Spring Has Sprung: Is Your Car Ready?

Blog Mar 10th, 2025

A car sits on a brown gravel road facing a vibrantly green tree. The camera focuses on the rear left wheel of the car, looking up at the tree.

Spring cleaning shouldn’t stop with the house. Your vehicle endures a lot throughout Ontario’s harsh winters, contending with adverse conditions like road salt, slippery road surfaces, snow, hail, and biting wind chill. Though it might seem like everything is still performing fine, it’s wise to make an appointment at Heffner Toyota or consult one of our service advisors to ensure your vehicle is in peak condition. After all, you never truly know what condition your components are in until a trained professional signs off on them, and you don’t want to risk a breakdown now that the roads are finally right for a trip!

Read More: Time for a Summer Tire Swap?

Spring Maintenance Checklist

To make sure you start spring off right, the team at Heffner Toyota have compiled a list of the five most important services you should schedule:

Car Battery: Your battery should have a lifespan of around 4-5 years, but cold temperatures like our extreme Canadian winters can take a toll on its lifespan and drain it a lot faster. Check in with our service department or one of our service advisors to test your battery and keep your engine and other systems in good health. This will also benefit you in terms of comfort, as you’re going to want your AC at full power now the warmer weather is coming around!

Brakes and Pads: Ontario winters come with snow, ice, and some highly unpredictable road surfaces that need a lot of careful handling and put significantly more pressure on your brakes. Even if they still seem responsive, it’s crucial that you have them checked by a professional in case they’re beginning to wear.

Wiper Blades: Bad weather keeps your wiper blades busy, and after a full winter of snow, rain, hail, and debris like salt and gravel from the roads, they’ve seen a lot of it. Check them for any visible signs of wear and keep your ear out for squeaking that might indicate they need to be replaced.

Fluids: It’s recommended that you check on your Toyota’s fluid levels once per month, but spring is the perfect opportunity to make sure everything is topped off and that there are no leaks you hadn’t noticed before. If you notice anything unusual, be sure to reach out to our service centre so we can fix it up for you before it becomes a more serious problem.

Wheel Alignment and Snow Tire Removal: It’s time to remove your winter tires and swap them for spring, summer, or all-season tires. Winter tires are built softer to withstand Canada’s coldest months but soon become dangerous when exposed to temperatures above 7℃. This is no problem for our tire centre; come on in for a change and we’ll store your winter tires in our temperature-controlled facility so they won’t lose their shape throughout the year. While you’re at it, why not schedule a wheel alignment as well to make sure your new tires will wear evenly and perform as responsively as possible?

Our Toyota specialists offer a full range of services, repairs, and replacements, so you can rest assured that your Toyota is in the best hands around. We’ll have your vehicle working like new and back on the road in no time!

Inside and Out

What better time to give your vehicle a complete refresh? Heffner Toyota details all makes and models of vehicle and offers a range of reasonably priced packages depending on which services you’d like, tiered by Bronze, Silver, and Gold services respectively. Alternatively, you can opt for individual detailing options if you would prefer a more stripped down or custom experience.

Why Choose Heffner Toyota?

At Heffner Toyota, we’re believers in delivering the “Heffner Difference”; we pride ourselves on offering unparalleled service to our community and care about keeping your vehicle in top working condition and looking its best. As a valued member of our family, you can enjoy a complimentary cookie and coffee or kick back and relax with a delicious meal at our cafe. Our friendly staff will handle everything onsite, whether you’re visiting our Full Service Centre, Auto Cleaning and Detailing, or our Body Shop and Collision Centre. In a hurry to get elsewhere? Hop on our complimentary shuttle and get on with your day! We’ll have your car showroom ready while you’re out and about.