Owning a car may be really take you places, but it can be a financial nightmare at times.
A brand new car starts losing value the minute it rolls off the showroom floor and keeps losing value, until it’s sold for scrap a decade or two later.
The problem is wear and tear (or ‘depreciation’). Cars tend to break down after a while, but most people fail to account for the money they’ll need to repair it.
But owning a car is often essential for most people, which means repairs are unavoidable. It is, however, possible to cut repair costs. Here’s five ways to save money on car repairs:
- Preventive maintenance is cheaper
Prevention is not just better than cure, it’s actually cheaper. Keeping an eye on car essentials such as the tyres and batteries will pay off in the long run.
Regularly maintain these by doing what’s suggested in the manual or learning how to replace them yourself.
All these moving parts will wear out over time so it’s best to form a habit of repairing them before they eventually cause trouble.
- Pay Attention To Warnings
Modern cars have all these neat features that are designed to warn you when things don’t look right.
There are now sensors available for inside tyres for tyre pressure and in newer cars, your car engine will often warn you, well before things break down.
These red flags need to be taken seriously. Go down to the repair shop right away after an alert.
- DIY occasionally
The easiest way to save money on any repair is to do it yourself. Learn to replace the air filter or change wiper blades. Small parts like these are really simple and it’s easy to learn how to repair them.
Here’s a checklist of things you can probably learn to repair yourself. Any expert mechanic would be happy to demonstrate but most drivers simply learn these basics off of YouTube.
- Avoid duplicate labor charges
A simple repair could take longer than expected because the mechanic has to remove a lot of parts to get to the issue. This could be an opportunity to save on repairs costs.
Ask the mechanic to inspect the parts carefully and see if there’s any other, unrelated repairs that they can do right away. This saves you money on labor and the trouble of having to come down to the garage again.
- Find an expert you trust
Some repairs are just too complex to handle yourself, which is why it’s essential to find the most trustworthy mechanic in your area. Compare prices and reviews of all the local auto repair shops with sites like RepairPal and AutoMD.
If a repair shop delivers great service at affordable prices, stick to them loyally. Get to know the staff and mechanics. Building a relationship will help you get better deals in the future and avoid hidden costs.
A trustworthy expert will help you get quality parts for lower prices and honestly admit if a repair is unnecessary.
To sum up, check the manual, pay attention to your car, maintain it yourself regularly and have someone you trust repair it.
These five simple tips could save you more money on your car repairs than you would imagine.
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