Keep Your Toyota Running Well With This Annual Maintenance Checklist

Even if you don’t drive much, annual maintenance is crucial to keep your vehicle running smoothly and prolong its life. Referring to your Toyota’s owner’s manual is a good rule of thumb, yet sometimes drivers don’t want to read through pages of instructions to see what needs to be done. Universal Toyota’s service department suggests you keep this checklist handy to ensure that you perform preventative tasks on a timely basis.

DIY Preventative Checklist

As an owner, you can perform some preventative maintenance tasks yourself. You should perform some every few weeks, while others can occur every few months. Short-term tasks include:

• Checking oil and coolant levels, topping off as necessary
• Monitor tire pressure, especially if your TPMS light comes on
• Ensure that headlights and taillights are illuminated and replace burned-out lights or faulty fuses

Every three to four months, inspect the following:

• Look for signs of cracking or fraying in wiper blades and replace as necessary
• Open the hood to look for bulges on hoses and frayed edges on belts
• Wax your vehicle at least every six months to protect its finish
• As your tires age, the tread on tires decreases, so perform the penny test to ensure that you still have 2/32nd or more of tread to remain safe

Ongoing tasks you should perform every time you get in your Toyota involve listening for odd noises and looking for signs that your alignment is off. Odd noises coming from under the hood or squeals and grinding when you press the brakes indicate that you have an engine or a brake problem. If your vehicle pulls to the right or left without any direction from you, that indicates possible misalignment, as well as uneven wear on the tires. If you see these signs, make sure you bring your vehicle into our service department for a professional inspection.

Annual Maintenance Performed by Professional Technicians

As you can see, much of the DIY maintenance you perform will lead to professional maintenance. As with DIY maintenance, the checklist your professional should follow consists of short-interval and long-interval tasks.

Short-Interval Maintenance Checklist

These items need attention approximately every three months or when you bring your Toyota in for an oil change:

• Check oil and air filter and change, if necessary
• Rotate tires
• Inspect brakes, fluids and hoses
• Inspect all other belts and hoses
• Ensure battery connections are secure and check its performance
• Inspect exhaust system for leaks and other problems

Long-Interval Maintenance Checklist

Regular inspections become more important as your vehicle ages. Your technician should perform these tasks at least once per year:

• Inspect transmission fluid and flush the system when the fluid becomes discolored
• Inspect transfer case fluid
• Inspect shocks and struts and replace when worn or according to manufacturer recommendations
• Check coolant levels and top off or replace
• Lubricate front and rear differential
• Some vehicles require chassis lubrication every six to 12 months

Drivers should also be aware of an illuminated check engine light no matter how old their Toyota is. When this happens, it means the electronic system has detected a problem, so bring your car in as soon as possible. Remember that Universal Toyota frequently runs service specials to save on the cost of maintaining your vehicle.

Tags: annual maintenance, checklist, DIY, preventative
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