Skip to content
Home / Travel / 4 Driving Tips To Make Your Car Last

4 Driving Tips To Make Your Car Last

When you buy a car, you’re spending thousands of dollars on an investment you’re hoping will last you for years to come. However, that doesn’t always go according to plan. Approximately 77% of vehicles on the road are in need of maintenance and repairs, and the longer these cars stay on the road while needing maintenance, the shorter they’ll last. Use these helpful driving tips to make sure your car stays in the best condition possible and lasts for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Stick To Smoother Roads

Almost 30% of interstate highways in the United States are built using concrete, and after years of wear and tear, these highways can crack and form potholes. Potholes and other sudden changes in the road can wear down your car over time and even cause major damage if you aren’t careful.

Smoother pavements aren’t just better your car; they’re better for the roads themselves, too. Smoother pavements also result in longer pavement life by as much as 10 to 25%, resulting in lower maintenance costs. If you notice potholes on your local roads, see what you can do about contacting local officials to get them repaired.

Careful With The Cold

While you don’t necessarily need to let your car sit and idle to warm up during the colder seasons, it’s good practice to be gentle with your car until it’s had a chance to warm up. Be gentle on the gas pedal when you first start up your car in cold weather. The lubricants and other parts in your car work better when they’re warm, so take it easy until you’ve had the car running for a few minutes, and don’t slam on the gas or breaks too hard right away.

Watch The Little Things

Tiny changes to your behavior when you’re driving can have a surprising impact on your car’s overall lifespan. Even the weight of your keys in the car’s ignition can slowly damage your car over time. Check for small switches you can make to your regular driving habits that might extend the life of your car, including when you fill up your gas tank, how many keys you keep on your key ring, and how much clutter you keep in your car’s trunk. Remember: every 100 pounds you add to your car decreases fuel efficiency by 2%.

Keep Your Car Maintained

While this might seem like an obvious step to take to preserve your car, stick to a regular maintenance schedule. Many people ignore or put off minor repairs as long as their car is still able to drive, but the longer you drive on outdated or damaged parts, the faster your car will break down in more serious ways. You wouldn’t keep walking on a sprained ankle; if you notice your car is damaged, don’t wait for problems to get more serious before getting it fixed. And a quick Google search for maintenance tips doesn’t hurt, either! Considering almost 3.5 billion internet users existed in 2016, there’s no telling how much great info is out there for you to find now.  Don’t skip on maintenance simply because your car seems fine, either. Regular maintenance can help you avoid parts failures in the first place.

Using these tips can help your car last for as long as possible and keep it running in good shape. Regular maintenance and small changes to your driving behaviors can extend your car’s life so you can keep going for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Kelsey R.
Author: Kelsey R.

Metro Detroit Mommy writer Kelsey.