Your kids are coming back from college in a few weeks. Hooray! Another (hopefully) great semester is almost done for them. You’ve been calling them, asking about if they’re eating right, going to class, getting good grades, and so on… but have you asked about their car?

If your children have been living near or on campus, it’s possible you haven’t seen them since August. That’s a long time! Have they been getting their oil changed? Has their check engine light come on? If they’re going to college in a snowy area like Boone, did they switch to more appropriate tires? These are all really important questions to ask, because it doesn’t take long for a good, reliable car to become anything but when not maintained. Preventative maintenance is key, and when far away from home for many months, it may be easy to just put off repairs until they’re back home… but they shouldn’t!

Finding auto shops and automotive technicians you trust is hard, especially in a college town. Fortunately, thanks to independent shop networks like TechNet and IGONC, which we’ve talked about here before, finding a shop that is trustworthy is an easier task, plus, shops “in the network” honor other warranties… so your auto repair warranties in Mint Hill can still be good elsewhere, and vice versa.

So, if your kids are coming home for Thanksgiving before their finals, be sure to ask “How are your grades, and how’s the car?”