Many people fail to budget vehicle maintenance and repairs while creating an annual budget. Do not let vehicle repairs catch you off guard this year and follow these 4 simple tips for planning your vehicle maintenance budget.
- Have a complete vehicle inspection performed to understand the overall condition of your vehicle. Here at Browns Auto, we perform complete digital inspections that come with photos and educational videos. We can send the inspection to your email or smart phone. What we do is then help to priority any repairs or maintenance that needs to be performed in order of safety, dependability and preventative maintenance.
- Check your maintenance service schedule in your vehicle owner’s manual. Are you approaching a larger service interval such as 60,000, 90,000, or 120,000 mile service? Some of those services can be quite involved, and modern fluids are becoming expensive to change. We are happy to provide a free estimate on any schedule maintenance that you are needing so that you can prepare and budget for those important services. Remember that proper maintenance can increase the life of your vehicle drastically!
- Following are common recommended mileage services: Spark plugs, transmission fluid change, transfer case fluid change, differential fluid change, timing belt replacement, brake fluid change, parking brake adjustments, cabin filter replacement, computer programing updates and more. We have locations in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Los Ranchos that can help with all you service maintenance needs.
- Check the condition of your tires. Tire replacement can be expensive due to advancements in tire technology, newer tires having higher ratings with lower profiles and supply chain issues still causing headaches. It is recommended to replace tires when the tread depth gets to 2/32”. So if your tires are measuring close to that, know and budget for new tires. Browns Automotive offers tire replacement in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Los Ranchos locations. We offer competitive pricing and have the ability to get whichever tire brand you like. We also have the knowledge and information needed to help you choose the best tire for you and your driving habits/conditions.
- Repair or Replace? This is something all vehicle owners must come to terms with when their vehicle starts to stack on age and mileage. Sometimes you are ready for another vehicle and it the decision is easy. Sometimes the thought of going through the car shopping process is daunting and stressful. If you have had your vehicle inspected, you should have a good idea of what repairs are needed and what the cost are. Average car payment in America is $700/mth ($8400/year) for new vehicles and $525/mth ($6300/year) for used vehicles. Average loan length is 67 mths (4.75 years) Very unlikely to spend between $6300 - $8400 a year on vehicle repairs and maintenance. Often times you will find it makes more economic sense to keep your paid off vehicle maintained and repairs.
Another good estimate is about $100 a month budgeting for vehicle maintenance and repairs. However the four steps above will give you a more accurate number. We hope this is useful information and please contact anyone here at Browns Automotive with any questions. We are here to be your trusted neighborhood repair shop!
Dustin Brown
Jan 2023