At Walser Honda, we know that half of the frustration and confusion that goes into maintaining your vehicle is in knowing when to bring it into be serviced. Automakers each tend to have their own mileage schedule that they'd like you to follow, and we admit that it times it can be a bit confusing. The idea behind this, however, is that by gauging where your vehicle is in terms of your owner's manual schedule, you'll be more likely to arrange routine maintenance ahead of time.

This is a noble idea. No one is questioning that. Unfortunately, however, there remains a large amount of confusion in how this idea is executed. Specifically, automakers tend to have two categories for maintenance schedules: "normal driving habits" and "severe driving habits." One look at the term "severe driving habits" likely conjures up images of reckless speeds, hairpin turns, and weaving in and out of traffic, right? Such is actually not the case. As a matter of fact, most drivers should actually have their vehicle maintained under the "severe driving habits" schedule.

So what defines "severe driving habits?" For most automakers, it includes things like driving in stop and go traffic; operating your vehicle in extreme hot or cold temperatures; driving for extended periods of time at a higher speed; taking multiple trips that are more than ten miles in distance; driving in muddy conditions; and driving in mountainous terrain.

It sounds to us like automakers need to redefine what counts as "severe driving habits." That said, we'd like to know what you think. Are automakers out of touch with the way people drive? Or are there still a majority of drivers out there who follow every last word of their owner's manual? Feel free to leave us a comment!

Of course, if you'd simply like to have your vehicle serviced by pros who know cars inside and out, then feel free to bring it into the Walser Honda service department when the time's right. Conveniently located at 14800 Buck Hill Road in Burnsville, MN 55306, our team is ready to service a wide range of vehicles and issues.