If you want to avoid costly repairs and ensure that your car is safe to drive, it's important to prioritise car maintenance. Here are two types of car maintenance that you should never postpone.
Your yearly car service
The work that a mechanic performs during a typical servicing can go a long way towards keeping your vehicle in good working order.
If you decide to skip your annual servicing appointment, there is a much greater chance that your car will break down at some point during the coming months.
For example, during a routine car service, a mechanic will usually check the condition of the radiator (where the engine coolant is housed) and the coolant hoses (which deliver this fluid from the radiator to the engine block). If they notice any cracks that are allowing the coolant to leak out, they will arrange for these openings to be sealed up immediately, before they can cause any serious damage.
If your car radiator or coolant hoses develop holes and you decide not to bother going for your yearly car servicing appointment, these openings will remain unrepaired. This could lead to the coolant liquid leaking out of the car. This reduction in your vehicle's coolant levels could then result in the engine overheating.
Excess heat within your car's engine block can warp many of its most vital parts and inflict irreparable damage in a matter of minutes. In this situation, you would probably have to pay a mechanic to replace the entire engine; this could be extremely time-consuming and expensive.
Replacing worn-out tyres
Getting your car's worn-out tyres replace can be costly and may involve you having to leave your car with your mechanic for a day or so.
However, it is absolutely essential not to postpone this form of car maintenance, as to do so could have disastrous consequences for both you and other road users.
If for instance, your tyres' tread depths become too low and you fail to replace them, you may find it difficult to retrain a strong grip on the road surface when you are driving (as a tyre' treads are designed to increase traction). This could lead to your car sliding around the road and colliding with a nearby cyclist, vehicle or pedestrian.
This type of collision could not only result in everyone involved being injured but could also lead to your car sustaining major damage that could cost thousands of dollars to repair.