ORLANDO, Fla. – Americans may love their cars and trucks for those long holiday drives to family and friends, but when it comes to critical vehicle maintenance we are “service slackers,” according to a new report from CARFAX.
Patrick Olsen, editor-in-chief for CARFAX, told News 6 regular oil changes and tire rotations have ended up on the to-do list in Florida and across the country.
“These owners are behind more than six months on getting this work done,” Olsen said. “Florida owners are actually about average.”
Olsen said Florida’s maintenance report card needs some work with 43% behind on tire rotations, 29% behind on oil changes and 1 in 5, or 20% behind on both.
The numbers are based on data collected from the 35 million vehicles in the CARFAX Car Care program.
According to the CARFAX data, the worst states are car owners who live in Alaska, West Virginia, Maine, Rhode Island and Mississippi.
As far as the owners who get that maintenance done in a “timely manner,” they include Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Nevada and Virginia.
Olsen told News 6 most automakers recommend oil-change intervals between 5,000 and 10,000 miles for today’s vehicles, depending on the model.
CARFAX data shows that, in addition to just running better, a well-maintained car is worth an extra $330 on average in resale value over the same car that hasn’t gotten its TLC.
Of course, your vehicle manual will have the manufacturer’s specified schedule. But if you need a little reminder or your unsure of your vehicle’s maintenance history, check out CARFAX Car Care to better understand when it’s time to service your car.
If you have a consumer or investment issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words “make ends meet” along with your contact information and number to 407-676-7428.
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