If you’re like me, you want to make sure you take care of your new car. That means doing all of the preventative maintenance and everything else necessary to keep the warranty valid. You might think you can just take your new car to any ol’ oil change place, but that’s not true.

A recent newspaper article talked about a man who took his wife’s new car to his local Wal-Mart for an oil change.  The staff mechanics there told him they couldn’t do it because the automaker had not released the necessary specifications to do the job correctly.

But why would auto manufacturers do this?

Actually, it wasn’t the manufacturer that didn’t release the information. Automakers list all the information in a database, but individual service stations must pay a fee to access it.

According to Safe Car Guide, however, you should always take your car to the dealer for any type of maintenance when it’s still under warranty. Dealer mechanics receive the latest information regularly to ensure they do the best job possible on your vehicle, including using the right parts and tools. Your dealer also keeps a record of the vehicle’s history so the mechanics can diagnose future problems much easier.

You can still have your vehicle repaired at independent repair facilities, too. Just be sure to check your warranty and take your car to certified places. Don’t take the upkeep of new Ford vehicles or any other cars lightly. Maintain them properly, and you can get years and years of worry-free enjoyment from them.