Maintenance is key to the life of a vehicle

The key to the longevity of a vehicle is maintaining the routine service, according to Friendly Ford assistant service manager Michelle Ochoa.

“It used to be customary that vehicles required an oil change every 3,000 miles,” said Ochoa, who has been with the dealership for 12 years. “With the new technology nowadays, the normal maintenance is 5,000 to 10,000 miles because technology has come so far over the years.

“With the regular maintenance, we do more than just change the oil. We rotate and inspect tires, brakes, batteries, belts and hoses. We also top off fluids.”

Ochoa said the traditional service of a vehicle has changed dramatically over the years.

“Many years ago, we visited traditional service stations where a 15- to 30-minute maintenance was part of maintaining your vehicle,” she explained.

Technicians often forgot about check the fluids, which is especially concerning in that certain climate conditions affect the fluids.

However, the Ford specialists at Friendly Ford now take an average of 45 minutes to provide thorough service including a multipoint inspection, Ochoa said.

“This is no longer a time when owners work on their own vehicles,” she added. “Technology is changing daily and we do continuous training to make sure that our technicians are up to speed with the constant changes. We do have the best technicians here.”

Ochoa also pointed out that Southern Nevada’s extreme climate conditions play an even bigger role considering the winters and especially the summers.

“The summer in Vegas is considered a very extreme climate so you want to make sure that the fluids are always topped off and your tires have enough air and tread on them,” she explained.

Ochoa said another concern is related to the life of batteries in Southern Nevada.

“Whereas batteries will oftentimes last five to six years in other climates, that’s simply not the case in Southern Nevada.” she said. “It’s common knowledge here that batteries may need replacing after three years.

“Never take a long trip without first having a Ford specialist check your vehicle for that extra peace of mind,” she added.

Friendly Ford Service Director Greg Haase said that Ochoa transferred from the sales and business development departments to the service department about five years ago.

“She was my personal assistant first and it didn’t take long for me to realize that she would complete any task I gave her to our complete satisfaction,” he said. “Since then, she has now learned virtually all aspects of the service department. The customers love her and, in fact, Ford regionally used her as an example of how to set reservations, answer the phones and work on more complex duties that any service department would need to utilize. Because of her expertise, she was promoted to assistant service manager this year.”

Friendly Ford is one of the oldest new vehicle dealerships in Southern Nevada. The dealership opened at its current location at 660 N. Decatur Blvd. in 1970.

Further information can be found by calling 702-870-7221 or by visiting www.friendlyfordlv.com.