Your vehicle user manual outlines the interval timeframes for maintenance services like oil changes and tire rotations. But is it okay to skip a Toyota service appointment or two? This is something car owners ask often, especially if their vehicle is working fine — let’s explore the answer.
Missing an Appointment
As the car owner, you’re in no way obligated to follow maintenance intervals. You can keep up with every maintenance interval, just some, or none at all. If you lease a vehicle, then the terms and conditions may require you to follow up with scheduled appointments.
Why Service Appointments Matter
While car owners aren’t obligated to keep up with car tune-ups, it’s in their — and their vehicle’s — best interest to do so. The point of scheduled maintenance is to detect early signs of problems and fix them before the issue compounds.
Tire rotations, for example, are one part of maintenance. Missing an appointment may result in problems like uneven tread wear. Similarly, a missed oil check or oil change may result in reduced engine performance, in turn negatively impacting fuel efficiency.
Incomplete Service History
Every time you bring your vehicle in for servicing, the session is documented. Having a consistent record gives you a full-service history. This can be an invaluable negotiating tool should you decide to sell the vehicle.
It may also help raise the vehicle’s value if you decide to trade in at the dealership. A partial or non-existent service history can put into question the vehicle’s reliability.
Schedule a Service Appointment at Heritage Toyota Catonsville
You have no obligation to maintain your vehicle. However, regular tune-ups from a certified dealership technician will only benefit you from a performance, financial, and peace of mind standpoint. Make maintenance cost-effective by enrolling in the ToyotaCare program at our Baltimore, MD dealership today.
