Survey: Owners of used cars in New Jersey and other states don’t schedule regular maintenance

Buyers who are considering a used car in New Jersey may be considering holding onto their new purchase for a longer time than they would have in previous years.

However, a new survey finds that they may not be considering regular maintenance that could keep their purchase from developing problems.

ExxonMobil commissioned the research to find out about the repair habits of drivers, releasing data that shows 40 percent of participants want their cars to reach 150,000 miles or more, or at least 12 years according to EPA statistics on average yearly mileage.

In spite of this desire, only one in five respondents followed manufacturer’s recommendations about regular oil changes and other car care.

“It’s admirable that so many drivers are looking to get more use out of their vehicles, especially in the current economy,” said Ray McDonald, global technical advisor for synthetic passenger vehicle Lubricants at ExxonMobil. “It’s important for drivers to remember that the time to prepare their vehicles for all of those extra miles is now.”