Whether your car is your beloved baby or simply the reliable way you get around, it is an important tool and a big investment. The longer you can keep your car on the road and avoid spending big bucks on a new vehicle, the better.

But many people unintentionally make mistakes that shorten the length of their car’s life. Here are the five most common ways people reduce their car’s lifespan and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

1. Making a Mess

How your car looks shouldn’t affect its lifespan, right? Actually, grit and grime on the interior and exterior of cars can lead to excess wear and tear on a vehicle. What’s more, having a messy car can affect how you take care of it on other fronts. Keeping a car looking nice and feeling clean , and more likely to take it into a San Antonio body shop when it needs professional attention.

1. Putting the Pedal to the Metal

Are you a little too eager to lay on the gas or the brakes? Not only can reckless driving be dangerous, it can harm your car by adding on extra, unnecessary wear and tear. You’ll give your car more time on the road (and keep the streets safer) by staying a calm, safe driver.

1. Not Scheduling Regular Check-Ups

Just like you have regular doctor’s visits for preventative care, you car should get check-ups too. Have a to ensure that everything is running smoothly. This step can save you money in the long run and can add years to the life of your car.

1. Being Lax on Level-Checking

While it is important to get your car in for regular maintenance, you shouldn’t leave it all to the professionals. Take a few minutes every couple of weeks to check things like tire pressure, oil levels and transmission fluids. Many people skip this simple step in car care, and it can cause serious damage in the long haul.

1. Shrugging Off Symptoms

If you hear or feel a strange rattle in your vehicle – don’t ignore it. If you catch and solve a small problem early, you can often prevent it from becoming a major issue and a huge expense. So when that rattle shows up, go pay your mechanic a visit and get some professional advice.

By taking care to not make these all-too common mistakes, you can keep your vehicle running like a dream for miles and miles. If you need additional advice on car care, collision repair or auto painting in San Antonio, today.