Summer has once again come and gone, and you can feel the change in the air. Not just cooler temperatures, but the hustle and bustle of school kids running to the bus stop, or the relief of knowing this may be the last lawn mowing of the season! Caramel apples, boots and talk of Halloween are replacing ice cream, flip flops and beach stories.  Whether you like autumn or not, it’s here!

Fall is definitely a busy time of year. It’s also a very important time of year. Fall is setting us up for the harsher, colder winter months and now is the time to make sure your car is ready for the abuse Old Man Winter is going to throw at it!

Whether you are handy under the hood or you prefer to bring your car to the professionals, there are a few things you want to check off your Fall Maintenance List.

• Check your battery. Connections should be clean, tight and corrosion-free. Winter is hard on batteries, and they can give out on you without any warning signs—if your battery is over three years old you may want to think about replacing it.
• Check all fluid levels. Windshield washer, transmission, brake, and power steering fluids may need to be topped off. Better to do it now than in freezing rain!
• A quick glance while you are under the hood for leaks, cracks, and loose clamps in the cooling system and hoses with a sponge-y or brittle feel only takes a moment. Don’t forget to look at belts for cracking or fraying. A quick once over may help identify a small problem that could cause a big headache later.
• After a summer of road trips and long weekends it’s probably time to change the oil. It may seem like an inconvenience, but remember it’s important for your engine and helps with fuel efficiency! Take a look at your air filter as well. If you can’t see light through it when holding it up to the light it’s time to change that too.
• Make sure your heating, A/C and vents are all working properly. This is important not only so you can stay warm and toasty in the upcoming months, but to insure the defrost will work on those icy mornings.
• Windshield wipers take a beating in the winter. Make sure yours are up to the challenge this year. Replace any torn or cracked wipers.
• Walk around your vehicle. Look closely at each tire for uneven wear and baldness.  Tread depth and tire pressure should be monitored throughout the year, but especially in winter as tires lose pressure when the temperature drops. Look for signs of brake dust, and when you schedule your oil change ask to have the brake linings, rotors and drums checked.
• Make sure all lights are nice and bright! Headlights, taillights, parking and brake lights, emergency flashers and even turn signals should all be bright and clean.
• Click http://waldorfford.com/service-appointment.htm to schedule an appointment, and our certified techs can check everything off your list for you while you sit back and sip a pumpkin latte!

Before you take the family on a beautiful little road trip to admire the fall colors and pick out some pumpkins, make sure your vehicle is ready.  Fallen leaves, bounding deer and fog that can come out of nowhere are all hazards of fall driving…so while you enjoy the changing seasons, rest assured your vehicle is well equipped to handle it!

Summer time is nearly upon us! And that means….ROAD TRIPS!

Vehicles aren’t what they used to be…we have navigation with turn by turn directions, tire pressure warnings, parking assist, sensors all over to warn us when not to change lanes…the list goes on.  Even with all of these safety advancements, there is still some work we have to do, especially before a long road trip.  Let’s break it down into some quick and easy steps to ensure your car is ready to hit the road this summer.

Do a simple walk-around of your vehicle. Grab another set of eyes and turn your car on. Check that all the lights work–headlights, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and interior lights.  Make sure your windshield wipers are working and are in good shape too!

Inspect your tires. This is an important step, for two reasons.  Tires get pretty hot constantly driving on hot asphalt, and are more likely to blow, especially when worn down.  Take a good look at the tread on all four tires, if it is shallow or uneven you should ask a professional to either rotate or if needed, replace your tires. You will also see better fuel efficiency with properly inflated tires, which is important on a road trip! (don’t forget to check the air pressure of the spare–in the event you need it you want it ready to go!)

The next few you can do yourself, or if you’re like me, ask a professional.  Let your mechanic know you are going on a road trip and would like the following checked and topped off/replaced if necessary:

brake, oil and coolant fluids

air filter

belts

Now is also the time while you are at the mechanics to get an oil change…you don’t want that little red oil can light to pop up in the middle of your vacation!

Make sure to create an emergency box if you haven’t already. Include an up to date map (yes, a real paper one. They still make those!), a flashlight with extra batteries, flares, a lighter or matches, a blanket, a medical kit with plenty of band aids and alcohol wipes, and some water. Personally, I also keep some snacks, sun block, ibuprofen, hand sanitizer  and Benadryl in mine as well.

Last, but not least, get everyone in the family involved and have a car wash.  You’ll be much more comfortable in a clean car with sparkling windows and a fresh interior for your  long anticipated road trip!

Taking a couple of hours now to make sure your vehicle is road trip ready can save you a lot of time, money and frustration later on.  Now go plan your next road trip!

Press Release for Immediate Release:

Waldorf Ford located in Waldorf, MD wins for the 9th time

(Waldorf, MD)  Today, Ford Motor Company awarded Waldorf Ford with the prestigious Triple Crown Award.  This is the 9th year that Waldorf Ford has won this award.

The Triple Crown Award recognizes dealerships that have won the President’s Award and the One Hundred Club Award, but who also ranked high enough to be included in the Ford Customer Service Premier Club.  Ford Motor Company also presented The One Hundred Club Award for 2014, which recognizes dealerships that are in the Top 100 in Ford sales for the nation.

