^ true, I agree with WiiMaster, and follow the same principle (especially with mechanical items) but the exterior of my cars show their age for the most part... probably because they're never garaged and parked on the street. The splash shield is not a critical part. That being said, you're more prone to having road debris hitting something while you're driving, potentially damaging something. If you don't ever encounter road debris, you're golden, but that's probably easier said than done. If you plan on keeping the car for a bit longer, I'd probably replace it.
