Howdy all,
About a year ago I bought a used 2007 Subaru Legacy sedan (replacing my well-loved 95 Legacy) and noticed a severe discrepancy between the maintenance schedule the dealership provides and the schedule in the manual. The dealership wants my car to have its oil changed every 3,000 miles, while the manual shows I can go 7,500 miles between changes.
The previous owner of my car purchased the Subaru extended warranty, and one of the requirements to keep the warranty active is to keep up with scheduled maintenance.
It’s been about 5,000 miles since I last had it changed (I’ve only had it long enough to have the one change done). Should I be adhering to the schedule in the manual, or the one the dealership provides?
Thanks for the help all!
Chad
The written manual.
The dealer just wants to see you more often…$ cha ching $
If you maintain the vehicle according to the manual’s specifications, you’re fulfilling the contract. I probably don’t need to point this out, but it’s not just mileage, but also a time period - as in 5000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first - that constitutes required maintenance.
The dealer would have you in every month for maintenance if possible.
It’s good for business.
“The dealer would have you in every month for maintenance if possible.”
And that’s how it was back in the day. Lube the chassis every 1000 miles etc.
As long as you maintain your Legacy according to the factory maintenance requirements (see owner’s manual), you meet the requirements to keep the warranty in effect. One thing: that 7500 mile interval between oil changes is for normal service. If your driving qualifies as severe service, you need to shorten the oil change intervals. Most cars see normal service.