance does not have to be done by the dealer. Any reputable mechanic performing the scheduled maintenance will be satisfactory to uphold your warranty , and most likely will be far less costly than services received from the new car dealer. And by the way, if the dealership denies your warranty claim for any reason, make sure you object to both the dealer and manufacturer. Often they will reconsider, and even do repairs after the initial warranty has expired for vehicle problems that were only recently discovered on your make and model.
3. If you do choose to use a new car dealer for your maintenance, ask if they will provide a “loaner” car for your use while your vehicle is in the shop. Many dealers will do this.
4. Even if your vehicle is no longer covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, you should still follow the maintenance schedule included in the owner’s manual. This will save you money over the long term:
a. Performing the maintenance tasks stated in the owner’s manual will help keep more major problems from occurring, and reduce the number of costly repairs and potential breakdowns. Do not skimp on manufacturer’s suggested maintenance.
b. On the other hand, unless a specific problem has occurred, do not let the mechanic talk you into doing more maintenance work than is called for in the maintenance schedule. It is not required. For instance, most car maintenance schedules require the oil and oil filter to be changed about every 7,000 miles, if your vehicle is driven under normal road conditions. Most mechanics (either dealer or independent) tell you to change your oil and oil filter every 3,000 miles. Unless you travel on a lot of dirt roads or do nothing but stop and go driving, stick with the manufacturer’s schedule and save yourself some money. And if you do drive under severe conditions, most manufacturer’s schedules have a separate recommendation for this instance. Same with flushing out your radiator and changing your coolant. Do it according to your manufacturer’s schedule. It does not have to be done every year. Do not let the mechanic talk you into something else or try to scare you into unneeded maintenance.
c. A further word about oil changes. The most expensive place to get your oil and oil filter changed (other than at a car dealership) is at one of the quick lube or speedy oil change centers. They charge about 50% more than regular mechanics for the oil and filter change, and also try to sell you other services that are not required. Also, for the most part, the extra cost of synthetic oil is not worth it unless you drive regularly under severe operating conditions.
If you do routine and regularly scheduled maintenance on your vehicle, hopefully unscheduled repairs will occur infrequently. But when they do, consider the following:
1. When your car stops working properly and requires repairs, do not automatically assume that the problem is major. It may very well not be, but if you go to the repair shop and tell them you are expecting the worst, that may very well be what they sell you. For instance, if your car is overheating, do not automatically assume you need a new radiator. It might just be a bad hose or thermostat. Or, if your car seems to be running fine and the “check engine” light comes on, consider taking your car to an auto parts store and see if they will read the trouble code for free. It may be something small, or even just a defective check engine light. In other words, while you need to find out what the problem is, you are better off taking the position that the problem is not major and probably can be repaired relatively inexpensively. And ask the repair shop if that is indeed the case.
2. Make sure you go to your regular repair shop to determine what the problem is and whether they are capable of fixing the problem. Get a firm price quote for the work. If the repair is major, or you are concerned about the cost, get a second opinion prior to authorizing the work. Also, make sure that you will receive a call to get your authorization before any additional work is commenced. And when your car repair is complete, take the car for a test drive before you pay for the repair services. It is not unusual for there to still be a problem that needs to be addressed. And if any parts were replaced, ask for the old part back to help make sure they actually replaced the part.
3. Often used or rebuilt parts may be available for use in repairing your vehicle. These parts are generally much cheaper and often will last for the remaining life of your vehicle. Check with your mechanic to see if using used or rebuilt parts makes sense, and how much money it would save you.
4. Do not purchase an extended vehicle warranty to pay for major vehicle repairs. Most of the time these policies are very expensive and claims are very hard to collect on, as there always seems to be exceptions that allow the insurance company to deny the claim.
5. And, finally, buying road service coverage for a car less than three years old is probably not worth the cost. But if you feel you need some sort of coverage, consider buying it through your auto insurance company where they will usually add towing coverage for no more than $5 per year. Also, many auto insurance companies have a phone number you can call for assistance if you break down on the road.
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