If you want to drive your vehicle with confidence and to keep it going year after year, a car maintenance checklist by mileage will ensure that it stays on top of all its operating parts according to the recommendations of the manufacturer.

Any vehicle owner will know that throughout the car’s life, their car will need various replacements, repairs, and maintenance – from a new battery to oil changes to tire rotations. It is why a car maintenance checklist by mileage can be so beneficial as it can avoid you being inconvenienced or surprised by additional maintenance or an urgent repair, and worse when you are on a holiday and you expect your car to perform.

To anticipate at what stage in your vehicle’s lifetime it should undergo recurring maintenance or certain regular repairs will be advantageous. Whether you simply want to be ahead of the game or want to start saving for future costs, a car maintenance checklist by mileage can be a helpful guide.

Car Tips And Tricks – Get The Most Miles By Maintaining Your Car

Car maintenance checklist by mileage is all part of ensuring that with your particular vehicle, you get the most miles out of it. By adhering to the checks you can be sure that your car will operate efficiently and as it should. Apart from the checklist we have provided, there are other maintenance milestones you will need to remember and they all require different services.

You can be sure that a vehicle maintenance checklist by mileage will ensure your vehicle runs smoothly, whether you have a truck, SUV, or car. The secret to a well-running car is maintenance.

If you are prepared to adhere regularly to a car maintenance checklist by mileage you will get the most from your car and also prevent major problems that could cost you a small fortune. Not only that, if you want to sell your car suddenly, then you will know that it is ready to go as -is as it has been well maintained.

When you do research you discover that many car manufacturers make use of a 30-60-90 vehicle maintenance checklist. This means that at certain intervals, parts and systems will need to be inspected and repaired or replaced at either 30,000, 60,000, or 90,000 miles. Regular vehicle maintenance is required roughly at 3,000 miles to 7000 miles.

Car Tips And Tricks – Maintain And Inspect Tires: A Lot Depends On Mileage

Watching and maintaining your vehicle’s tire pressures will help reduce tire wear and will help ensure you get fuel mileage. Tire pressure checking includes sourcing the recommended pressure, checking the PSI, and accordingly deflating or inflating your tires.

it is not easy saying how long each tire will last, but some tire manufacturers offer a warranty as high as 80,000 miles and even more so you can see that they are confident of the longevity of the tire. There are some tires only created to provide 30,000 miles of service.

A flat tire can always be a hazard, and preventative steps that can be taken to prevent a blowout are to rotate these tires every 5000 miles or as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

Tire rotation is all about changing the position of each tire on your vehicle periodically. You will have a good opportunity to visually inspect your tires for damage, to check air pressure and tread depth. They will then need to be rebalanced and aligned if you notice any vibration. There are a few reasons why tire rotation is so important –

• Tire wear is evenly spread across all 4 tires, maximizing tread life.
• Even treadwear makes for uniform tread depth on your tires.

Car Tips And Tricks – Short-Term Car Maintenance Checklist By Mileage

Inspect the following for proper vehicle maintenance –

• Car Maintenance Checklist By Mileage – Oil – At 5000 miles

Everyone who drives a car knows that an oil change has to happen regularly. Most people;e tend to let their car go longer than it should without an oil change. However, if you want your car to go well and to last, you should change the oil when scheduled.

However, a good guide is to change the oil after the first 5000 miles mark. It is wise to inspect both the oil and coolant levels while the engine is cool. If left unchecked, low levels of either can lead to engine problems. To locate both on your specific car, you can refer to your owner’s manual.

• Air Filter – Generally Between 12,000 To 15,000 Miles

The air filter is what helps keep out debris and particles and regulates the airflow into your engine to improve fuel efficiency, decrease your emissions and help ensure the life of your engine. Knowing when to change your air filter is not easy. And you have to know if you must change the engine air filter or the cabin filter?

Certainly, if you want to know when you should be replacing the engine air filter, look for a decrease in gas mileage. When the filter is dirty it affects the entire emission control system of the car. It can also impact the spark plugs so that they would not spark property. The location of the air filter will vary by vehicle so it is a good idea to check your owner’s manual to find out exactly where the filter is located.

