As a car owner, one of your greatest concerns may involve prolonging your vehicle’s longevity. Naturally, this means you won’t have to shop around for a newer, more expensive model. However, what you may not have realized is that your actions (or inactions) can be what’s causing your car to fail sooner than anticipated.

Of course, this may sound absurd, especially if you’re careful about how you use your vehicle. To understand how you may impact your car’s longevity, let’s first take a look at an important factor: car maintenance.

It is a well-known fact that car maintenance is of the utmost importance if you want your car to last longer. Following car manual guidelines or getting preemptive “check-ups” can help to prevent a myriad of problems. Not to mention, it can also work to catch blossoming problems.

Unfortunately, in recent years, it appears that around 35 percent of vehicle owners have been skipping out on maintenance. This, naturally, has led to an increase in the number of breakdowns and severe vehicle-related problems. As a result, these vehicles don’t last all that long.

So, why are car owners skimping on car maintenance when they know it’s so important? Well, there are a couple of reasons:

Modern Cars are More Complex

It is common knowledge that vehicles are now more complex than they have ever been. This, of course, is because many of the systems have gone digital. There is now an increasing number of computers handling various systems within modern cars.

As a result, the average person has a tough time maintaining their car. A few decades ago, you could figure out most issues with the help of your toolbox. These days, it isn’t quite as simple. Not to mention, in many modern models, you can’t even access parts that would typically be easy to get to.

All of this means that most people have to take their car into the shop even for the smallest repairs. This means they have to make more of an effort to have their cars maintained. Furthermore, maintenance can also cost more…

Modern Cars Are More Expensive to Repair

Considering all the changes that have come about, mechanics now need to be more skilled and experienced than ever before. Naturally, this means that they are charging more for their services. At the same time, many mechanics often have to undertake complex and time-consuming routes to handle most basic car maintenance. Thus, they are forced to issue higher bills.

It is no surprise that many modern cars are more environmentally friendly than their predecessors. While this is certainly a good thing, it also comes at a cost. These improved systems require more superior resources which are often a great deal more expensive.

That’s not all ­– even the material used to make car bodies is more technologically advanced. This means that mechanics can’t rely on an acetylene torch and a few tools anymore. Instead, they require more laborious processes to fix up dents and other issues that may exist on the surface.

Younger Car Owners Aren’t as Maintenance Savvy

Of course, there are still some car maintenance tasks you can take care of yourself. Unfortunately, it appears that younger car owners don’t really know how to tend to these tasks either. For instance, it was found that a significant number of Millennials don’t know how to change a tire or even open up a car bonnet!

This means that once again, most individuals find themselves having to drive to the nearest service station or auto shop. Considering how much these services cost, many people are reluctant to do this in the first place.

So, where does this leave you as a vehicle owner? Does this mean you are doomed to repeat this mistake and end up with a busted-up car? Well, not necessarily.

One of the first things you could do is teach yourself how to handle DIY car maintenance. This way, you can stay on top of these with very little added cost. Not to mention, these tasks will be far quicker to complete as well.

To handle other car maintenance tasks, it is important to find an affordable car mechanic that you can trust. Sure, this may take some time and research. However, you can guarantee that it will be well worth the effort. Once you have found the best mechanic for you, it is important to actually handle your car maintenance as required.

Keep in mind that while car maintenance can be pricey, it is often much cheaper than repairs resulting from negligence. So, in the long run, you will end up saving money simply because you stay up-to-date with your maintenance.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/C7V2Ue3n1uM