Are you prepared for car repairs?

A AAA study found that 1/3 of US motorists would not be able to pay for a repair bill of $500 or more without incurring debt.  In fact many drivers, approximately 1/3, would skip or delay recommend repairs due to a lack of funds.  What drivers do not understand is that delaying, or skipping recommended maintenance can cause additional issues and possibly increase the amount of money needed for repairs.  Additional wear on parts, or the possible breakage or systems could damage other systems in the car.  Additionally, worn down parts can increase the likelihood of roadside breakdowns, adding tow bills to the repair bill.   

AAA suggest setting aside a repair fund to be able to cover regular maintenance as well as any unexpected repairs.  Finding a reputable repair shop that you go to regularly for your oil changes will help decrease the amount of UNEXPECTED repairs.  How so you may ask?  Well, but regularly having your oil and fluids changed and checked, your repair shop will be able to inspect your vehicle for wear and will be able to give you a heads up on any recommended maintenance based on mileage as well as any wear they are seeing in advance to breakage giving you the customer the ability to set aside funds to pay for the upcoming maintenance and repairs.       

That being said, there are sometimes unexpected repairs, but having an ongoing relationship with a repair shop will minimize those and will help keep your vehicle in better working order for a longer period of time.  Regular maintenance will help prolong the life of your vehicle and can make it more valuable if you decided to sell it.