Car Maintenance Checklist

In most owner's manuals, you'll find a section labeled either "Car Maintenance Schedule" or "Vehicle Maintenance Schedule". It should tell you what types of auto maintenance your car will require and how often each needs to be completed. The basic car maintenance chdecklist includes:

• Cleaning and maintaining oil levels: Check every month and top off if needed.
• Changing Filters (oil, air, etc.): Change the oil filter with every oil change, typically every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Air filters should be replaced every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
• Regular tire rotation: Rotate your tires every 5,000 to 7,500 miles to ensure even wear.
• Maintaining tire pressure: Check monthly or before long trips and adjust according to the manufacturer's recommendation.
• Changing brake pads: Inspect every 10,000 to 15,000 miles and replace as needed.
• Changing lights (headlights, brake lights, turn signals, parking lights): Replace as soon as they burn out or at the first sign of dimming.
• Maintaining fluid levels: Check monthly, including coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, and windshield washer fluid.
• Maintaining a certain level of tread depth: Inspect every month and replace tires when tread depth falls below 2/32 of an inch (check with a penny test).

Your owner's manual usually recommends completing these vehicle maintenance tasks after a set number of miles or months. For example, an oil change will be done every 3,000 to 5,000 miles (depending on your type of vehicle.)

Again, how much a specific auto maintenance and repair task will cost depends on your specific vehicle. Some average costs from the basic car maintenance checklist include:

• Oil Change: $20-$90
• Tire Rotation: $0*-$50 (Some companies will offer free rotations when you buy a set of tires)
• Replacing Wiper Blades: $5-$20
• Getting New Tires: $45-$350 per tire
• Replacing Brake Pads: $90-$400
• Replacing Engine Air Filter: $15-$80

Based on rough averages, you can expect to pay between $50-$150 per month to maintain your vehicle. This number will be higher if you have a luxury car and lower if you have a more affordable vehicle.

Whether a particular section of your car needs maintenance is determined by what function it serves: something like a check engine light may require immediate service, while less frequent car repairs and maintenance tasks can be done once every 3, 6, or even 12 months.

Every Two Years

Annual auto maintenance will include checking anything related to your vehicle's ignition system. This means:

• Spark plugs
• Plug wires
• Coils

More critical components of your ignition system, like your car's battery, will only need to be changed every three to five years. Still, it's good to test your battery one to two times a year. You'll also want to change your transmission fluid yearly or every 35,000 to 65,000 miles.

Yearly

Brakes, shocks, and struts are all good areas to inspect once a year; any worn or broken parts should be replaced. These will be the pads, linings, and rotors for your brakes. You should also make sure your brake fluid is at the correct level. As part of routine car maintenance you'll also need to flush your coolant system and replace the fluid once a year, and any air filters in your car should be changed.

Twice a Year

Getting your tires rotated is a good basic car maintenance task to take care of every six months, along with an inspection of your exhaust system. You may also need to have your battery tested every six months if it is more than three years old, as this is about when they begin to break down.

Every Three Months

While it's more important to observe how much mileage you've accrued since your last oil change, getting one every three months doesn't hurt. Some synthetic oil types can last as long as 10,000 miles, so make sure to check to see whether you are changing your oil too often. There are several other components to include in your vehicle maintenance checklist every three months, such as:

• Cables
• Belts
• Hoses
• Power Steering Fluid
• Wiper Blades

While none of these are major systems on their own, each serves a vital purpose in keeping your car running. Even your wiper blades, which may seem trivial, are essential for allowing you to see the road in adverse weather conditions.

Monthly

Monthly auto maintenance is usually a bit easier, with many tasks involving a simple check or topping off a fluid. You'll want to ensure all your lights are working, including your turn signals, brake lights, parking lights, and fog lights (commonly known as "brights"). It's also good to do a tread depth and tire pressure check, along with a topping off your oil, coolant, and windshield wiper fluid.