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Which Makes/Models Offer Free Scheduled Maintenance?

Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
Which manufacturers make your life easier in the first few years of ownership? Share your experiences here.

kirstie_h

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  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    Looking for info on which makes/models provide free scheduled maintenance, and for what time/mileage interval.

    I am trying to research potential vehicles for my mother-in-law. She always pays for all the regular service intervals, even the overpriced 'checks' and 'inspections.' She feels the need to have a new vehicle and therefore leases rather than buys. She also pays very little attention to her vehicle, rarely checking oil or tire pressure etc.

    Becuase of all that, she'd be a great candidate for leasing a vehicle with the scheduled maintenance included. I know some of the luxury brands offer free scheduled maintenance, but I'm not sure which ones. Some mainstream brands also have branched out into this - I'm aware of Mitsubishi offering 3 yrs / 45,000 miles free scheduled maintenance on its 2005 models.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    It's just built into the price of the car!

    Sounds good, though. :)
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I would have to disagree somewhat. Sure, generally speaking, luxury brand vehicles cost more than mainstream brand vehicles. But some of those expensive luxury brand vehicles include free scheduled maintenance, while others do not. The brands that do offer it are providing a tangible financial benefit to owners, and setting themselves apart from competitors. And when you start talking about companies like Mitsubishi offering 3 yrs / 45k free scheduled maintenance-- that starts to be a pretty good benefit.

    From the standpoint of my mother-in-law, who always pays for every service the dealer tells her to do, she stands to save a lot of money by choosing a vehicle that includes free scheduled maintenance. Yes, I know the dealers sometimes recommend more services, and more often, than the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,142
    I would call it "included" scheduled maintenance, but that's just my take.

    Here's a hot tip: While many models don't "offer" free scheduled maintenance, it's negotiable just like any other item. Neither of my vehicles had advertised free scheduled maintenance, yet I do have it. When we bought the vehicles, we weren't in a need-to-buy situation, and therefore had a payment price/monthly payment in mind, or else we didn't really want to buy at that time. When negotiating the price & trade, we couldn't quite get to the place we planned to be. The dealership offered to throw in the scheduled maintenance, and presto! We took the vehicles.

    I guess the benefit to the dealership is that, if you're in for scheduled maintenance and your vehicle has one of many inevitable non-scheduled repair needs, you're more likely to just get that done at the dealership while you're there.

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  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I guess 'included' is a more appropriate term than 'free.'

    I knew this was a negotiable item, and in some ways it is easier for the dealer to give you $x value of maintenance than to drop the vehicle price another $x. A drop in price is actual lost revenue, while the dealer is not necessarily losing service revenue by including scheduled maintenance, since the customer may do that maintenance elsewhere if it's not free. Plus as you said, it's a chance for the dealer to sell you other products and services that aren't included, while you are at the dealership.

    It has the possibility of a win-win.
  • bluedevilsbluedevils Member Posts: 2,554
    I was really hoping someone might be able to provide some helpful information here, so I'm bumping this thread to the top.
  • dsattlerdsattler Member Posts: 135
    I believe Audi does. For awhile Subaru was offering coupons good for three years of free scheduled maintenance on 2005 Legacies as an inducement to buy. I happened to get one, and since it was a limited time offer and a limited program I doubt it was "built in" to the price of the car.
  • corvettecorvette Member Posts: 10,229
    Volvo, Saab, BMW, Audi, and Mitsubishi offer "free" scheduled maintenance, if memory serves. Mercedes used to but stopped in 2005, VW used to but stopped in ~2001 (I think). Scion offers the first three (5/10/15k) oil changes free (I don't think it includes the tire rotation).
  • jchan2jchan2 Member Posts: 4,956
    Daewoo offered free scheduled maintenance for the first 3/36. But then of course, Daewoo folded.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    7500 mile service intervals, on all 2006 model year vehicles, up until the end of the warranty at 50,000 miles. 2003-2005 model year vehicles vary greatly. Range Rovers have service intervals of 15,000 miles, while Discoveries have service intervals of 7500 miles and Freelanders have no "free" maintence.
  • mirthmirth Member Posts: 1,212
    I think Audi offers free maintenance.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Who do you think REALLY pays for this "free" service?

