The Car Service Cost You Don't Know About

For many, a good running vehicle means the difference between getting to work on time or losing your job; dropping your kids off at school on time or they miss their first class; getting to the hospital when there is an emergency or getting there too late.

Servicing your car regularly means having a reliable vehicle when it matters most.

It is also for these reasons that car service cost values should be calculated against the cost of not having your car running properly when you need it to most. What you could save now may end up costing you down the road.

Additionally, putting off routine or scheduled car maintenance to save money now can wind up becoming major repairs that could cost you an arm and a leg later on.

What exactly is the true cost of car servicing?

What happens if you don’t regularly service your car?

Servicing your car regularly can save you thousands on extensive auto repairs. If left unchecked, what began as minor wear could end up becoming major replacements.

Most people wait until they know something is wrong with their vehicle, like hearing a strange sound or seeing their ‘check engine’ light come on. But by this time, a problem is already apparent, and it could be serious. Waiting for these signs can vastly increase your car service cost.

The trick is to find the problem before it becomes, well, problematic.

Having your car serviced regularly can uncover hidden issues that may be manifesting. For example, something as simple as a failing timing belt means your car will not start. Catching this before it’s too late will ensure you won’t get stranded when it counts.

And this is only one example of hundreds that could leave your car disabled or worse, causing an accident because of a malfunction that was preventable through regular servicing.

When should I have my car serviced?

How often you need to have your car serviced ultimately will depend on the type of car you have, the age of your car, and the make and model.

Older vehicles need to be serviced more often than newer models. Although, just because your vehicle is new, it doesn’t mean that it’s immune from budding issues. Whether it is mechanical or electrical, even new cars need to undergo routine service to ensure their health.

However, as a general rule of thumb, your car needs to be serviced about every 6 months or, for newer cars, about every 30,000 kilometres or so to ensure your engine, transmission, suspension, and more, are in good working condition. Otherwise, your true car service cost can wind up being much more the longer you wait.

The goal of servicing your vehicle is to ensure its health. It is to help prevent burgeoning issues from becoming major (and costly) ones. So, having your car serviced often is always the best policy.

In closing

Remember, what you put off now can come back to haunt you later. So have your car serviced regularly to make sure something simple doesn’t turn into a chain of complex problems in the future.

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Brit McDowell

Lifestyle Specialist & Subject Matter Expert

Brit McDowell is a Product Specialist at Localsearch with a background in marketing, business and tourism management. Aside from her specialisation in technical processes, Brit is known for her green thumb and growing succulent collection, love of dogs (especially Dalmatians), eye for home interior and fervour for travel. Brit is also a Lifestyle Specialist on the Localsearch Blog and enjoys sharing her research and knowledge in home and gardening services, food, beauty and general lifestyle tips and tricks.

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The Car Service Cost You Don’t Know About