While it’s easy to say “do it now so it doesn’t snowball!” right now, you can’t catch everything. Weather, road condition and driving habits can cause things to break, and sometimes, there really is no warning sign. For this reason, I recommend finding a shop you trust that has a nationwide warranty – especially for students that are commuting outside of the Charlotte area or live on-campus. This way, if they’re away from home, a shop where they currently are can honor their warranty from shops back home. For example, Manchester Auto and Tire has a nationwide warranty through TechNet at no extra charge. If for any reason one of our customers breaks down away from home, no matter where they are, we can honor the warranty of any TechNet repair shop they visit, and they can honor ours.

While I’d love for you to visit my shop, I understand you may have a shop around town you already like. Just be sure that when you visit them, that they have some kind of warranty like this on all of their repairs, especially for your kids who may not be in Mint Hill when they need it.

Another thing worth knowing is some basic DIY skills. Can your college student change their tire if they get a flat? Do they know how to check their own oil, and add some if needed? If not, this is a great skill that can save them time and a trip to the shop.