When you own a vehicle, the car payment, insurance premiums and gas costs are not the only things you should consider for your budget. There are some pretty important auto maintenance items that you can expect and need to budget for. In doing so, you’re maintaining your vehicle so that it will last longer and you’ll likely face fewer major auto repairs down the road. By putting in money over the course of owning the vehicle, you’ll save yourself a lot more eventually.

So what exactly are these maintenance services that we should budget for?

We have listed them out on our site, but here is a brief rundown of what you can budget out:

1. Those major mileage-based services 30K, 60K, 90K, etc… – There are some fluid changes and inspections that you won’t want to miss. Same with oil changes, hose inspections, and other common services that will simply ensure that everything is healthy under the hood.

2. Tire Maintenance – Even though most tires can last between 40K-60K miles, too many other factors can accelerate their wear, such as lack of rotation, incorrect air pressure, weak shocks/struts, poor alignment, and road hazards. Properly inflated tires are safe tires.

3. Oil Changes – This deserves a category of its own. You need to make sure to perform routine oil changes, so that it is lubricating the engine and keeping it healthy. This also gives your auto repair shop an opportunity to check for clogs and other issues with engine components.

4. Fuel Injectors – Today’s vehicles need to watch their fuel injectors and throttle plates more than in the past. Spark plugs and carburetors aren’t as big of issues anymore, but be sure your auto mechanic cleans your fuel injectors and throttle plate every 30K miles or so.

5. Struts and Shocks – These degrade over time and often go unnoticed until an issue occurs. They aren’t cheap to replace and it won’t be something you need to do regularly, but failure to invest in new ones after your mileage gets high could mean more issues around the corner.

Budgeting is hard!

We know that you have a lot on your plate already, especially when it comes to budgeting for your vehicle. We hope that this blog and our expertise at the repair shop can help keep you and your vehicle feeling a little better. It’s important to remember that a properly maintained vehicle is the best kind of vehicle.