Preventive maintenance is better than corrective

Yes, I agree. Preventive maintenance means inspecting, servicing and repairing parts at planned intervals before they fail. Corrective maintenance means repairing only after failure has occurred. In most cases the first is cheaper, safer and more reliable, which is the meaning of "prevention is better than cure".

Reasons

1. Lower total cost: small, planned jobs are cheaper than major repairs; a damaged part left to fail often damages other parts too.
2. Fewer breakdowns and less downtime: the facility stays in use; there is no sudden stoppage of work or services.
3. Safety: defects such as cracks, corrosion, or faulty wiring are found before they cause accidents.
4. Longer service life of structures and equipment.
5. Planned work: labour, materials and funds can be arranged in advance, and the work can be done at convenient times, not in a rush at higher cost.
6. Better performance and appearance, and higher property value.
7. Predictable budget compared with unexpected emergency expenditure.

Comparison

Examples

• Roof: cleaning gutters and applying waterproofing every few years costs little; ignoring a small leak leads to rusted reinforcement, spalled concrete and a major rehabilitation.
• Road: crack sealing and fog sealing of a pavement cost a fraction of the cost of full-depth reconstruction when potholes and base failure appear.
• Machine: changing oil and filters of an excavator on schedule avoids engine failure and expensive downtime.

Corrective maintenance is still needed for sudden failures, but a good plan keeps these few.