Hi,
What is the basic car maintenance to do on your car, to keep it reliable for a long time?
Numero uno - change your engine oil & filter religiously every 5000 miles.
The rest of the litany, you’ll find it in your owner’s manual. Just stick to it.
Check your tyre pressures once a week & refill to the recommended tyre pressure, first thing in the morning before starting your car.
If you have a sealed automatic transmission, change the fluid every 50,000 miles with the correct transmission fluid specification.
the manual tells you what needs changing regularly.
There are other parts that wear out and need changing as needed. Visit a mechanic for a check-up once in a while to make sure everything is OK, and just pay attention to any new sounds or behaviours from your car.
Also, when you perform the oil change since you are there just make sure the other fluids are topped off (coolant, power steering, brake).
Oil and filter changes, trans fluid and filter, timing belt if it has one , coolant when it gets old, and serpentine belt when it cracks..or slips. Air filter, and if it has a serviceable fuel filter, change that. And at higher miles, sparkplugs and coils.
When I change my oil (every 4-5k), I also change air filter and clean MAF sensor (with a MAF cleaner). I also think that changing all oils/fluids more often than specified is worth it.