Top 10 Car Maintenance Mistakes Mechanics Say Do Most Damage

When it comes to today's high tech cars and trucks, most drivers understand that following a scheduled maintenance program almost always costs less than paying for expensive repair surprises down the road. But which mistakes, bad decisions and missed maintenance items do the most damage to your vehicles? CarMD.com surveyed its team of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)-certified Master Technicians to reveal the following top 10 maintenance mistakes car owners make when caring (or not caring) for their vehicles.

"When consumers fail to properly maintain their vehicles, the resulting repair costs dwarf the money that could have been budgeted to maintain their car," said Art Jacobsen, vice president, CarMD.com Corporation. "As a result, CarMD reached out to our ASE-certified Master Tech committee to confirm the top 10 most damaging mistakes drivers make. We believe this information will help consumers save money in the long run and plan better as they care for what is often their second largest purchase."