Maintenance schedules are created to keep you safe and extend the life of your car. Skipping recommended maintenance puts both you and your car at risk of unnecessary damage or even an accident from a repair sneaking up on you. 
There is a reason the fluids in your car should be flushed and replaced every so often. When you drive your car regularly, fluids like your engine oil and coolant become dirty and contaminated. Even if you do not drive frequently, over time, your engine oil will degrade and not be able to do its job properly. This can also cause damage to parts inside your engine or cooling system, both of which are essential to your car running properly and expensive to repair.
When you’re able to catch a car repair early, whether it’s old fluid or a belt that’s wearing out, you can prevent massive repairs. If you have a seal or gasket wearing out, you may not know until it breaks. If a seal or gasket breaks, that can cause a lot of damage to critical systems within your car. This will render your car undrivable and can take a chunk out of your wallet when you do get it repaired. Luckily, getting a tune-up as recommended by your manufacturer will catch belts, seals, gaskets, and other essential parts before they cause more damage to your car.
Simply put, the guidelines given to you by your car’s manufacturer are not only meant to keep your car running its best but also to keep you safe. When you run into an unexpected car repair, it can leave you stranded on the side of the road or even cause an accident if the timing is wrong. Best case scenario, it’ll cost you a lot of money to fix.
If you aren’t planning to keep your car for a long time, you can also think about the resale value. Keeping up with recommended manufacturer maintenance will maintain the resale value so that you can get the most out of your car once you decide to sell.
