How Often Should You Service Your Imported Car?

18 May How Often Should You Service Your Imported Car?

Foreign auto care has a lot of the same standards as domestic cars, but they are typically a lot less flexible. If you neglect even the most basic imported car maintenance services, you may find yourself with costly repairs and replacement services. That’s why understanding how often to service a car is so important. 

The manufacturer you bought your imported car will often provide a warranty that covers the cost of most of the car’s services and repairs, as long as the vehicle owner stays on top of the vehicle maintenance. If the owner does not regularly take their car in for maintenance, the vehicle company may possibly deny financial support for future repairs. It’s important to keep a record of the times you received imported auto maintenance so that you can provide it to your manufacturer if necessary.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important foreign auto care services you should prioritize and how often to service your car.

Tires

Foreign auto care standards require that you rotate your car’s tires every 6,000 miles, max, as opposed to 8,000 miles for domestic cars. This will ensure that your tires wear down evenly, so you’re not forced to replace a set of tires (either the front or back) sooner than necessary. The front two tires of your car wear down quicker and by rotating your tires, you’ll be able to balance the wear evenly between the two sets.

Oil Changes

Every vehicle has a driver’s manual which suggests how often you should have your oil changed. However, it is a good rule of thumb to have your imported car care center change your oil every 3,000 miles or so.

Imported Auto Care Tips

Any time you see a check engine light, no matter if your car is domestic or imported, you need to take it into an auto body shop immediately. Unfortunately, the service engine light is quite vague. It can be a signal for something minor, like a loose gas cap, or for something more urgent, such as an engine issue or a need for an oil change. If you continue to drive your car without taking it in to be serviced, you can damage your engine and shorten the vehicle’s overall lifespan.

When you go into an auto service center for your imported car care, ask them to also check the batteries, belts, hoses, and cables to see if they need cleaning. Your car’s fuel filter and spark plugs only need to be replaced every 30,000 miles or so.

It’s important to find an affordable car repair shop that specializes in imported cars so that maintaining your vehicle is easy. GT Automotive specializes in foreign imported cars, particularly Honda, Audi, Hyundai, Subaru, Toyota, Lexus, and Acura. Our technicians are ASE certified and have years of experience in the imported auto maintenance industry, with an emphasis on Japanese cars. To schedule a service, call (801) 302-0912 today!