According to the nonprofit Car Care Council, during vehicle inspections at community car care events across the country in April and October 2014, a whopping 84 percent of vehicles were in need of service or parts. That’s an increase of five percent from the previous year. This illustrates the urgent need for technicians to perform complete vehicle inspections in the service lane.

“Neglected vehicle care almost always means much higher costs down the line in the form of more extensive repairs or lost resale value,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “These results show that the majority of vehicle owners could save money by being proactive in the maintenance of their second largest investment.”

The top three failure rates among lubricants and fluids included: low washer fluid (27 percent), low or dirty motor oil (25 percent), and low, leaky or dirty coolant (17 percent). Coming in at failure rates of 13 percent and/or lower were power steering, brake and transmission fluids.

Moving beneath the hood: 18 percent of vehicles had failing air filters; 13 percent featured a “check engine” light; 17 percent reported at least one unsatisfactory belt; and 14 percent called for battery cables, clamps and terminal maintenance. Front windshield wiper failures were discovered on nearly 16 percent of vehicles, and at least 11 percent needed lights replaced, including headlights, brake lights and license plate lights. Improperly inflated tires were found on 10 percent of the rides, while 14 percent had worn treads.

Information from carcare.org. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (989) 781-4307.