Phoenix, Ariz., Oct. 1, 2009. October is National Car Care Month – which means it’s time to ensure that vehicles that made it through Arizona’s brutal summer months are prepared for the remainder of the year. For AAA members, it also means a free, 36-point vehicle inspection and charging system test at all AAA club-owned and Approved Auto Repair facilities across the state for the entire month of October.

“A lack of vehicle maintenance greatly reduces a vehicle’s reliability and longevity,” said Don Nunnari, AAA Arizona’s vice president of membership products and services. “Regular vehicle inspections, such as the free 36-point inspection we offer AAA members during Car Care Month, will reduce a motorist’s risk of an unexpected failure.”

This summer, a lack of maintenance coupled with Arizona’s extreme temperatures resulted in more than 134,000 roadside assistance calls to the auto club between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This represents a 9.5 percent increase from the same timeframe last year. AAA Arizona estimates that more than half of these calls could have been avoided with preventive vehicle maintenance.

Aside from preventive maintenance, efficient communication between motorists and their auto repair technician is imperative in extending the longevity of a vehicle. In honor of Car Care Month, AAA Arizona would like to encourage motorists to keep the following in mind when communicating with their automotive technician:

• Describe symptoms rather than solutions. Explain what has been seen, smelled, heard and felt while driving the vehicle and under what type of driving conditions the problems takes place.

• Refrain from using technical jargon unless you know what it means. Explain what is being experienced in terms that do not direct the technician to a single solution. This will help eliminate unnecessary or ineffective work being performed due to misinterpretation or misdiagnosis.

• If the vehicle has been serviced recently, bring copies of the previous repair orders rather than trying to explain what work was done.

To better help motorists understand technical terms associated with auto repair, AAA Arizona has also created an Auto Repair Dictionary which contains commonly used auto repair terms and definitions.

Motorists looking to find a trusted auto repair shop or AAA members looking to take advantage of the free 36-point vehicle inspection and charging system test can visit www.AAAaz.com/auto to search the auto club’s database of more than 155 Approved Auto Repair facilities across the state. Among the items to be inspected include fluid levels, windshield wipers, batteries, brakes, lights, belts and hoses.

AAA Arizona, the Arizona affiliate of AAA, provides automotive, insurance and auto travel services to nearly 800,000 Arizona members. Annually, AAA’s Emergency Road Service responds to more than 450,000 calls for help on the streets and highways of the state as well as providing insurance, travel, and financial services to AAA members and motorists. Since its founding in 1927, AAA Arizona has been a leading advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. In 2008, AAA was ranked the No. 1 “socially responsible” brand by Landor’s BrandAsset® Valuator. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.