Cars rarely help people earn money — in fact, their value begins to depreciate as soon as they are purchased and driven off the land. Typically, cars cost people more in terms of gas, insurance, and of course, courses, maintenance and repairs. However, many people waste hundreds of dollars each year on cars they don’t need or can avoid.

GOBankingRates got a mechanic’s and auto expert’s thoughts on four common ways people waste hundreds of dollars in auto repairs each year.

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Neglecting general points

“Lack of periodic maintenance and driving without checking for problems does more harm than good,” said Ralph Robert, auto expert for Way.com. “Periodic maintenance costs between $600 and $800 per year. When you ignore periodic maintenance, you expose your car to wear and tear and partial or total breakdowns. Through periodic maintenance, your mechanic can identify problems and resolve them.

“These minor repairs typically only cost about $46 to $66 per month, depending on the year, make, model and usage of the car,” said Alan Gelfand, owner of German car depotan auto repair shop. “It’s relatively cheap, but some car owners neglect to stick to their regular schedule. Skipping these routine maintenance or oil changes can cost up to $3,000 if a major engine component fails due to negligence.

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“Long-term problems such as engine sludge can result from such neglect,” Gelfand added. “Avoid such damage by following your car’s maintenance schedule and using high-quality oil with timely filter changes. These steps will help increase the life and performance of your car’s engine.

“A started engine, for example, quickly begins to show symptoms of failure, which can be easily corrected,” Robert explained. “By waiting for the starter to completely fail, you’re looking at spending up to $1,100 to repair it. The same goes for transmission problems, which you can fix cheaply if you fix them before a total transmission failure. If you wait until the transmission fails, you could spend between $2,900 and $7,000 to fix this problem.

Not checking tire pressure

“Checking tire pressure and recharging or refueling on time are all small things that collectively help extract the best performance,” Robert said. “Keep an eye out for warnings like the check engine light or low tire pressure will ensure your car is always on guard and first.

“Ignoring simple things like low tire pressure can lead to increased wear and tear on your brake rotors, pads and suspension system. There will also be more load on transmission and tireswhich results in higher fuel consumption,” he added.

Non-specialized mechanics or spare parts

For those who drive luxury or foreign cars, using non-specialized mechanics or spare parts can be a huge waste of money, according to Gelfan.

“You may think you’re saving money here, but an improper repair can actually cost you more than $2,000 in subsequent repairs due to accelerated wear and tear,” Gelfand said.

For example, he explained how German cars are built with specific technical requirements which require mechanics with specialized knowledge.

“Choosing to use non-specialized mechanics can lead to substandard work or the use of generic parts that may not meet standards,” Gelfand explained.

“It’s quite easy to avoid this mistake,” he added. “Even if it costs a little more, you just have to find a auto repair shop which has factory-trained, ASE-certified Bosch specialists who use original equipment manufacturer parts. This will prevent damage to your car’s performance and can reduce future costs.

Driver-related fines

“Driving without car insurance carries different fines in different states, which can range between $100 and $5,000,” Robert said. “Some states will even suspend your driver’s license registration and you could be fined probation or community service.

“Driving with an expired license plate or sticker will result in fines ranging from $40 to $500 (or) more,” Robert added. “You could also end up impounding your car, which will cost you even more to free it from impound.”

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This article was originally published on GOBankingRates.com: I’m a Mechanic: 4 Common Ways People Waste Hundreds of Dollars on Their Cars Every Year