Thoughts: Pre Purchase and Safety Inspections                                                                                                                                                        

Over the last year I have put out information that is both useful and infused with money saving tips. I’ve written about Pre Purchase Inspections in the past however another situation has popped up. A customer recently purchased a used car without getting a pre purchase inspection and then brought the car in for a safety inspection. This was an absolutely beautiful vehicle inside and out until we put it up on a lift and looked underneath. OUCH !!! This car came from up north and apparently the years of road salt had totally damaged the underside of the car. (see pictures below) Telling you about the amount of rust on this vehicle cannot be overstated. The whole underside of the vehicle is so incredibly damaged we’re not sure how long this car will be driveable. If your are purchasing a used vehicle PLEASE have us inspect it first. It is a slight inconvenience and will take about 30 - 45 minutes however it could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache.

I also put a lot of information out about having a safety inspection on your vehicle at least twice a year, more often if you drive a lot.  During this inspection we inspect tires, hoses, belts, brakes, all fluids, the cooling system and suspension. More often than not the safety inspection is performed during your regular oil change. However we always do a safety check when you come in for any service. I cannot tell you how often we find coolant leaks, oil leaks, worn belts, brakes and other problems during this check. That's the bad news. The good news is how often these problems are caught in the nick of time so that you don’t end up with a blown engine or stuck on the side of the road. Yes the found repairs cost money however it’s always better to catch the problem now instead of later.

The idea I am trying to present to you it’s always better to take a little time and money now than a lot of time and money later. We will fix your vehicle when you have a major repair however we would like to see you avoid the time and expense of these problems if possible.

As I have said before, we are here to serve you and help keep you safe from the villains in the car sales business.

Tips on Extending the Life of Your Vehicle

We have compiled a few tips for keeping your car running better and extending the life of your vehicle. Keeping up with your car’s maintenance and getting any problems fixed before they become bigger problems are the keys to getting those extra years of life out of your car.

Here are some simple tips for getting extra years out of your car and saving money in the long run.

1 - Change oil regularly, every 3000 - 5000 miles (longer if using synthetic, 7500)

2 - Check all fluid levels every few months (Transmission, brake, coolant and power steering)

3 - Change air filter (Usually every 6 months, car will get higher gas mileage and run better )

4 - Check tire pressure and wheels (Properly inflated tires give you better gas millage, uneven wear from being out of balance or alignment causes vibration that can cause stress on the car's suspension).

5 - Fluid flushes (Transmission, brake and power steering flushes. These fluids breakdown contaminated by impurities, dirt, moisture and corrosive properties that cause these systems to have expensive problems.

6 -   Schedule at least twice a year safety inspection, more often if you do a lot of driving. (We perform a safety inspection with every oil change)

7 - Protect your car's exterior and interior. (Have your car waxed twice a year and keep the dirt and grime from the inside. This will increase your car’s value when it’s time to sell and it just feels better)

8 - Fix the small issues now (Small issues with your car often turn into big issues if they are not repaired in a timely manner, coolant leaks, oil leaks)

9 - Know your car (be sure to glance through your owner's manual to get an idea about your scheduled maintenance, as always we will be glad to help you with your scheduled maintenance)

10 - SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE - KEEP UP WITH YOUR SCHEDULED SERVICES

All of these tips are inexpensive and have a huge long term affect on how well your vehicle runs. These simple tips will absolutely help lengthen the life of your car.

Keeping the Cost of a New Car From Getting into Your Wallet

The thought of getting a new car so often sounds like a great idea until the reality of that new car payment comes home to roost. It's ok at first then after that new car feel is gone it can feel burdensome. Almost like having a big payment for a used car for the next however many more months or years. According to edmunds.com the average new car payment is $483.00 per month. That's almost $6,000 a year out of your pocket.

There is a lot of thought nowadays that if your car is paid for why would you pay for a $1,000 - $3,500 repair on an “older car” instead of just buying a new car. Well the new way of thinking is that cars made in the last 20 years are far superior than their predecessors. (my car is 6 years old and has 293,000 miles on it.) My 2011 Scion XB runs good and I plan to keep it at least another 3 - 5 years.

So let's get back to the idea of fixing your older car or going with another option.

Do you want 48 - 72 months of car payments ? Buying a new car is nice however is it the best option ? Do you want car payments ?

Do you want to buy a used car ? Always a certain amount of risk

Fix up the car you have ? Costs money

The thought on fixing up the car you have can be a very positive thing because you know the history of your vehicle and most importantly the repair history. Let's say you spend $2500 on a 15 year old car that you own with a good running history. If you think of it this way what kind of car can you buy for $2500 or more that you know nothing about ? That can be a scary proposition and now days it is hard to find a decent used vehicle for under $10,000.

We think if the vehicle is in good shape other than the needed repair your best option most of the time is to get your car repaired. If the vehicle has had a lot of problems though it might be time to get rid of it. If the car has been a good vehicle there should not be any fears on keeping it for another 2 - 4 years.

Yes we want to repair your vehicle however the reality is it makes good financial sense in the long run for most people when you figure how much money you will save that can go to house payments, vacations, medical bills, retirement or your children's education.

It’s can be a very appealing thought to have that extra money coming in and not going out in car payments. Yes there are repair bills however the repair bills are almost always much less than new car payments. It is fun and it feels good to have a new car. The question is it practical ?

As a point of note we sometimes will buy our customers old cars when they don’t want to repair the vehicle. So always keep that in min

Hopefully this article will help give you a little thought on repairing your old vehicle or not