Preventative Maintenance
The recommended 30/60/90K Maintenance
When you purchase a vehicle, you are likely to hear about the recommended factory maintenance schedule for the vehicle. This is often referred to as 30/60/90K maintenance because as a typical rule of thumb, most vehicles need maintenance service about every 30,000 miles. The actual recommended schedule for your vehicle may be more or less, depending on the car and the manufacturer.
It is a common misconception that the 30/60/90K maintenance schedule is simply a way for the dealer to get the buyer to spend more money at the dealership service department. This scheduled maintenance can actually extend your vehicle’s overall performance and longevity. In fact, car manufacturers now consider the maintenance to be so important that they will not honor the vehicle warranty unless you keep the schedule. Make sure you understand what your car manufacturer requires when you purchase the car.
Having this maintenance performed can potentially save you thousands of dollars in expensive auto repairs down the line. This is similar to why we go to the doctor for annual check-ups. Like a doctor, a trained mechanic can identify and replace faulty parts before more serious problems arise.
What happens during factory maintenance?
At KC Automotive, we start with the manufacturer’s recommend service requirement and perform a full inspection of your car’s systems to identify any problem areas. We will then recommend any needed repairs or replacement of parts. If your vehicle doesn’t need any repairs or parts, we will review what we found and get you on your way. Typically, the maintenance also involves making sure your critical fluids are topped off, replenished and/or replaced. The specifics of what needs to be done does differ based on the make/model and age of your vehicle. The best thing to do is check your owner’s manual for the recommend service intervals for your car. As a rule of thumb, 30/60/90K maintenance may include: changing the oil, replacing spark plugs and filters, rotating tires, checking and/or flushing the coolant, and checking or replacing transmission and brake fluid.
Do I have to go to the dealer service department to do my 30/60/90K maintenance?
We get this question a lot, the answer is no, you do not. Most dealers like to make you believe this maintenance can only be done by their service department, however, your warranty stays intact as long as you have it performed by a qualified automotive specialist. You can save on the cost of maintenance by taking your car to an independent repair shop like KC Automotive instead of the dealership. Give us a call today to get your vehicle maintenance scheduled.