The sluggish economy has plagued the auto industry and to hold on to sales momentum automakers have introduced incentive after incentives to entice consumers to showrooms. Some of these incentive programs have been more successful than others, but one that seems to get plenty of attention is the no-cost maintenance programs. In a shaky economy, it makes sense that consumers would easily be swayed by such a program which promises that necessary maintenance is completely free. But what exactly is the price of these “free” programs?
No-cost maintenance provides new car buyers with peace of mind, but there are often hidden costs associated with receiving maintenance at the dealership. In most cases, Audi Service Wausau point out that no-cost maintenance is currently being offered by many premium brands.
It’s advised to read the fine print advises Philadelphia Ford, and to understand the duration of these no-cost maintenance programs as they all vary. Land Rover for example covers scheduled maintenance for free for the first 7,500 miles, in which time there really isn’t much required in terms of scheduled maintenance. Audi offers the program as well, but only to 5,000 miles which covers only one oil change. Holmes European Motors stress that longer programs provide more bang for the buck.
In addition to the duration of the program, many no-cost maintenance programs have exclusions. For example, Volkswagen’s three year program can help save drivers much more money on oil changes when compared with Land Rover’s or Audi’s shorter term programs. However, Shreveport Mercedes Benz dealers admit that these programs don’t cover common wear and tear, so if your brake pads need to be replaced you’re out of luck.
It’s often impossible to estimate what you’re likely going to be spending on many maintenance issues. For starters, costs associated with maintenance differ between dealers and other garages. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, Wausau Auto Loans says that new cars typically don’t require much in terms of maintenance in the first few thousand miles, aside from an oil change. In addition, if you are able to calculate the maintenance costs, drivers are likely to save only a fraction of the car’s actual price. In other words spending $60K on a new BMW that comes with no-cost maintenance isn’t going to save you all that much in the long-run.
Ultimately, there is a price drivers pay for no-cost maintenance suggests Boise used truck dealers, and that price is in the price of the car. Premium automakers continue to offer these incentives simply because they aren’t losing any money on them. In addition, these programs help to attract value-conscious buyers – and keep them coming back to the dealer rather than independent garages and shops. This relationship keeps customers coming back to the dealer in the long term, and increases the likeliness that drivers will go to their dealer for other auto repairs as well.
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| Automaker | Maintenance Service | Duration of Complimentary Service |
|
| Volvo | Complimentary Factory Scheduled Maintenance | 5 yrs/60,000 miles | |
| BMW | Ultimate Service | 4 yrs/50,000 miles | |
| Saab | No-Charge Scheduled Maintenance | 3 yrs/36,000 miles | |
| Volkswagen | Carefree Maintenance | 3 yrs/36,000 miles | |
| Jaguar | Complimentary Dealer Maintenance | After 1 yr/15,000 miles | |
| Lexus | Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance | 6 mos/5,000 miles | |
| Audi | Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance | 1 yr/5,000 miles | |
| Land Rover | Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance | 6 mos/7,500 miles |
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