Your Car: A Year in Review

As the year draws to a close, one of the items which is worthy of attention is a look at how your car has performed in the past year. By addressing some of the costs and problems you’ve had with your vehicle, you’ll be in good shape transportation-wise for the coming year. Here are some of the things to consider.

Mileage

Whether you’re an occasional driver or a heavy commuter, the amount of wear and tear on the vehicle is often directly tied to the miles you put on your car. If you find yourself in a position where you are doing quite a bit more commuting, but are still driving the same car, or your maintenance is the same, it may be time to rethink this practice.

When the mileage you put on the car goes up, there should be a concurrent increase in the amount of maintenance, the frequency with which you replace the tires, oil changes, tune-ups, and cleaning.

Dents, dings and glass

If you haven’t done so lately, take a moment to walk around the outside of the vehicle and look for dents and dings and other signs of damage. Addressing these when they’re small can help you to avoid problems later. The same also holds true for glass damage, such as windshield cracks.

Interior

Even though we drive our cars sometimes daily, the interior can be severely neglected. This neglect can occur even without the driver’s awareness until it becomes quite dirty. If you are not a person who is heavily into cleaning, it’s a worthwhile investment to spend the money and have your car cleaned by a pro. Spend a hundred bucks and give that car interior some love!

Engine

If your car’s engine fails, it’s all over, so we urge you to indulge in regular periodic maintenance for the engine of your vehicle. Tune-ups, transmission checks, radiator fluid, and battery replacement are all things which will keep your car on the road and running smoothly.

Tires and brakes

Good tires will keep you safe, so if you don’t check your tires, it’s worth that little stroll through the tire shop to let them check your tire pressure.

If there is anything more important than keeping a car going, it’s a vehicle capable of stopping. Having good brakes is one of the paramount ways of keeping yourself alive and keeping your vehicle from significant harm.

Repairs and gas mileage

When you consider the year in review, take a moment to acknowledge the number of repairs and the amount of maintenance your car required. If the costs have been increasing, or the cost of repairs has risen significantly, this is your car’s way of letting you know it’s getting near retirement age. Every car begins to fail at a different point, depending on how you drive, car care, make and model, and just plain luck or lack thereof.

If you have noticed a significant decrease in your gas mileage, that is also a cause for concern. This concern is especially real if you have been diligent about maintenance, particularly automobile maintenance.

By making a point of periodically reviewing your car usage and costs, it will give you a perspective on how long you may have until it’s time to buy another car. By looking at the long view, you will be able to start saving the money you will need when the purchase of a new vehicle becomes necessary.

If you are in the Phoenix Metro area and want a no-hassle cash offer on an old, wrecked, unwanted, salvage or burned car, SUV, van or truck, give us a call at I Buy Junk Cars 480-771-8290.