• Lights – Headlights – Brakes, Flickers, And Parking Lights – Roughly Every 6000 Miles

The lights on your vehicle are all important and it is vital that they function properly. If ever you need a car maintenance checklist by mileage it is with lights. There are a number of lights on your car, and while flickers or indicators double as hazard lights, you have also got fog lights, brake lights, headlights, and tail lights.

You need to visually inspect our lights and walk around your car while someone stands behind the car to ascertain that your brake lights are working. Cars are evolving all the time and manufacturers come up with energy-efficient solutions which include LED lights, halogen bulbs, and xenon/high-intensity discharge (HID) bulbs.

• Oil And Filter – 3000 Miles

The functions of the motor oil are many and varied –

• helps prevent engine corrosion by lubricating the moving parts
• cools the engine
• acts as a sealant against debris
• helps prevent engine corrosion

Depending on the age of your car and what type of oil you are using, both the oil and the oil filter may need to be changed as often as every three months or 3000 miles.

Oil is a major part of a car maintenance checklist by mileage because no oil between the parts means friction with each other and it can destroy the engine. Between 5000 and 10,000 miles is recommended by many newer vehicles owners’ manuals. In fact, at every 3,000 miles, a good idea is to check all fluids and also the tire pressure.

• Wax Your Vehicle – Every 6000 Miles

A car maintenance checklist by mileage even includes looking out for the exterior of your vehicle. To keep the paint in good shape and reduce the chance of rust be sure to wax your car every 6 months or so or at 6000 miles.

Waxing can help minimize damage caused by environmental factors such as ozone and ultraviolet light.

Long-Term Car Maintenance Checklist By Mileage

• Transmission Fluid – About 30,000 To 60,000 Miles

To help keep all the moving parts inside your transmission working properly, much like your engine oil, transmission fluid is a required lubricant. It is absolutely essential to have your transmission fluid checked and changed to avoid expensive transmission damage or replacement.

Manual transmissions require transmission fluid changes more often than n automatic transmissions. The average time for a car maintenance checklist by mileage for transmission fluid is about 30,000 to 60,000 miles. It would be roughly 60,000 miles for automatic transmissions.

• Transfer Case Fluid – 30,000 Miles

The transfer case shifts power from the transmission to the axles in 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles. To make sure that the transfer case is properly filled and leak-free, be sure to have the transfer case fluid checked according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Manufacturers usually recommend different maintenance intervals according to the kind of vehicle and usage. It is safe to perform a transfer case fluid service at about 30,000 miles.

• Shocks And Struts – 50,000 Miles

The shocks and struts are an essential part of your vehicle’s steering system. They function to control the impact and rebound as your vehicle passes over bumps in the road.

So your car will possibly need regular replacement of these shocks or struts every 50,000 miles or so by a professional. Should you notice a loss of control when driving or a decrease in smoothness, it will need to be checked over.

• Coolant & Fluid Exchange – Rough 30,000 Miles

A vital component in your car is the radiator. It helps keep your engine cool and working properly. Your coolant system needs to be flushed regularly. This will help rid it of contaminants and make sure that the radiator is filled to the proper level.

Check your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation to ascertain how often your coolant needs to be exchanged. A lot depends on the vehicle but the average time between flushes is usually 30,000 mils or 2 years.

• Spark Plugs – Roughly 30,000 To 60,000 Miles

The spark plug powers your vehicle. They ignite the fuel and air mixture. Your engine will lose power and would not run at full capacity if your spark plugs are not functioning properly.

Depending on vehicle manufacturer recommendations, spark plugs should be changed every 30,000-60,000 miles. You do get these long-life plugs which can go right up to 150,000 miles. Not attending to spark plugs can lead to a host of engine issues over time.

• Serpentine Belt – 60,000 To 100,000 miles

Your vehicle’s serpentine belt may seem like a simple piece of rubber but it is essential to keep your car running by powering peripheral devices such as your air conditioner, compressor, power steering pump, and alternator.

You can inspect the belt to make sure it is free of crack or other wear and tear. These serpentine belts are far more robust these days because of advancements in rubber technology so ideally, they should last you roughly up to 60,000 to 100,000 miles.

