Longer days and warmer weather are on the way, so it’s time to start thinking about beach trips, camping, outdoor concerts, and festivals. Before you make a booking, you’ll need your car to be in tip-top condition so it doesn’t break down halfway to Alexandra Blossom Festival.

After a cold, wet winter, spring is an ideal time to book in an annual service for your car. A service checks all your vehicle’s fluids, its fuel system, brake system, transmission, tyres and more. AA Auto Centre services are also covered by a guarantee that covers defective new parts or service work undertaken (up to 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first)

Prevention is better – how servicing can save money

It’s easy for servicing to fall to the bottom of your to-do list. It doesn’t feel urgent when your car still seems to be running just fine. Servicing is one more expense to add to your day-to-day payments and it may be a bit of an inconvenience to organise depending on your vehicle needs.

But servicing catches problems early, before they become a serious issue and you find yourself waiting at the side of the road for our AA Roadservice, or your car won’t start – or worse, you have a preventable accident.

Once things go wrong, the repairs will usually cost you far more than regular servicing.

A service typically costs between $150 and $500, depending on what type of vehicle you drive and the level of service you choose. (If you’re an AA Member, you can save up to $40 on our vehicle servicing.) If the technician spots any issues, you can sort them out before they cause more costly issues. That might include an engine oil change, oil filter change or new brake pads. All these tweaks are reasonably affordable, especially compared to the price of some potentially major repairs.

For example, a faulty water pump is only around $400 to replace, but if you don’t repair it, your engine could overheat – an engine replacement will cost at least 10 times as much and potentially $10,000-plus. Or consider your gearbox oil, which only costs about $200 to replace. Leave it to get worse and your gearbox could seize, leaving you facing the price of a new transmission which might be $4,000 or more.

You’re safer in a well-maintained vehicle

Not only does servicing help prevent small car issues turning into major costs, but it also ensures your car runs as safely as possible. Servicing checks your brakes, your tyres and other safety features like your seatbelts, so you can repair these items as soon as they start to wear out. Leaving these to deteriorate could put you at risk of an accident – which could impact not only you and your passengers, but other road users, too.

How often should your car be serviced?

The general rule is that your car should be serviced either once a year, or every 10,000 – 15,000kms, whichever comes first. You can also check your owner’s handbook for the manufacturer’s guidelines on how often to service your car.

Failing to take care of your car might feel like it’s saving you money, but that’s a false economy. Without regular servicing and maintenance, you’re risking a breakdown, expensive repairs, or even an accident.

There are 38 AA Auto Centres across Aotearoa that offer servicing, with discounts for AA Members. You can find your nearest AA Auto Centre here, and enter your licence plate to find out the right level of service for your vehicle.