Car Tips

If you’re in the market for a vehicle, chances are you’ve run across the words “certified pre-owned” before. It sounds like just a fancy way of saying “used”, right? Wrong! While all certified pre-owned vehicles are indeed used, not all used cars are certified pre-owned. 

But what makes a car certified pre-owned, and should you care as a buyer? We’ve got the answers for you.

What Makes a Car Certified Pre-Owned?

Having your car inspected and maintained can be a bit of a hassle. Not only do tune-ups cost money, but you have to find time in your schedule to take your car to a mechanic, and wait while the inspection and maintenance are performed. 

So why not do it yourself? Most people are comfortable cleaning the interior or exterior of their vehicle, but are a little wary when it comes to things that are under the hood. That’s understandable, but there are still a lot of basic maintenance tasks that you can comfortably perform at home, to save time, money, and hassle.

Getting your car smog checked may seem like a formality, but it’s very important. Smog checks are required in most states (though not all), and for most vehicles (including all modern commercial cars). Failure to have your car smog checked can result in a pricy ticket, or even impoundment. 

It’s no secret that owning a car can be expensive. Even after the down payment and monthly payments, you still have to pay for insurance, registration, gas, oil changes, and maintenance. In other words, owning a car adds up. 

Because of this, it’s important to save money anywhere you can. The last thing you want to do as a car owner is drop a few hundred or thousand dollars on repairs that could have been avoided with a little bit of TLC or foresight. 

Windshield wiper fluid isn’t something that most car owners think about regularly. Most people have their wiper fluid refilled when their car is undergoing scheduled maintenance, or they refill it with wiper fluid from the auto part store, or the gas station. 

It’s likely that at some point you’ll need to store your car for a long period of time. Maybe you’re going on vacation for a few months, or maybe your car needs some repairs that you’re putting off for a while. Maybe you got a new car and are keeping your sports car in storage, or maybe you just don’t feel like paying for insurance and registration right now. Whatever the reason, if you’re leaving your car by itself for a while, it’s important to take care of it accordingly. You can’t simply leave your vehicle alone for months on end and expect it to maintain the same condition.

As much as you love your vehicle, chances are you’ll want to sell it eventually. You’ll be ready to move on to your next car, and you’ll have to say goodbye to your current one.
When that time comes, you’ll want to get as much money for your car as possible. The more money you make on your old car, the more you can spend on your new one (or the more you can just pocket!). As such, it’s important to maximize the resale value of your car. 

Tires may not be the most glamorous part of your vehicle, but they’re certainly one of the most important. Maintaining healthy tires can save you money on damage to other parts of your vehicle, keep you from ending up on the side of the road with a blown tire, and limit how often you need a pricy tire change. 

There are a few basic trips, ticks, and maintenance habits you can do to get the absolute most out of your tires, and limit the amount you have to spend on them.

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Maintaining your car’s interior is important for a few reasons. In the short term, keeping your interior well cared for makes your vehicle more enjoyable to drive, and leaves you feeling happier about your car. In the long term, maintaining a clean interior can dramatically increase the resale value of your vehicle, or limit the number of repairs and replacements that you need. 
Keeping your interior clean and cared for is pretty simple, but there are a few things to consider, to make sure that you keep your cabin in tip-top shape.

Keep it Organized