All vehicles need service as the miles add up. No matter what make and model you happen to drive, you will want to pay attention to the maintenance you provide your car in order to get the most out of your investment. Even simple steps like having the oil changed can go a long way toward keeping your vehicle out on the road for the long run.
As the leading used car dealer Greensboro has to offer, we have seen vehicles in all kinds of conditions over the years. In this post, you’ll learn why it’s important to keep records of all the service you have completed on your car. And, of course, if you are ready to buy a quality used vehicle from a reputable dealer, stop by and see Green Lincoln right away.
In some cases, you will need to maintain your service records in order to keep your warranty valid. Many warranties require that you keep up with standard maintenance visits, so you’ll want to have your records to prove that the work was completed. You don’t need to set up some complicated spreadsheet to track the service visits, or anything like that. Even just an envelope in your glove box with the receipts from those visits should do the job.
It’s easy to think that you just had your oil changed ‘only a couple months ago’, when really it has been much longer. This same kind of thinking can be applied to a variety of maintenance points. If you just leave it up to your memory as to how often the vehicle has been serviced, you might make a mistake and leave the work uncompleted for much longer than you should. With records on hand that you can consult, there won’t be any doubt as to what work has been done and when it was performed. Just look back on your records, check the dates, and decide how you are going to proceed.
Even if you work with a good auto shop, it’s always possible that you will have some issue with the work they have performed. If a problem pops up later on and you return to the shop to discuss it with them, you will want to have records of the work that was performed, when it was done, how much you paid, etc. Should they have these records, too? Of course – but you don’t want to take any chances. Keep your own records just to be safe.
Finally, it can pay off to have your service records when you get ready to sell your vehicle. If you decide to sell it privately, or even if you sell it to a used car dealership, having the proof that you have had service visits completed over the years should help the value of the car or truck. It’s one thing to show a prospective buyer that the vehicle is in good shape, but it’s even better to show them that it has been taken care of at every turn along the way.