We aim to please all of our customers with professional technicians and excellent customer service. We try to make your repairs as easy and painless as they can be, but also recommend you bring your vehicle in routinely for preventative maintenance services. Regular maintenance, according to one article from Fox News, “keeps a vehicle running safely and prevents accidents. And staying accident-free keeps car insurance rates down at a time when drivers could use all the help they can get.”

“People are holding onto their cars longer, so they really have to pay attention to maintenance,” says Brian Hafer, marketing vice president at AutoMD.com, an online automotive repair resource for car owners.” Our goal is to help our customers keep their vehicles longer and performing better. After purchasing new or used vehicles, drivers on average are keeping them 57 months — an increase of 23% since the third quarter of 2008, according to Polk, a global automotive market intelligence firm headquartered in Southfield, Mich. Meanwhile, the average age of cars on U.S. roads reached a record high of 11.1 years in 2011, up from 9.3 years in 2001, Polk says.

This article has some good information for consumers on how to avoid making common auto repair mistakes which could be costly or even dangerous. We have compiled a list and hope to have you bring your vehicle to your trusted repair shop soon.

Don’t let the temptation to save a few bucks by delaying maintenance steer you off course. Follow the maintenance schedule in the vehicle owner’s manual. Ignoring important maintenance tasks can have even more serious consequences. Failure to replace worn-out brake pads, for instance, will result in the grinding down of other parts and put you and your passengers in danger. Also, make sure tires are inflated to the proper pressure. Underinflation increases treadwear on the outer edges and reduces gas mileage. Too much air pressure leads to uneven wear and faster deterioration.

AutoMD recommends keeping a log of what you hear, feel, see and smell when your car has trouble and then sharing those details with the mechanic. Thorough information about the symptoms will speed up the diagnosis and save on labor costs, as well as improve communication with your technician.

“Research repair shops online and get quotes for repairs, AutoMD says. Keep in mind you don’t have to visit the dealership for every problem. Car owners can save an estimated $300 or more a year by opting for independent repair shops rather than dealerships, according to an AutoMD analysis.”

Ignoring warnings could lead to expensive damage and danger. Take for example, your fuel light. How often does it come on before you force yourself to fuel up? “Besides increasing the risk of running out of gas, driving a fuel-injected engine frequently on a very low tank is hard on the fuel pump, Hafer says. AutoMD recommends keeping the fuel level above a quarter tank.”

Feel like you can’t afford to take care of your car? Learn to do the simple things yourself so that you can better spend your money on the repairs you can’t do yourself. Anyone can learn to replace wiper blades, light bulbs and even fuses and air filters.

We recommend that you take your car to one of our trusted auto repair shops in Tempe , Gilbert, or Mesa for routine maintenance. This will mean long-term savings and a healthier overall vehicle – every drivers dream.