• Front- And Or Rear Differential – 30,000 To 60,000 Miles

The differentials are devices that split the power- or torque from the engine and allow it to send power to the tires. This is applicable in front and rear-wheel drive as well as 4-wheel drive vehicles.

The diffs need to be kept lubricated. Most manufacturer maintenance schedules will recommend that the differential fluid be changed every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. However, it can differ between vehicles. If your car has a front differential with a transaxle, then the rear differential will use a different type of oil.

Conclusion

Always remember that with a car maintenance checklist by mileage, you need to be checking your car regularly to prevent things from going wrong. If you have a newer car, you will find that there are certain warranty coverages with terms and conditions about how you are to maintain your car.

In fact, you have to comply with the car maintenance checklist by mileage if you do not want to risk voiding the warranty.

Always understand your warranties when you take delivery of a new car or used 2nd hand car from a dealer. If you are unsure about recommended mileage services you should not hesitate to go to your local dealership for assistance.

Just like how one knows how to tie their shoes, knowing how to change a flat tire is just as important if not more. Getting stuck on the side of the road because of a flat tire and the inability to change one can leave you in a sticky situation. Asking strangers for help if you’re in the middle of nowhere is not an option one should consider. It’s always recommended to have the tools needed to change a tire in the boot of your car and the knowledge on how to do so.

Don’t worry, it’s not difficult. Our guide will let you in on some tools needed to change a tire and also how to change one.

All you need to know about changing a tire

Before we show you how to change a tyre, it is important to understand the tools needed to change a tire.

Tools needed to change a tire

Fortunately, cars come with a tool kit but just in case you’ve lost one or haven’t received one with your car, we recommend getting the following and keeping it in the boot of your car in case you run into a flat tire:

1. Carjack
2. Lug wrench
3. Wheel wedges (Not necessary, however it is helpful if you’re on a slope)
4. Work gloves

You can also have a handy dandy tire repair kit in case you don’t have a spare around or your spare is flat too. The tire repair kit may not be one of those tools needed to change a tire but can help with a puncture in your tire.

How to change a tire

Never learned how to change a tire? It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Most millennials do not have basic training when it comes to diagnosing their car problems or changing a flat. Now that you are aware of the tools needed to change a tire, let’s go over how to change a tire step by step.

Before you change your tire, make sure your vehicle is in a safe place like the side of the road. If your vehicle is on a slope, use wheel wedges to stop  your vehicle from moving. Wear work gloves as you may get your hands dirty in this process or even damage your skin if the weather is too cold.

1. Proceed by removing the damaged tire hubcap.
2. You’ll be able to see some odd shaped “screws”. They are called lug nuts. To loosen the lug nuts you need a special wrench that is commonly referred to as lug wrench.
3. Place the jack on a flat ground surface under your vehicle. Make sure that when you raise the jack, it should lift the car by pushing the car’s body upwards. If the jack hits any engine part, you’ve placed it in the wrong place. Ensure the jack lifts the car up by its body.
4. Once the wheel that you’re changing is half a foot above the ground, unscrew the lug nuts completely.
5. As you remove the nuts, you can now remove the tire with a bit of force. Since the tyre is heavy, this might require a bit of patience. Instead of kicking the tire out (a common mistake), simply pull it slightly upwards by giving it a few tugs.
6. Align the spare tire and put it in place using the lug bolts as a guidance to how your tires should fit.
7. Screw in the nuts with your hands, tightening it as much as possible.
8. Now lower the jack and ensure your vehicle touches the ground before you remove the jack from under the car.
9. Since the nuts are already in place, don’t forget to tighten them with a lug wrench.
10. Put the hubcap back on and reward yourself with a pat on the back. You deserve it.

Tips on maintaining your vehicle’s tires

It is important that your vehicle tire maintains the recommended level of pressure. Check the vehicle’s manual for what level is best for your car. Changes in tire pressure can reduce the performance of a vehicle. The drive just doesn’t feel right anymore while the tires endure a higher level of wear and tear. The next time you go fill up your vehicle’s tank, take 5 minutes out of your routine and check the tire pressures as well at the filling station. Maintaining the right tire pressure will help extend the life of your vehicle’s tires.

