I just did my first oil change at 30k, up until now I've gone to the dealership. When I went underneath, I saw that the oil maintenance panel was missing .. in fact it looked like it was ripped out or something because the plastic where the maintenance panel is supposed be has jagged edges. Now there's just a big hole there. Should I worry about? Is it going to mess aerodynamics or something .. maybe I'm just being anal.

 

30k miles!!! you ought to change oil AT LEAST every 7500

 

I'm pretty sure he meant that it was the first time that he did it himself.

does that area look scraped up? is it possible that you ran oversomething, a curb maybe?

 

The missing panel will probably change the airflow under the car slightly. Unless you plan on driving at very high speeds you probably won't notice any difference. If you're really anal about it you can price a replacement with your dealer.

 

It may also help keep things clean (which is more of an issue in rainy or northern climates) as well as possibly shield the area from road debris. (I don't know what's underneath it -- this may not really be an issue).