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Preventative maintenance is one of the best ways of keeping your vehicle in great shape. If you attend the recommended appointments at your service center, inspect your car every few months, and keep up with small repairs, you can prevent serious issues, accidents, and breakdowns. Let’s have a closer look at how used SUVs can be kept in great shape.
1. Schedule Maintenance on a Regular Basis
Most car manufacturers recommend that you get your SUV serviced once a year or once every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, whatever comes first. To determine the optimal frequency of diagnostic appointments, you should either consult your car’s manual or ask the experts at the service center. You should also think about how you use your car. Someone who drives on smooth roads doesn’t need to see the mechanic as often as someone who goes cross-country.
If you’re short on time or money, you might believe that prolonging the time between maintenance appointments or skipping the diagnostic test one year won’t make a difference. But remember that you could be making the situation worse. Not maintaining your car properly puts you at risk of a breakdown, which can cost you many times more than a service.
2. Check Your Car’s Components Every Few Months
In between the visits to the dealership, you should inspect your car every 2-3 months. Have a look at the oil to see if it is still a light color, inspect your tires for cracks or uneven wear and tear, and test out all the lights and infotainment features to make sure they are fully functional.
You should also stay alert for any changes to the way your vehicle drives. If you notice unusual smells or sounds, the SUV pulls to one side, the brakes are spongy, or there is juddering when you start and stop, you should book an appointment with your mechanic to avoid future problems.
3. Don’t Delay Small Repairs
If your mechanic tells you that there is a small problem with your SUV, you should heed their advice and get the issue addressed as soon as you can. Remember that your car parts are all linked together, so an issue with one of them affects the others and can potentially cause more damage to the vehicle. Therefore, getting problems fixed early is usually cheaper than waiting until the damage becomes more severe and your car breaks down.
Planning ahead is also cheaper because it allows you to take advantage of your service center’s specials. Here at the dealership, we run various deals throughout the year, and if you know what maintenance tasks are coming up, you can time your visit so it coincides with our specials.
After you’ve bought a used SUV at the dealership, you’ll need to maintain it regularly to keep it in great shape. There’s no reason why a pre-owned car can’t last you for many years if you attend regular service appointments and keep up with the necessary repairs. Call us at Santa Monica SUVs to find out about the kinds of inspections and repairs we offer at our service center.
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