    Why YOU do, of course! Simply built into the price of the car!
  • cticti Member Posts: 131
    True. But so are warranties. On an expensive car, piece of mind through free maintenance seems worth it. And the same holds true of a warranty on an unknown/unproven car (like a Hyundai). A buyer wouldn't have to worry about getting nickel and dimed by a potentially unsrupulous dealer. The nickel-and-diming is all above-board before the sale. :)

    If Audis or BMWs have a high lease percentage (I think this is true), than all this free stuff is a good idea. It would encourage the lessee to get all the proper maintenance done and turn in a car in better shape. Seems like a good idea to me.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Those lease payments would be a lot lower if the maintenance wasn't "free".

    Sounds good though.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I am trying to research potential vehicles for my mother-in-law.

    Does she go off road much? The current AMG H1 (the original Hummer) has servicing included for 4yrs/50k. :shades:
  • tjazztjazz Member Posts: 10
    Has anyone already done a comparison on domestic midsize sedan to see which has the longest original warranty? I'm thinking of getting teenage daughter something that will hopefully last through college without too many problems. That's a total of at least 6 yrs. The Chevy Malibu has lots of standard features, but only 3yr/36,000 as do most other domestics (I'm trying to stay w/ domestic so that when she goes to college and need service won't have problem finding decent repair shop). Appreciate any input to save me from spending time researching this.
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    I believe Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler all only offer 3yr/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranties (except for normal wear and tear items)(brakes, wiper blades,etc.) You might find it best to also purchase an OEM warranty along with the domestic brand (and if you read the extended warranty forum, make sure it's an OEM warranty and they can be had for a lot less if you check out some of the suggested OEM sites that are suggested in that forum). They are negotiable (except in the State of Florida).
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,204
    had an '01 that had maintenance included through 35 or 36k.
    the 'free' 30k service resulted in the front pads and rotors being replaced(not included). after arguing, i paid for the labor to replace the pads, but not the parts (or labor on the rotors). the rotors were fine, the pads needed replacement based on how much brake dust the produced.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • tjazztjazz Member Posts: 10
    Thanks, Nortsr1.

    Should I buy the OEM warranty at the time of purchasing the car, or wait until the initial bumper to bumper warranty is close to running out?

    Have you bought an OEM warranty in the past, and what was your experience like as far as cost, what type of coverage, length of coverage, etc. ?
  • nortsr1nortsr1 Member Posts: 1,060
    You do not have to purchase the warranty at the time of purchase.As I said previously, check out the internet OEM dealers that sell the OEM warranty for very good prices, compare them, then offer your dealer the lowest price of the ones that you checked out. If he doesn't match it, purchase the OEM from the internet site.
    You did not say which domestic vehicle you are purchasing!
    Ford, GM, Chrysler???? Make, model??? You have to do some back track reading.
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    I just read that GM announced that all of their 2007 vehicles (including those already sold) now have a 100K, 5 year power train warranty. They still have either the 3 year/36K or the 4 year/50K bumper-to-bumper warranty.
  • cdokecdoke Member Posts: 14
    You know, I would say that from the dealerships perspective, this is a time value of money problem. Charging up-front for anticipated service costs, the company may then accrue interest on that additional sum and conducted en masse on a large scale, I am sure this would be a fairly significant sum of money. From any one individuals standpoint, the marginal benefit of keeping the money which you could accrue interest on, as opposed to paying the money now, is negligible. Unless, of course the vehicle is exceptionally expensive to maintain.

    That is, I am sure, only part of it, I imagine that it is also an incentive in order to move product.

    As far as suggestions, the only thing that comes to mind is something a friend told me about BMW having something of that nature.
  • joel0622joel0622 Member Posts: 3,299
    Should I buy the OEM warranty at the time of purchasing the car, or wait until the initial bumper to bumper warranty is close to running out?


    I know this is old but just wanted to let people know in general.

    You do not have to buy the Service Contract at Point of Sale, but! If you don't you incure a few things, one is a $100 surcharge if you wait until after the 12/12 has passed, plus the Service Contracts normally increase in price each year. So if you wait 3 years you pay possibly through 3 price increases
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