Tom

Tom,

Q I am a driver of 50 years. The other day I bought a new Ford pickup. As

with other vehicles I have bought over the years, I looked through the normal
maintenance schedule to see when to do the recommended services, and it
seemed to me that there was hardly any service to perform on this truck at all.
Am I missing something or is this truck maintenance free?

Ron—Burlington, New Jersey

Ron,

A Excellent question. No, vehicles are not maintenance free. Carmakers

just want us to think they are. Sparkplugs still wear out, ignition wires still
degrade, filters still plug up, tires still need rotating, front ends need aligning,
engines and transmissions still need oil and filter changes at regular intervals,
and on it goes. Forget the normal service schedule and follow the severe
service schedule for your truck. That should ensure that it continues to run
trouble-free.