The long winter has finally receded into the rearview mirror, making way for the warmer temperatures and sunny weather of spring. While this is the perfect time of year to finally get out of the house, it’s also the ideal chance to recover your car. After a harsh winter, ice, snow, salt, and poor road conditions have wreaked havoc on your vehicle, but don’t fear. With a few suggestions and tips, you can get your car in like-new condition, ready to tackle the spring ahead. 
Replace/Swap/Rotate Your Tires
If you swapped out your all-season tires in favor of winter tires, spring is the time to switch them back. All-season tires have a compound that allows them to grip better in warmer temperatures and allow more agility than winter tires during spring. If you didn’t change your all-season tires, opt for a tire rotation. When your tires stay in the same positions, they wear unevenly, creating an uneven tread that’s hazardous. A tire rotation every 3,000 to 6,000 miles keeps wearing even, preventing blowouts or buying new tires sooner than need be.
Check Fluid Levels
Even if you have little automotive knowledge, checking the fluid levels under the hood is easier than you might think. Grab your owner’s manual, pop the hood, and look for reservoirs that hold your windshield wiper fluid, motor oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, and transmission fluid. Just a quick visual inspection can determine if you need to top off your fluids. If you’re still confused, have a trusted mechanic show you where to find each of these components so you can take care of it yourself later in the year.
Clean the Interior
Your interior can get gross after a long winter. Snow and ice can melt onto your floor mats or upholstery, creating a musty, mildewy smell. You might also find that it’s been some time since you gave the windows, dashboard, and other surfaces some care. Now that it’s spring, you don’t have to freeze your butt off cleaning these areas. Vacuum and shampoo the floor mats, give your seats a once-over with some upholstery cleaner, hit the windows with some Windex, and wipe down the dash with a protectant and cleaner give your vehicle a sheen that will stay all spring long.
Wash Your Car
It’s easy to grab a tank of gas, pay for the automatic car wash, and check your emails as the machine scrubs your car. However, an automatic car wash will never compete with one done by hand. Hand-washing your car provides a more meticulous clean, paying attention to every detail, nook, and cranny. Make sure to change your water frequently if your car is super dirty, dry it with a shammy, and put on a coat of wax for an attractive shine that will turn heads.
If you’ve never de-winterized your vehicle, now’s the time to start. Not only will your car look great and run smooth, but it will also retain its value. With these three attributes, it’s a no-brainer to recover your car, even when warmer weather beckons for you to join it.
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Warranties include 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and 5-year/60,000-mile basic. All warranties and roadside assistance are limited. See retailer for warranty details.
*Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The prices shown above, may vary from region to region, as will incentives, and are subject to change. Vehicle information is based off standard equipment and may vary from vehicle to vehicle. Call or email for complete vehicle specific information. Pricing does not include tax, title, license and document fee.
