Routine maintenance for your car is essential when it comes to keeping your vehicle in top shape. However, some people neglect it and view the concept of regular car maintenance as a chore rather than a necessity. They deem it unimportant, thinking it’s a harmless way to save time and money, but they fail to realise that avoiding routine servicing has hidden costs for both you and the people around you.
When you ignore routine servicing of your car, it can lead to bigger financial concerns and safety hazards in the long run. To help you get a better understanding of the impact, let’s explore 7 hidden costs that people disregard when they choose to skip routine vehicle servicing.
1. Greater Room for Error
Source: forbes.com
Even when you feel that your vehicle is running smoothly and requires no alterations, there are always going to be things that can be fine-tuned and prevented from turning into a bigger issue. Routine maintenance is essential to discover these aspects about your vehicle so that the room for error remains minimal.
For example, you might not notice immediate issues with your engine oil or transmission fluid. However, over time, these issues can lead to overheating, engine failure, or gearbox malfunctions. Similarly, most people don’t notice issues with their brake pads or tires until they start making noises or lose efficiency.
Issues like damaged rotors, tyre wear, and fluid leaks can be prevented by a regular check-up at reputed auto repair shops like this car garage in Northampton. When you take care of these errors as soon as the signs start showing, you also fix potential issues that could end up costing you hundreds if left unchecked.
2. Higher Energy Utilisation
Dirty air filters, underinflated tires, and old spark plugs force your engine to use more fuel than needed when they’re not maintained routinely. The air filters become clogged and reduce mileage, the tires decrease in pressure, and spark plugs wear out and lead to inefficient fuel combustion.
3. Impact on the Environment
Without routine maintenance, your car tends to release higher levels of pollutants, in turn causing damage to the environment. For example, your car emits more harmful gases due to faulty exhaust systems and dirty air filters. Additionally, you’ll also notice oil leaks in your vehicle when you choose to ignore minor leaks or other oil-related issues.
4. Potential for Unexpected Breakdowns
Let’s say that you planned a vacation with your family and want to go to your destination by road. Your car randomly breaking down midway due to something like a battery failure would completely kill the vibe, wouldn’t it?
When travelling, whenever you see people stranded on the side of the road due to a car breakdown, chances are that they skipped regular servicing. Some of the most common breakdown causes include battery failure, overheating, and transmitter issues.
5. Impacts on Warranty and Insurance
Source: freedomwarranty.com
Many car manufacturers mention routine servicing as a must in their terms and conditions to keep the warranty valid. When you choose to skip that, you’ll have to pay out of your own pockets and pay money for something that could’ve been avoided entirely. It’s always wise to check your warranty terms and keep up with the required service checks.
Additionally, some insurance claims may be considered to be null by the insurance companies as well, due to the maintenance history of your vehicle. If they find out that the damages done to the car were avoidable and caused by irresponsibility, they might refuse to cover the costs.
6. Reduced Resale Value
When looking for a second-hand car, well-researched buyers are generally going to ask for your maintenance history. Uneven routine checks can drastically lower the value of your vehicle. On the flip side, your car’s automatically going to be more attractive to the buyer if you show them a well-documented maintenance history.
7. Safety Risks and Potential Accidents
One of the biggest issues with not performing routine checks on your car is that it poses a threat not just to yourself but also to the people around you. When you unexpectedly lose control of the steering wheel or fail to brake properly, it’s not just you who has to suffer the consequences.
Why You Shouldn’t Skip Regular Car Maintenance
Source: allaroundautorepair.com
Despite a busy schedule or the temptation to save money or time, skipping routine car maintenance has hidden costs that can lead to more expensive consequences in the future. It keeps your vehicle running smoothly while also eliminating any aspects of your car that can potentially become larger issues later.
These hidden costs can all be avoided with timely maintenance. If you haven’t had one recently, don’t let a car breakdown be what it takes to change your mind on the topic and go get your car checked today!
