I’m in the process of buying a new 2009 G37X Infiniti and the dealer is offering me a pre-paid maintenance program for $2400 wherein all maintenance costs are covered (except for things like brakes, etc.) for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Any thoughts from folks if this is worth paying for up front for this type of car?
BMW offers its own version of pre-paid maintiance including brakes. Do a little math and see what the figures show. Why would it be better to buy this plan and not pay as you go?
Who knows? You didn’t give us much information to go on. If you tell us what is and is not included, we might have a reasonable answer.
I calculated about $3400 for the 5 years/60,000 miles using the dealer’s service costs. To me it seems fine, though wasn’t sure if anyone’s ever purchased this type of program before and felt it actually was worth the cost or if it just some sort of gimmick that in the long run really doesn’t cut it. Just wanting to see people’s opinion. Consumer Reports is always against these types of programs.
Make sure the program is manufactured backed not dealer backed. A dealer can disappear at any flash and your contract turns into worthless paper.
What is the point of this? How much is maintenance at dealer and decent independent for the same period?
I can tell you that I pay less than $1500 total for the 30 and 60K services that any of my cars require, using my trusted independent mechanic. I do my own oil changes, basic inspections, and pay to rotate the OEM tires until they wear out. I would suggest that you price the exact services at an independent shop, and see if pay as you go is the way to go. My experience has always suggested that it is cheaper than paying for a package up front.
Just pulled out the recommended life time maintenance package for my 2007 Toyota. For the first 60,000 miles the total comes to $1311!! This includes all the services required by the book and such things as changing the cabin air filter, all inspections, valve adjustment, etc.
Your $2400 UP FRONT seems very expensive. I would put the money in the bank and pay as you go. That way you don’t have to go to the dealer if you don’t want to or it is not convenient.
How did you get the service costs? If they are accurate (only you know) and you will use the dealer for these maintenance items, you should buy it.
BTW, If it doesn’t include brakes or tires, all that’s left is tire rotation, fluid checks, filter changes and oil changes. It seems to me that $2400 is expensive for those items.
Toyota? This is an Infiniti, not a Nissan. While each model is different, I’d be more comfortable comparing Lexus costs to Infiniti.
Agree; a Lexus would be somewhat more. I was just pointing out that these programs provide the dealer with great cash flow and working capital at your expense. On my fully loaded Caprice, the maintenance package for the same miles came to $1088, doing everything by the book at the local dealer.
I have since smartened up and do most of the maintenance at an independent garage I can trust for about 2/3 or less of the dealer rates.