Waldorf Ford is one of only 15 dealerships in the country and is the only dealer in the Washington DC region to win the 2014 Triple Crown Award.  Waldorf Ford is among only 5 select dealerships in the United States to earn the Triple Crown Award for 9 or more consecutive years.

“Waldorf Ford has done it once again! states Lisa Vigneault, Washington Regional Manager for Ford Motor Company.   They have accomplished being one of the largest volume dealerships in the nation, winning the One Hundred Club Award, at the same time, they have won the President’s Award for outstanding customer service and the Premier Club from Ford Customer Service Division.  Winning all three awards, earns them the honor of receiving the prestigious Ford Motor Company Triple Crown.  It is amazing to win this award one time but Waldorf Ford is one of five dealerships nationally that has won this award for nine or more years in a row. Their performance is exceptional year after year!”

“I am so proud of our team for their attention to detail and their drive to take good care of our customers.  Their hard work is what helped us  earn  the  President’s Award for the 14th time,” said Greg Basiliko, General Manager, Waldorf Ford.  “The biggest pat on the back doesn’t come from Ford, it comes from our customers.  They trust us year in and year out to treat them with respect, patience and caring.  The President’s Award is our customers feedback that we have done what it takes to earn their business.  We aren’t letting up and resting on our laurels – we want to be awarded the President’s Award 15 times! ”

The President’s Award is reserved for Ford dealerships that have made a commitment to deliver exceptional sales and service experiences to their customers.  Ford Motor Company’s President’s Award is reserved for the best of the best – approximately 200 out of the nearly 4,000 dealerships receive this award.

“Our motto is, Dedicated to Excellence, whether it is during or after the sale, our priority is taking care of our customers,” said Basiliko. “We take customer satisfaction seriously and we work hard every day to make sure our customers are taken care of.”

Waldorf Ford is located on Route 301 North in Waldorf, MD and online at http://www.waldorfford.com or call 888-284-1463.

There was a time when I drove a beautiful, bright Mustang. She was fast, she was fun, she was the one…and then I became mommy to my second child.

Hard as I tried, I couldn’t make the whole rear facing car seat thing work. There just wasn’t enough room for that, and me to drive. I contemplated a weight loss program to make it work, but alas, I love food. Oh and two doors? Any parent can tell you how difficult it is to get a car seat in the back of a car that only has two doors, never mind groceries, diaper bags, and a sibling.

Much to my dismay, it was time to say goodbye to a car that was jam packed with memories, and that helped me feel like I still had some control over how fast I became an adult. Each dent, each scratch (yes, there were a few that will make a great story for another day), held a memory. This car was the car I drove my children home from the hospital in. Their welcome to the world ticket home. And it was time to say goodbye.

I shed tears, yes real tears over losing her. Crazy, I know; I’m a tad sentimental, but the time search for bigger and newer had come.

I searched everywhere, I met many cars that just weren’t the “one”. My brain said get a van, but my soul said, not yet, not yet! And then I found her. A mommy car, that didn’t really scream mommy car, the Ford Escape. It was love at first sight, a blinding love that only grew as I learned more about her.

She’s a beautiful 24k gold, that glimmers like happiness in the sun. She has a power driver seat, and I can even talk to her to change the temperature, play a goofy kids song, or simply ask her to guide me to my destination. Goldie, as I call her (come on, we all name our cars, right?) is spacious, and has enough adapters that I can plug in my phone, kids can plug in their tablets, and there is still room for more. Not sure what the more is, but when I find it, I’m plugging it in.

She has a rear view camera, which has come in handy multiple times, and my favorite part, a skylight in the back, and a sunroof in the front. Yay sunlight! Next in line for favorite features, is the foot activated, hands free, power liftgate. Oh my! No more struggling to open the back with a kid in one arm, and and a bazillion grocery bags in the other!

Happily, I’ve always been a part of the Ford family, and I drive with pride in my new, no kid spilled cheerios on the seats escape. When they do finally spill their food, it’s okay, mommy got leather this time 🙂

There’s plenty more to learn about the Escape than what I’ve mentioned, so please check us out on the web http://www.WaldorfFord.com

Waldorf, MD | February 2015 – Waldorf Ford recognized Natalie Vakas who has achieved Senior Master status from Ford Motor Company and Waldorf Ford.

Ford Motor Company’s Masters Program, established in 1993, recognizes the technical training accomplishments of Ford and Lincoln dealership technicians in the United States. Technicians can earn the designations of Master Technician, Senior Master Technician, 10-year Master Technician, 10-year Senior Master Technician by completing Ford technical training courses.

Master Technicians receive a formal letter of acknowledgement and Senior Master Technicians receive a pewter trophy and a plaque acknowledging their achievement. “As vehicle technology progresses, it requires increased levels of knowledge and skill for technicians to effectively complete advanced diagnostic and repair operations,” Greg Basiliko of Waldorf Ford. “Earning this designation from Ford is no small feat and demonstrates the commitment to fulfill our customers’ expectations that their vehicles are repaired by highly-skilled, factory-trained technicians. We are proud of Natalie’s work and very glad she is part of our team.”

Waldorf Ford is located at 2440 Crain Hwy and has been serving the Waldorf community for 20 years. Visit waldorfford.com for more information. # #