I was a guest this month on Hot Shopping Tips  (episode 14) – a series of free and really helpful podcasts by my friends and former Consumer Reports colleagues Lisa Lee Freeman and Mandy Walker. The subject was: "Ten hacks to get the best deals on cars and avoid repair ripoffs." I thought I'd provide some additional specifics in a few posts here. Today: How to save hundreds on vehicle scheduled maintenance. I f you check your car's owner's or maintenance manual, you'll find the car maker's recommended maintenance schedules. For instance, there may a list of maintenance procedures at 5,000 miles or six months and another at 10,000 miles or 12 months. It's  important to take care of your car or truck as the manufacturer recommends, especially if you don't want to risk the warranty coverage. But just telling a car dealer or independent mechanic that it's time for scheduled maintenance is a surefire way to end up with an unnecessarily big bil...