Ray McKivigan’s Jeep still gets him to work everyday — reliable as ever even after hitting the 300,000-mile mark last week.

“It’s all because of maintenance,” said McKivigan, a service representative at Butler Tires for Less.

He bought the vehicle in 2008 when it had 44,000 miles on it.

“A basic oil change is the main thing,” he said. “Newer cars should have their oil changed every 5,000 miles, depending on driving habits.”

That’s an increase on the previous 3,000 mile schedule that older vehicles carried for a number of years.

McKivigan’s colleague Jim Sgro said while having more than a quarter-million miles on a car may seem high, it’s becoming more common as vehicles become more reliable.

“The average car on the road today is 10 to 12 years old,” he said. “I can remember when after 4 or 5 years a car was old and worn out.”

McKivigan and Sgro agreed that while regular trips to the mechanic are key for maintenance, drivers also can be an important part of identifying any problems that arise.

“You can be your own doctor,” Sgro said.

McKivigan said people know their cars and can better know when something seems off.

“You just have to be familiar with your car,” McKivigan said. “Listen for a strange noise or a different rattle.”

Sgro said being familiar with the owner’s manual of a vehicle will lead to better maintenance.

“Don’t just leave it in the glove box,” he said.

Sgro said newer cars are being built to last longer, and technological and mechanical advancements have improved nearly every aspect of a car.

“Look at spark plugs,” Sgro said. “They used to last 30,000 miles. Now they last 100,000 miles.”

Sgro said serpentine belts have replaced older V-belts and have proved much more reliable.

“Most don’t crack anymore quite like the older ribbed ones,” he said. “But they still should be checked whenever maintenance is done.”

The serpentine belt drives each engine accessory at the same time, compared to older model vehicles that had multiple belts running.

While more reliable, if the serpentine belt does break, it can cause expensive damage to an engine that continues to run.

But Sgro said most newer cars have a variety of warnings in place to indicate a problem.

“New cars will begin to shut themselves down gradually if there is a problem,” he said. “They’ll go from running on six to four to two cylinders. The lights might begin to flash or shut off to show there is a problem.”

Older vehicles without such precautions could quickly overheat due to belt failure, which impact a vehicle’s cooling system.

“They’ve come a long way and it makes a big difference,” Sgro said.

While a broken belt should send noticeable indicators of a problem, Sgro said not to ignore the more common warning signs as well.

“Don’t ignore the check engine light,” Sgro said. “It could be something minor, but it could be something real serious. If it starts flashing, you have a major issue.”

Things like climate and driving conditions also affect a car’s reliability and what should be maintained.

“Alignment is a big thing, especially around here with all the potholes,” Sgro said.

He added that transmission maintenance is most often overlooked.

“You need to have your transmission flushed,” he said.

“Often times its not performed or people wait too long and it causes problems.”