AAA Oklahoma Warns Drivers To Make Sure Cars Are Ready For Winter

AAA Oklahoma is urging people to get their cars checked out now, so it won't fail when it does eventually get cold.

"AAA definitely sees a huge spike in calls for roadside rescues when we have cold weather," says Leslie Gamble with AAA Oklahoma.

Some car repair shops are already backed up weeks because of Labor and parts shortages caused in part by the pandemic.

Tiffany Scherado, the co-owner of Lifetime Transmissions, says even before the cold weather arrives, they were already overwhelmed.

She says at one point--they were a month behind on repairs.

"People are still dropping their vehicles off," Scherado said. They are still coming in. You can't turn them away. You just have to be honest and say, 'Listen, I got 30 cars in my lot now. My next appointment isn't for 30 days. I'll get you worked in as I can.'"

AAA Oklahoma says the parts that always cause the most trouble are the tires and the battery. They say you would want to get those fixed now. Otherwise, your car can give out on you when you least expect it.

"It's a reason to start now," Gamble said. "The temperature might feel fine today. You might not see snow in the forecast today or next week, but this is not something you want to put off. We all know when November comes, that winter is not far away."

Scherado said with how Oklahoma weather is during the winter, she's anticipating the worst, but hoping for the best.

"It's a good possibility that come the winter months, we're going to be extremely busy again," Scherado said

AAA Oklahoma also says If your battery is at least three years old it is time to look for a new one.

They also say to always monitor your tire pressure since the cold could cause it to drop.