Introduction:

It's happened to all of us: we're driving along, minding our own business, and suddenly our car decides to quit on us. Maybe the engine dies, or the tire blows out, or the car just won't start. When something goes wrong with our car, it can ruin our day. In this blog post, we'll talk about 6 common car maintenance fails that can cause big problems for drivers. By knowing what to watch out for, you can avoid these disasters and keep your car running smoothly!

With that said, here are 7 car fails that can go wrong when you do not take care of your car! 🚗

1. Run out of oil and destroy your engine

One of the worst things that can happen to your car is running out of oil. If your engine doesn't have enough oil, it can overheat and be destroyed. This is a very costly repair, and it can be avoided by simply checking your oil level regularly and changing your oil when necessary.

When to change your varies by the type of car you have, most cars typically need their oil changed every 5,000-7,500 miles, and if you are not a frequent driver and not meeting these miles change your oil at least once a year.

2. Blow a worn tire on the freeway

Another dangerous car fail is blowing a tire while driving on the freeway. This can be a scary experience, and it can also lead to accidents. A worn tire can increase your stopping distance by at least 87 feet in wet road conditions (stat found here). To avoid this, you should check your tires regularly for wear and tear. If they look worn, replace them before they get too low.

3. Reduce the life of your car

If you don't take care of your car, it won't last as long as it should. This means you'll have to buy a new car sooner, and that can be expensive. To avoid this, make sure to do regular maintenance on your cars such as oil changes, tune-ups, and tire rotations.

Most cars, if taken care of properly can get to 200,000 or more miles, meaning more time without a car payment, and more cost savings for you!

4. Increase your out-of-pocket costs on fixes & breakdowns

Another downside of not taking care of your car is that it will cost you more money in the long run. If you don't do regular maintenance, you'll likely have to pay for more expensive repairs down the road. For example, the average lifetime cost of oil changes on your car is between $1,000-$2,000, if you skip on that maintenance and your car runs out of oil then you now have a blown car engine meaning one of two things... 

A new car or a new engine can cost $4,000+! To save yourself some money, invest in preventive maintenance now. Check out this article that Imported Auto put out about theses costs here!

5. Decrease your gas mileage (meaning more $$$ on gas)

One more thing that can happen if you don't take care of your car is a decreased gas mileage. This means you'll have to fill up your tank more often, and that can get expensive. And with the crazy high gas prices, we are seeing today this is a no-brainer on saving you money! To avoid this, make sure to do regular maintenance on your car and keep it running smoothly.

6. Increased risk of accidents

Finally, if you don't take care of your car, you're more likely to get into an accident. This is because your car won't be running as well as it should, and it can cause accidents. When looking at data by the National Highway Highway Transportation Safety Administration they have done research that shows 20% of accidents are due to poor or lack of preventative car maintenance. To avoid this and not become one of the statistics, make sure to do regular maintenance on your car and keep it in good condition.

As you can see there are many reasons why preventative maintenance is a crucial part of car ownership. By taking care of your car, you can avoid costly repairs, save money on gas, and reduce your risk of accidents. So make sure to do regular maintenance on your car, and if you're not sure how, sign up for one of our upcoming car maintenance workshops! We'll show you everything you need to know to keep your car running smoothly. Learn more by going

Resources that can help:

We offer some great resources for teens & young adults to help them take care of their car, check them out below!

• Local to Central Ohio? Check out our in-person Car Maintenance Workshop here!

• Our Adulting AF program is great for young adults all over the US to learn how to adult, and that includes taking care of your car! Learn more here!

• We are launching our online self-paced Car Maintenance Course soon, check out online programming here!