Every month, you should look at the following aspects of your car: Make sure the check engine light is off. Clean the interior and exterior. Make sure the lights are working. Check the tyre condition, specifically the inflation and tread. Check your windshield washer fluid. It should only take you a few minutes to check all these things. Unless you notice any issues, you shouldn’t need to spend any money at all!

Every three months (or 5000kms), you’ll want to get a little more in-depth and check these other elements, in addition to the ones listed above: Transmission fluid. Cables and battery. Belt condition. Engine oil and filter. Exhaust. Fuel filter. Hoses. Power steering fluid. A mechanic will probably need to handle some of these checks for you, but they’re fairly simple and won’t take a lot of time or money.

Every six months (or once every 10,000km), you’ll need to add the following to your inspection list: Chassis lubrication. Engine air filter. Windshield wiper blades. It doesn’t take a lot of time to check any of these elements, but you’ll definitely appreciate the peace of mind they bring you.

Every 12 Months/20,000km. Finally, you’ll want to have these elements looked at once a year (or every 20,000km): Cabin air filter. Power steering fluid. Coolant (antifreeze). Steering and suspension. This list might seem like a lot. However, most of these checks take very little time and repairs when they’re caught early.