Every time you take your car on the road, it returns a little older and more worn out. It may be undetectable at first, but over time, this age and wear add up to the point where your car is unusable. This pattern is the same for Toyotas, but with proper care, you cankeep your Toyota in good shape for years to come. It does require some work and money, but it will extend the lifespan of your Toyota and save you time and money in the long run!
Regular Checkups
The first and most important thing you’ll need to do to ensure your Toyota stays healthy for years is get regular checkups. You’ll need a state inspection every year, but in addition to this check, you should bring your Toyota into the shop every few months or so. Here, the mechanics can give your Toyota the oil change it needs and look to see if anything else is out of the ordinary. In addition to topping off your oil, they may see you’re low on coolant or something else that will worsen and prematurely age your Toyota if you leave it unaddressed.
Know When to Replace Parts
If you want a Toyota that lasts forever, you will need to occasionally open your hood and swap some parts around. The Toyota can last a long time, but you can’t say the same for some internal components. Take the starter motor, for example. The average starter motor can give you 80,000 stars on average. However, knowing this number is almost impossible. Instead of counting starts, you’ll see warning signs like clicking and needing multiple attempts to start your engine.
After noticing these signs, you’ll need to buy a new starter motor for your Toyota. The starter motor is just one component, but other parts of your Toyota will similarly age and need replacing, such as your tires, battery, or alternator. You don’t need to replace everything immediately, but letting these parts get out of shape will hurt your Toyota. They can even interfere with other components, prematurely aging them too.
Drive Carefully
Another way you can ensure your Toyota stays in good shape is by driving it carefully. Some vehicles can be more rugged, so you can haul a lot or even take them off-road, but these actions harm your vehicle’s lifespan. Too much driving like this adds up and will send your Toyota to an early grave. To avoid that, be careful with how you drive your Toyota, and don’t drive too recklessly. Accelerating too fast, taking turns too sharply, and leaving it out in the sun can all contribute to untimely aging, something you can easily avoid.
It takes some work, but keeping your Toyota in good shape for years to come is well worth it. The alternative to keeping your Toyota in as good shape as possible is having a Toyota with a shortened lifespan and needing to replace your vehicle often. If that option doesn’t sound attractive to you, all you need to do is invest more time and resources into your Toyota, which will pay you back in years of life.