My mother’s 2003 Subaru Forester will soon be due for its 30k maintenance (It has 28k miles now).
The bumper to bumper warranty has expired, but the factory powertrain warranty is in effect till March 2008.
I would like to do most of the scheduled 30k maintenance myself. If my mom would need to make a warranty claim, what should I do to provide proof the scheduled maintenance was correctly performed?
or Should she just have the oil and filter changed at 30k, and wait until the powertrain warranty expires for me to do the rest? The car would probably have about 32k miles on it when the powertrain warranty expires.
Thanks,
Lee
I’d keep a list with the date and exact mileage of each service that you do. I’d also purchase the supplies for each service at that time (not in bulk ahead of time, even though that might be a little cheaper) and keep the receipts.
Even though that’s not really proof, that’s probably better than what they see from most people.
With less than a year to go on your warranty, I’d recommend having your oil changed at a shop. You may have to do it only once, certainly no more than twice. The few extra bucks you spend can be valuable insurance for warranty issues. Thereafter all maintenance can be DIY projects.
What do they ask for at 30K, Fuel filter maybe? I suppose that you could keep the nasty old filters around.
According to Edmunds.com, the 30k maintenance on the 03 Forester involves about $70 in parts (air filter, brake fluid, anti-freeze, oil, oil filter, and spark plugs).
Edmunds estimates about $300 in labor to install the above parts plus the various other inspections specified (timing belt, drive belts, fuel system, transmission fluid, brake pads, brake drums, brake lines, steering and suspension.
Plus tire rotation.
The description of the maintenance required in Edmunds is consistent with the description in the owner’s manual as far as I can tell.
Lee