With the average lifespan of a vehicle being about 200,000 miles or roughly 12 years, your vehicle can really go the mile. It can, of course, depend on how regularly you do maintenance on your vehicle. If you want your Jeep to last through all you throw at it, be sure to follow these maintenance tips.

Every car or truck should have a maintenance schedule and you should consult with your owner’s manual for specifics. Jeeps need standard check-ups as well as check-ups for off-road purposes.

Since Jeeps are one of the most capable off-road vehicles and some models can trek through up to 20 inches of water, you will want to make sure you are regularly checking your vehicle before problems arise.

Jeep Maintenance Plan

To get the most out of your Jeep, you should follow a maintenance plan and do routine checks. This schedule includes a monthly check for tire pressure, front lights, and rear lights.

The First 8,000 Miles

At about six months be sure to replace the oil filter and oil. You should change your oil and the oil filter every 8,000 miles after this.

Also, consider lubricating the chassis. Check the hoses and belts under the hood.

Inspect your tires and rotate them if you see any irregular wear to ensure they last longer. You should repeat this rotation every 16,000 miles but at a minimum check the tires whenever you get the oil and filter replaced.

At 16,000 Miles

If you haven’t had your exhaust system looked at yet, do it no later than this interval. Replace your air conditioning filter and look at the alignment of your wheels. Check the engine timing belt, drive belt, and drive hose.

Rolling 32,000 Miles

Unless you are really cranking on the miles, you should have had your Jeep for about two years. Adjust the car’s four-wheel disc brakes (if you have them) so the brakes are working at their best. Also, inspect the suspension and brake linings.

Change the air conditioning filter and engine air cleaner filter. Get new spark plugs.

The Next 32,000 Miles (64,000 Total)

You are going to follow the same procedure as the first time rolling 32,000 miles. In addition to this, you should replace the automatic transmission fluid, rear-drive assembly fluid, and power transfer unit. Flush your cooling system and refill it with new coolant.

Check your engine timing belt, drive belt, and drive hose. If you don’t need to get new ones yet, you probably will before the next scheduled maintenance for your Jeep.

Six-Year Check or 96,000 Miles

If you’ve followed the maintenance plan so far your Jeep should be in great shape! You’ll have plenty of adventures left together, just be sure to keep up on continued maintenance.

Get new brake linings and manual transmission fluid. Replace the drive belt, drive hose, and engine timing belt unless you did at the 64,000-mile interval.

Additional Seasonal Jeep Maintenance

When in an area that gets seasonally cold weather you’ll want to perform some extra maintenance as the weather changes.

Check your windshield wipers once a year and consider buying winter wiper blades during cold weather. Keep the wipers away from the windshield when not in use. My husband always props them straight out so they don’t build up with ice.

You may want to use winter tires when ice and snow are on the horizon. Read more about the difference winter tires make here.

Prevent your engine or radiator from freezing by checking the coolant levels. Coolant is usually half antifreeze and half water.

Jeep Maintenance For Off-Roading

If you own a Jeep for the purposes of going off-road, there are some things you should do after taking your Jeep off-road to prevent any issues from popping up.

First, hose down your Jeep to clean off any debris. Make sure you get the engine compartment, too. Check the engine itself as well as for any loose parts like belts or hoses.

Rough terrain can be hard on your tires. Look for cuts and loose or missing lug nuts.

Check the axles for bending or cracks and the suspension for loose, cracked, and worn components. Clean your brakes and look at your brake lines.

Look for bearings, joints, and other parts that could use grease. A grease fitting or zerk fitting indicates that a part takes grease.

If you aren’t able to do all of the required maintenance on your own, be sure to take your Jeep into Columbiana Chrysler Jeep Dodge to have technicians give you a hand.