Taking care of your car after a harsh winter is very important for safety on the roads, but the price of repairs hits harder when gas prices are so high.

Snow, salt, and pot holes can cause a lot of damage. AAA says it’s important to take your car in for preventative maintenance before gearing up for spring and summer travel.

Keeping your car healthy can help with longevity, reduce the chance of a breakdown, and keep drivers safe on the road. AAA says to check your battery, inflate tires, change oil and refill coolant regularly.

Many drivers say the cost of car maintenance is hitting wallets harder because gas prices are so high.

“We actually did have the axle break, so we had to pull over in Brooklyn,” said Katherine Ossolinski, of Queens. “Yeah, it was the salt that ate the metal, I guess.”

“I think it's the bigger picture of just having inflation in general making everything more expensive,” said Joan Trant, of Oyster Bay. “And families will have to make choices. You will have to put off expenses, cut back on some things, and just weather this cycle that we're in.”

AAA says cutting corners on car care isn’t the answer to saving money.

“There's the core 40 or 50% of drivers out there that are still struggling economically,” said Robert Sinclair Jr., spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “And when that's happening, it makes it difficult to keep up with vehicle maintenance. But it's cheaper and easier, more convenient, to take care of those maintenance items, and not allow them to become repair items, which are only going to be more expensive.”