Keep up with routine maintenance, such as oil changes and tune-ups, to avoid big, expensive repairs down the road.  “Every dollar you cut back on now will cost you an average of $8 down the line,” estimates Pat Goss, who hosts MotorWeek TV and radio shows.

It is always good to keep up with the maintenance on your vehicle especially in the face of a rocky economy. Other than a home, a vehicle is often the next largest investment people make. Preventative car care from a good shop will help you conserve time and money. The auto repair industry is there to help you, and believe it or not they don’t want you to have costly unneeded repairs. We know that you want to get the longest life out of your current vehicle as possible, and this website can steer you in the right direction. With proper routine maintenance, your vehicle should spend less time in the shop and more time on the road.

Some advice:

Stay away from do-it-yourself repairs! Often this may seem like the best solution to spending more money, but it is actually better in the long run to take your vehicle to a technician. Even simple tasks such as brake work, fixing the check engine light or changing oil can lead to complications if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing.

Don’t ignore what your car is saying to you. According to the Car Care Council, 80 percent of the vehicles on the road need service or repairs, which is a dangerous and scary fact. Regular maintenance is how to keep your older vehicles reliable and long-living.

Read your owner’s manual. Reading your owner’s manual can be the best source to go when figuring out how often your car needs to be serviced or repaired.

All repair centers are different. Most shops will have different rates, different practices, and different ways of filling out their auto repair estimate, which means you need to be alert as to how their quoting works. What may appear as the cheapest quote may not be once everything is taken into account.