Are Pre-Paid Maitenance Plans Worth Buying?
Many dealers have begun selling Pre-paid Maintenance Plans in recent years.This basically covers all of your regularly scheduled maintenance, up to a certain mileage - usually 3 years/36,000 miles. It includes oil and filter changes, tire rotation, and mechanical checks.
The plans do not include normal wear and tear items such as brake pads or tires.
In most cases, it's not worth purchasing these pre-paid plans unless you really like the convenience and peace of mind of not having to budget for maintenance down the road.
First of all, most people will end up skipping or missing at least one scheduled maintenance interval - and dealers count on this as extra profit since it's already paid for up front.
If you're considering purchasing one of these plans, you should see exactly what's included and what it would cost if you paid out of pocket each time you brought your car in for maintenance.
If there isn't a decent savings involved, you should just pass on it.
Keep in mind that this plan is completely negotiable. Whatever the dealer quotes you, knock off half and counter-offer with that as your starting bid.
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
Got a Question About This Article?