Are you looking to buy a new car? New car sales are steadily climbing and dealerships are offering very attractive warranties, some up to 10yr/100,000 miles. Warranties are a great safety net to protect you and your car from any defects or product malfunctioning, but they do not cover routine maintenance and repairs. You do not have to return to the dealership for routine servicing of your car. The FTC passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, giving you the right to choose who services your car, and illegal for a dealership to void your warranty for not using their service center.
Car owners know how important routine maintenance is for the life of your car. Choosing a certified car care center you trust, and sticking to a preventive maintenance plan, you’ll give your car a long happy life.
By visiting a certified car care center, like Osceola Garage, you can save thousands on preventative services versus the cost of a what a dealership would charge. Here is a list of routine services to discuss with your certified car care center:
- Oil Change services – we don’t just stop at changing the oil and filter, we’ll give your car a visual inspection and warn you of any possible threats to your vehicle.
- Tire Rotations – Tires are expensive, but you can prolong the life of your tires by rotating every 8,000 miles so your tires wear evenly. We can also let you know if your car is out of alignment or balance.
- Fluid Services – Do you know how many fluids your car takes to run? We’ll inspect all 5 fluids: oil, steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and coolant.
- Spark Plugs – the life of a spark plug vary greatly, but a faulty spark plug can cause engine misfires, increase exhaust emissions, waste gas, and reduce power.
- Filters – your car has several filters in your car from the engine, to interior passenger cabin. You’ll want to have your filters checked regularly and cleaned/replaced as they wear.
It’s also important to observe the services outlined in the owner’s manual. One word of caution when reading the owner’s manual; your mechanic will make recommendations that may or may not be in the manual. It may be wise to listen to the mechanic. Car companies are in the business to sell cars, not making them last 200,000 miles or longer.
At Osceola Garage, we offer our customers a lifetime protection guarantee, and a $26,000 protection plan that will protect and extend the life of your vehicle, with no additional contracts or warranties to buy. For a full list of vehicle specific preventive maintenance services, and how to make your car last 10 years or longer, speak to your mechanic.
Please note, routine services should not be confused with any free services, recalls or warranty work. For that, you must return to the new car dealer. For more information on your rights as a new car owner, visit: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0138-auto-warranties-routine-maintenance
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