Your vehicle is one of the largest purchases you make in your life. Because you’ve spent so much on simply obtaining a car, it’s understandable that you’d want to do everything you can to ensure it continues functioning safely and efficiently. However, car owners often forget to or don’t see the benefit of performing certain regular maintenance tasks on their vehicle. While some cosmetic tasks can be omitted from your to-do list if money is tight, it’s best to make sure your vehicle always receives regular wheel alignment and brake inspection to prevent more expensive repairs from being necessary in the future and ensure the safety of all passengers.

Wheel Alignment

When you drive your car, you expect to go straight unless you turn your steering wheel left or right. However, after some time, your vehicle’s wheels can become misaligned, leading to unforeseen problems when you’re on the road. Misaligned tires can affect the accuracy of your vehicle’s response to steering input. In other words, even if you’re going straight, misaligned tires may pull your vehicle to the left or right, forcing you to fight against your car’s trajectory during the drive. This is annoying and dangerous enough, but misaligned tires can even exacerbate other wheel problems.

• Tires can wear out more quickly or unevenly, meaning you’ll need to replace them sooner.
• Fuel economy will suffer due to road resistance and uneven tire tread.
• Taking sudden evasive action can be difficult or impossible, placing you in harm’s way.

During a wheel alignment, a licensed technician will alter the alignment of your front and rear wheels so they are straight and true. This may also be a good time to get a tire rotation as well. Even if you aren’t sure if your wheels require alignment, it’s best to request one at least annually to ensure safer driving. If you purchase new tires, you should certainly have them aligned during installation.

Brake Inspection

Every day you use your brakes to prevent your car from being damaged. They are the most basic safety feature in your vehicle and are also the most important, so it might seem obvious that brakes should be properly maintained throughout your car’s life. In order to check their condition, though, drivers should receive a brake inspection at least once a year. As you use them, the friction created when your brakes stop your wheels slowly wears down the brake pads, creating grooves. When there are grooves in your brake pads, you’ll need to push the brakes harder to achieve the same results. This should be fixed as soon as possible to reduce the chance of your brakes giving out. However, brake inspections don’t only address the condition of your brake pads. They also ensure other components of your brakes are operating efficiently as well.

• Worn pads can damage rotors, preventing your car from stopping as quickly.
• Low brake fluid levels won’t provide enough pressure to brake effectively.
• If you live in a humid or wet location, water can affect the brake fluid, causing corrosion, cracking or leaks in the reservoir.

Toyota Dealer and Maintenance Service in Seattle, WA

If your Toyota could use a little TLC, don’t rely on maintenance professionals that cut corners and install cheaper parts, especially where your tires and brakes require attention. At Toyota of Seattle, we only sell and maintain Toyota vehicles with Genuine Toyota products. By choosing to use only Toyota parts, our maintenance experts develop in-depth knowledge of every Toyota model and can recommend the service or part installation that best works for your vehicle. From rotors to brake pads, our service department will ensure your Toyota runs efficiently for years. Contact us online or call 206-382-8812 to schedule your service at our dealership today!