Always get your wheel alignment done atleast once a year. This helps in reducing thread wear on the tires. Do give your tires a quick inspection on a daily basis, it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. Daily tire inspection helps prevent any possible accidents on the road. Remember, it’s better to stay safe than to take a risk that you can easily avoid.

Besides cost and performance, people also view repair and maintenance as one of the most important factors when considering buying new cars. With the economy stagnant and disposable income decreasing due to inflation, people prefer to buy a car with less hassles involved like better fuel mileage, lower repair costs, great resale value and more.

Keeping that in mind, we have narrowed down our list of easiest cars to work on so that you don’t waste your time scouring the internet for hours to find a reliable and affordable car.

Top 5 brands that have easy to repair cars

There are hundreds of brands out there for consumers to choose from with some brands being great for performance while others good in pricing. Unreliable brands or brands that purely focus in one area (for example speed, performance, pricing and more) are not the easiest cars to work on in terms of repair and maintenance. Their parts might be expensive or installation of parts can get complicated which further drives up costs.

Lucky for you, we’ve gone through hundreds of brands and singled it down to the top 5 brands that have the easiest cars to work on.

Kia

People looking to buy new cars would rejoice to hear that Kia offers a great warranty with basic and powertrain coverage that lasts for 5 years for the basic and 10 years for the powertrain coverage. This is great if your car breaks down since it’ll be covered under warranty. Mitsuibishi also offers superb warranty coverage, however, their cars lack the reliability that is offered by Kia.

Subaru

Subaru has seen an increase in their vehicle sales year on year for the last decade. The reason is simply because Subaru is one of the easiest cars to work on as they have colored caps under the hood. Owners of the car can simply refer to their color guide that explains everything making the repair an easy DIY job. The best thing about a Subaru is that it has a huge fan following that continuously adds to the literature available for the car. So if your Subaru starts to act up, know that there might be a guide on the internet to help resolve the issue.

Jeep Wrangler

Remember those times as a kid when all you used to play was with legos and dirt? Jeep wrangler brings the exact same feeling. The car is built like a lego, easy to dismantle or change parts while its 4×4 ability allows the vehicle to drive in harsh terrains. There are tons of stories about a jeep wrangler and how it always reaches its destination without failing the driver. People can easily diagnose problems and get to it without any complications. Don’t believe us? Watch the grand tour special where Jeremy Clarkson drives a Jeep Wrangler across Columbia.

Toyota

Toyota is the largest auto manufacturer in the world with their corollas sold in the millions. Boasting such impressive sales, Toyota has been able to bring down the cost of parts due to mass production while providing accessibility to the spare parts across the world. People anywhere can buy a spare part for their corolla at a relatively better price than other brands. This makes Toyota one of the easiest cars to work on if repairs and maintenance is ever needed.

Chevrolet

There are two brands that have pickup trucks that sell well and don’t change much over the years. Chevrolet and GMC pickup trucks have garnered a lot of fan-base information over the years allowing users to understand what might be wrong with their vehicle in case anything happened. The two brands also have very similar model pickup trucks which require the same spare parts enabling users to easily repair their vehicles. The compartments in these trucks are also spacious making it easier for mechanics or owners to get closer to the engine in case any repairs are required.

Are electric vehicles some of the easiest cars to work on?

In theory, yes. Electric vehicles do not require oil change, spark plugs replacement, engine belts, filters and more. Even the brake pads don’t often require replacement because of their regenerative braking systems.

Electric vehicles have the ability to automatically update their software without going to an auto shop. However, it’s not as if electric vehicles don’t require any maintenance. Defective parts can fail while tyres need to be changed according to their purchase manual. The vehicle needs an annual inspection as well to assess the wear and tear situation.

There is no such thing as a vehicle that doesn’t require any maintenance or repairs during its lifetime. However, it’s easy to work on a vehicle that is produced and sold in large volumes. This enables mechanics to be geared up and ready to repair such cars easily as the knowledge to do so is readily available. Secondly, bulk production enables auto manufacturers to reduce the cost of spare parts ensuring an easy, quick and cheap repair.