Here Are The Easiest Car Repairs Everyone Puts Off

An oil change is probably one of the easiest car repairs most people can do. Newer cars have longer oil change intervals than old ones, so you don't even need to do it all that often! I wish more people realized this, so they could stop getting taken for a ride on oil changes for $74.99 on a Civic every 3,000 miles.

Others end up putting them off until their oil light comes on, damaging the engine. I used to change my own but when you live in suburbia like I do and are subject to HOAs that love collecting fines, it's hard to work on your vehicle without someone telling on you.

We asked readers what were the easiest car repairs people put off. These were their answers.

Replacing their wiper blades. I see so many cars around here with the wiper blades peeling apart, barely able to remove water from the window.

Wiper blades are cheap and most auto parts stores will install them for you for free. There's no excuse!

Suggested by: As Du Volant

Brakes pads. It's such an easy and cheap overall job that if you leave too long can cost much more, since the mechanics of it on most cars are pretty much the same.

Suggested by: Mike Van Veen (Facebook)

Battery replacement. In the Summer, meh, I can wait. Then one Fall morning and the car refuses to start.

Suggested by: minardi

Tire pressure.

People are incredibly lazy with it. And it's likely the easiest thing (except maybe filling washer fluid?). It can save you from catastrophic tire failure. It can save you hundreds in fuel costs. It makes your car handle better.

Why is it such a problem?

Suggested by: Scott Pro (Facebook)

Cabin and Engine air filters. I swear I've had the filters sitting in my trunk for weeks waiting to be installed, but I just kept putting it off. The fact that it's so easy and quick actually made it easier to put off – "Oh I'll just change those real quick tomorrow before work"

Suggested by: Smurph (And a few others)

O2 Sensors according to craigslist and Marketplace. Seems like every damn ad has "Check Engine Light is on, but its just an 02 sensor."

Suggested by: Nick Dixon (Facebook)

Cleaning a MAF sensor. So many error codes can be cleared by pulling this thing out, normally with 1 or 2 screws, spraying it down with either MAF specific or just generic electronics cleaner, then putting it back in. But hey that CEL isn't bothering anyone.

Suggested by: OnTwoWheelsAllTheTime

Polishing cloudy headlights. If ya can't see at night, polish those lights! Even a little elbow grease will make them noticeably better. A drill is better yet, and a DA polisher with a wool pad rocks. It takes maybe an hour in total by hand. I've done them in 10 minutes with power tools. More light on the road for you and less glare for me. Safer all the way around.

Suggested by: Science fiction couch – with bonus snuggle puppies

I think it's replacing those push-pins that keep those under-body plastic panels properly attached. I recently bought a bunch of new push pins and used them in a few places where the push pins fell out and the under-body plastic was loose as a result.

The parts to fix this are dirt cheap. And the fix is about as easy as it gets.

Suggested by: Manwich – now Keto-Friendly

Fuel cap replacement. Replace every few years and possibly avoid a pesky evap emission code!

Suggested by: S63andL5p