The money you spend to purchase your car only represents a portion of the cash outlay necessary to keep your vehicle running properly. You’ll also need to allocate part of your budget to periodic repairs and replacement parts. Both are inevitable.

If you’re driving a late model vehicle, it might be years before you’ll need to replace your alternator, catalytic converter, or fuel injectors. On the other hand, if you’re keeping an older automobile on the road, expensive repairs may be just around corner.

Establish the right expectations in advance. Parts will wear out and fail. They’ll need to be replaced. If you neglect them, they will eventually leave you stranded at the side of the road. Below, we’ll take a brief look at several components that will need to be replaced over time.

The Exhaust System

Your muffler is one of those parts you’re unlikely to think about until it fails. When it does, you’ll hear it. The problem is, a failing muffler can also be dangerous. If corrosion causes a breach or leak, fumes can escape. This exposes you and your passengers to harmful carbon monoxide gases.

Most mufflers today are designed with stainless steel. They can be expected to last for nearly a decade. That said, they often wear out sooner due to corrosion. This can be caused by moisture that cannot sufficiently evaporate during short trips. Instead, the moisture accumulates, blends with sulfur, and begins to rust out the muffler.

Labor and replacement costs can start at $200 and climb to $500.

Manual Transmission Clutch

Most drivers choose an automatic transmission, but some still prefer manual. A manual transmission may never need to be replaced. It can potentially last the lifetime of your car. The clutch, on the other hand, will sustain wear and tear, and need to be replaced.

The frequency with which you’ll need to replace the clutch depends largely on your driving habits. If you ride aggressively, you’ll kill it far more quickly than someone who is gentle. An overly-assertive driver can go through a new clutch in under 40,000 miles. For others, the clutch can last more than 100,000 miles.

Labor and replacement costs can spiral up to $1,200 or more.

Brake Linings

Your brake pads have a consumable surface called the lining. This surface presses against the rotors when you engage your brakes to bring your vehicle to a stop. Even though it is heat-resistant and resilient, the surface wears away with use. When the lining becomes worn, it exposes a small metal piece that rubs against the rotors. This creates a squeal that indicates the brake pads need to be replaced.

Like the clutch from a manual transmission, the rate at which the brake linings wear away depends on your driving habits. If you consistently apply your brakes hard or habitually ride them, the linings will wear down more quickly. Sometimes, the pace of the wearing may be outside your control. This may be the case if you spend most of your time in heavy traffic where frequent braking is common. A relatively light sedan will usually go through pads every 60,000 miles.

Labor and replacement costs might be as little as $60.

Automatic Transmission

This is the assembly everyone dreads failing. With regular fluid changes, they usually last approximately 80,000 or 90,000 miles. If you’re pushing 100,000 miles or more on your odometer, you’re driving on borrowed time.

An automatic transmission is rarely repaired these days because of the labor and time involved with the job. Instead, they’re replaced. Unfortunately, replacing the transmission is expensive.

Labor and replacement costs can approach $1,600 or more.

Automotive parts and systems fail due to normal wear and tear. Be prepared for it, especially if you’re driving an older vehicle. The more miles showing on your car’s odometer, the greater the likelihood of a failure.

Author Bio: For all your used auto parts and used transmissions needs consider the leader in parts, Everdrive.com

Category: Automotive
Keywords: auto parts, car parts, auto parts failures, car parts failures, cars, vehicle, vehicle parts,