The best way to determine what maintenance your vehicle needs to consult your vehicles owner’s manual. This should give you a list of all the maintenance that is due and will be broken up into 3-5,000 mile increments. This information should also be widely available online.
A good place to start is with regular oil changes. Most experts recommend every 3-5,000 miles. I go with every 3,000 miles not because the oil is worn out by then necessarily, but because the oil filter gets clogged. At that time you should visually check the air filter, belts, hoses, steering and suspension components, and the tires. Tire pressure should be checked every time you get gas, running improper air pressure can lead to premature tire wear and poor fuel economy. The tires should be rotated about every 5,000 miles and visually inspected for wear at that time.
The next thing to look at is the fluids. A good rule of thumb is that the coolant, power steering fluid, transmission fluid and brake fluid should be flushed every 30,000 miles. These fluids should be checked every oil change. Your differential fluids will need replaced also, check your owner’s manual for the suggested intervals.
Timing belts are another important part of vehicle maintenance. Every vehicle is different, and this is one thing that you should consult your owners manual about, but in general they are due to be changed between 60-90,000 miles. They can not be visually checked, they need to just be replaced when you get to the appropriate mileage. This is a good time to discuss with your mechanic whether it makes sense to replace the water pump and serpentine belt or not, on some vehicles it takes almost no more labor time, so it is a good economical choice.
Spark plugs are another important maintenance item. On most newer cars, they aren’t due to be replaced until about 100,000 miles, but it depends on the manufacturer.
The best thing you can do to make sure your vehicle lasts is to find a good independant repair facility and bring your vehicle in every 3000 miles for an oil change. Establishing that relationship gives them a chance to watch for developing problems and suggest appropriate remedies.
