Subscription cars on the rise: Niterra highlights key maintenance care

Brazil’s rental and subscription car fleet keeps growing. According to ABLA (the Brazilian Car Rental Association), cited by Revista O Mecânico on October 29, the fleet managed by the sector has passed 1.7 million vehicles, up 16.6% from the previous cycle. For repair shops and auto parts stores, this means more high-mileage cars whose maintenance must follow clear rules.

Against this backdrop, Niterra do Brasil, owner of the NGK and NTK brands, released maintenance guidance for these vehicles. The first point is to follow the service intervals in the owner’s manual, both by mileage and by time. The company notes that stop-and-go city traffic counts as “severe use”, which calls for more frequent servicing.

Fuel matters too. Low-quality or adulterated fuel can leave residues that harm the lambda (oxygen) sensor and the fuel level sensor. According to Hiromori Mori, technical assistance consultant at Niterra, an inaccurate lambda sensor can increase fuel consumption, reduce power and raise emissions. Worn spark plugs, in turn, require higher voltage, overload the ignition coils and may damage the catalytic converter.

The company also stresses the value of professional diagnosis, which pinpoints the cause of a fault and avoids replacing parts unnecessarily. That is why it supports technical training for independent mechanics who service rental companies, with quality equivalent to original equipment.

Practical takeaways

When servicing rental cars, check whether usage is severe and adjust the maintenance plan.
For high consumption or power loss, check the lambda sensor, spark plugs and coils before swapping parts by trial and error.
Document the diagnosis and parts installed: rental companies usually require this record.

With the VEXCOM ERP, your shop keeps the history of every vehicle and every fleet customer, including mileage, services, installed parts and upcoming maintenance, making it easier to serve rental companies and businesses. See the features.

Source: Revista O Mecânico, published on 10/29/2026. Photo: reproduced from Revista O Mecânico.