8 brilliant tips to make your car last forever

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Car maintenance is one of those pesky chores that most people put off until it’s unavoidable. A little care goes a long way. Follow these tips and you might be surprised how far your car will go. This is how I’m making my car last forever.

I have a confession: I have never bought a vehicle.

My mom bought my first car when I was a teenager and when I broke it, I hitched rides from friends through my first year of college. After that, I relied entirely on hand-me-downs from family.

The car I drive now was given to us by my husband’s grandfather when he could no longer drive. It’s a 2002 minivan and even though it’s 14 years old, it’s still in great condition. {I’ve had it maybe 8 years.} It’s got around 200,000 miles on it, but I plan to drive it at least a few more years. Maybe longer.

My husband drives a 1992 sedan that my dad gave us. Dad got such a good deal that he couldn’t pass it up but didn’t need another car.

I know we are very fortunate to have family who could give us their old vehicles. Not having a car payment is a huge benefit when you’re trying to live on a budget and pay off debt. I feel like part of my gratitude should come through in the care that I put into car maintenance.

Here are eight things I’m doing to make my car last forever.

How to make your car last forever

1. Follow routine maintenance.

There are some basic things you should be doing to keep your car running. Change the oil about every 6000 miles. Keep the tire pressure accurate and have them rotated. Replace the air filter and the windshield wiper blades as needed. The specifics will depend on your car, so check the owner’s manual.

2. Use a high-mileage oil.

Once your odometer hits a certain number, your car won’t process oil quite like it did in its younger days. Using a high-mileage oil like Pennzoil Platinum High-Mileage is a great way to keep the engine running smoothly.

I’m always running to Walmart for something, so I love that I can shop online for things I need and then pick them up in-store later. On a busy week when I don’t even have time for that, I can have products shipped right to my door.

Pennzoil motor oil is a great product. It cleans out the gross stuff in my engine while protecting from friction. According to the manufacturer, I can drive an extra 550 miles per year compared to driving with a dirty engine. {I need all the extra miles I can get!}

The high mileage variety also helps reduce leaks and oil consumption on vehicles with over 75,000 miles. {I’ve doubled that and am still going.}

3. Keep the outside clean.

Washing your car isn’t just to make it look pretty for the neighbors. Mud and dirt buildup can lead to rust. If you live in a city with high pollution or near the ocean where the air is salty, those things can also cause damage.

After driving through construction or bad weather, it’s a good idea to check the underside of your vehicle for mud or other debris that can get caught.

4. Do regular interior cleaning.

I hear some moms talk about how gross their minivans are and I just don’t get it. Every month or so, spend 30 minutes vacuuming the carpet, emptying the cupholders, and wiping down the door handles. Your car might not be spotless, but some basic cleaning will keep it from being unpleasant.

In the summer heat, a well-loved family car might have a few funky smells. Air freshener is your friend.

Related: DIY Mini Death Star from Air Freshener

5. Get the kids involved.

Just like the house, keeping the car clean isn’t just one person’s job. Working together will get it done fast. After a weekend road trip, I make everyone check pockets and under seats for trash. We bring in everything that doesn’t belong in the car.

One time, someone left an unfinished cheeseburger {or something equally gross} in their seat pocket. The next day, the kids learned not to ever do that again.

6. Learn to love imperfections.

It’s easy to see the shiny new cars coming out and get a little envious. My old minivan is old. It has a few imperfections, like the sliding door sometimes sticking, and the outside has scratches. A minor annoyance really isn’t worth the cost of a new car, though.

You can cover small blemishes with a little DiY, like my simple crochet steering wheel cover.

7. Follow the rules of the road.

You probably already know this, but driving safely and going the speed limit will avoid unnecessary wear on your car. When I see someone zipping in and out of traffic to get to the next stoplight before everyone else, I wonder if the driver really thinks they’re saving time. Somehow I always end up next to that person at a red light ten blocks down the road, even though I’m driving like a nerd.

I know that by driving smartly, I’m also avoiding a fender-bender.

8. Make important repairs.

When something breaks, fix it. It’s easy to look at an expensive repair and wonder if you’d be better off just tossing the old vehicle. The thing is unless you’re spending a few hundred dollars on repairs every month, it’s still cheaper to make the repair than buy a new car.

We recently had to pay for two minor repairs and a set of four new tires. The mechanic said that one of the repairs, which was about $200, wasn’t critical and it could wait for a while if we wanted to. We went ahead and made the repair {using money from savings set aside for just that purpose} because waiting would have only put off the inevitable. It also could have led to needing to make other repairs, costing us more in the long run.

Just like anything else you own, a little preventive care can save you from needing to make bigger repairs later on down the road. Keep your car running with a little cleaning and maintenance. Drive safely and see if you can make your car last forever. Maybe you can even hand it down to your kids one day.

By the way, if you want to check out that motor oil I buy, several Pennzoil products are currently on rollback at Walmart.com. If I could go back and tell new-teen-driver Keri one thing, it would be that an oil change is the best thing you can do to keep your car running.