Wondering how often should you have your car serviced?

If you are like most drivers, you want a safe and trustworthy vehicle.  But you may be wondering, “How often should you have your car serviced?”  The answer is quite simple. Follow the factory suggested vehicle maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual.  Adhering as close as potential to this schedule will help prevent an expensive car repair and ensure that you are driving as safe as potential, especially during winter’s cold days.

Many newer cars have an in-vehicle maintenance reminder system that provides an alert on the dash when it is time for certain services, such oil changes, fluid level inspects, component checkups and other car maintenance services.  This reminder system makes mileage-based schedules obsolete and also takes a number of vehicle operating conditions into account.  Although you should be able to trust these reminder systems to guide your maintenance visits, it is still wise to double-check with your car repair technician, especially if you don’t put many miles on your car during a year’s time.

Older cars commonly still rely on mileage for service intervals. There are commonly two different maintenance schedules, one for cars driven in “normal” conditions and another for those used in “severe” conditions. Normal conditions would be straight level ground with little stop-and-go traffic.  Though, many drivers possibly meet the definition of severe conditions, involving one or more of the following conditions:

• Primarily short trips stop-and-go driving 
• Extremely hot, cold, or dusty climates
• Mountainous terrain
• Carrying heavy loads or towing a trailer.

Plan ahead for car repair and maintenance by finding an auto shop and technician you can trust before you want them. Inspect them out for an appearance, technician training and certification, insurance coverage and customer satisfaction. 

So how often should you have your car serviced?  Call our ASE Certified Technicians at Auto Max of Oregon today for more information about car repair service and to make an appointment. Our auto repair shop proudly serves vehicle owners in Canby, OR and surrounding areas.