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Purchasing a new car – be it a mainstream model like Toyota or a luxury brand like BMW – involves considering several factors, and not just the price. New car buyers want to know what additional benefits they are entitled to receive with their major investment – whether they intend to buy the car outright or purchase it under a lease agreement for a certain period. One crucial factor to consider is the car’s maintenance costs. Ideally, a new car will include a free maintenance package, or the leasing plan will confirm that certain maintenance work or items do not need to be paid for by the customer for a specified duration of time or mileage. Choosing one model over another could save you a significant amount of money over the first two or three years, so let’s take a deeper look into car brands with maintenance included.
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What Exactly Is A Free Maintenance Package?
Car maintenance packages are incentives offered with a new car purchase. This inclusive scheduled maintenance package keeps the car in optimal condition without the buyer needing to pay for it themselves. Maintenance packages vary by car brand, model, and dealer. Typically, these packages will cover the following routine maintenance items:
- Oil changes
- Replacement of other fluids
- Tire rotations
- Air filters
What may not be covered by a free maintenance plan can include post-accident damage repair, general wear to cosmetic items like paintwork (stone chips/surface scratches/patina), and windscreen/window replacements, especially on more expensive luxury cars. Repairs to this extent may require a quotation from an insurance appraisal, covered by a separate factory warranty plan, or ultimately, to be paid out of the customer’s pocket.
How Much Money Does A Free Maintenance Package Save You?
Depending on how long you intend to own the car, a free maintenance package can be a smart economic choice to save money on the first major expenses in the car’s life. The advantage of a free maintenance package is that it offers some peace of mind to owners, ensuring basic consumables and key items like engine oil and filters will be paid for (parts and labor) by the manufacturer. For example, purchasing or leasing a new Toyota with free maintenance in mind could save around $300 to $400 in maintenance costs alone, compared to paying for the first routine service work out of pocket – whether performed by the dealer’s service department or an independent garage. With some other brands, the savings could hit $1,000.
For certain luxury brands, though, the free maintenance may not be as beneficial for owners. Brands like Porsche do include free scheduled maintenance with new car purchases/leases, but this can only go as far as the first service, unlike other mainstream brands whose free maintenance plan covers additional years or mileage amounts.
What Free Maintenance Packages Do Car Brands Currently Offer?
We’ve taken a look at the currently available free maintenance packages from each relevant automaker, as covered below.
The free maintenance packages with new car purchases or car leasing stated below differ significantly from prepaid service plans dealers may offer as optional incentives to customers. We highly recommend due diligence be performed to confirm the terms and conditions of what service work is covered by the manufacturer and dealer.
1 Alfa Romeo
The Italian brand has new customers covered when it comes to free maintenance, but this only applies to the first year or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.
2 Audi
Unlike models sold by its parent company, Volkswagen, new Audi models – petrol, plug-in hybrids, or any models part of the all-electric e-tron lineup – are not offered with any free maintenance plan or coverage.
3 BMW
Customers who purchase a new BMW are eligible for free scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
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4 Buick/Cadillac/Chevrolet/Corvette/GMC
All of these General Motors brands, from sedans to sports cars and trucks, offer one free scheduled maintenance service during the first year of ownership. Exclusive to the current high-performance Corvette C8, the free maintenance visit can take place any time within the first two years of ownership.
5 Ford/Lincoln
Ford and its luxury division, Lincoln, do not automatically offer complimentary maintenance for models sold new. However, exclusive to the most expensive Black Label Lincoln models, such as the Aviator and Navigator, these models are entitled to free scheduled maintenance within the first four years or 50,000 miles. This service includes engine belts, spark plugs, and shock absorbers.
6 Honda/Acura
Models from Honda and its luxury division, Acura, offer free scheduled maintenance for the first two years or 24,000 miles of vehicle ownership.
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7 Hyundai/Genesis
Buyers of Hyundai models and those sold under its luxury division, Genesis, receive complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles. Combined with equally generous warranties that address items such as powertrains, hybrid/EV batteries, and more, all of these qualities make Hyundai’s maintenance coverage one of the industry’s best.
8 Infiniti
All members of the current Infiniti product range include three years of free scheduled maintenance.
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9 Jaguar
The British luxury brand stands out among other luxury car brands with one of the most generous after-sales programs on the market. Internal combustion Jaguar models and its all-electric I-Pace come with free scheduled maintenance for the first five years or 60,000 miles.
10 Jeep
All current Jeep models sold new are entitled to three years of complimentary routine maintenance, as part of automatically being registered for the brand’s ‘Jeep Wave’ loyalty program. Additional benefits related to maintenance include access to a single-day use rental car when a customer’s Jeep is being serviced and 24/7 roadside assistance, as part of the program.
11 Kia
With a lineup consisting of family-oriented SUVs like the Sorento and the popular Telluride, to highly competitive electric models that include the Kia EV6, Kia models, unfortunately, do not come with complimentary maintenance. If buyers want a Korean model that offers free scheduled maintenance, they should look into an option from Kia’s counterpart, Hyundai.
12 Mazda
Mazda does not offer complimentary scheduled maintenance on any of its models.
13 Mercedes-Benz
Despite its prestige and upmarket badge, the German brand does not offer free maintenance packages for any of its internal combustion models. However, for certain regions and applicable US states, owners of Mercedes’ all-electric EQ range are eligible for free maintenance for the first two years of ownership.
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14 Mini
Similar to models sold by sister brand BMW, new 2024 MINI models, from the Cooper Hardtop to the Countryman crossover are offered free scheduled maintenance for the first three years/36,000 miles of ownership.
15 Mitsubishi
New Mitsubishi models are offered with the benefit of three complimentary maintenance visits within the first two years or 30,000 miles. This applies to all the models in the brand’s crossover-focused lineup, from the compact Eclipse Cross to the Outlander.
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16 Porsche
Customers who purchase a new Porsche are entitled to the first scheduled service being complimentary, which takes place within one year or the first 10,000 miles of ownership.
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17 Polestar
The Swedish electric car brand offers free maintenance packages for the Polestar 2 and 3 models currently sold in the US. This includes complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 30,000 miles.
18 Subaru
Subaru does not offer a nationally available free maintenance plan. However, certain regions and applicable US states offer two years or 24,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance.
19 Toyota/Lexus
These two Japanese brands are known for their high-reliability rankings and long-term durability. To help keep them in perfect working order, Toyota models offer free scheduled maintenance for the first two years or 25,000 miles. Lexus models, meanwhile, offer free maintenance for the first two scheduled services – the first scheduled to happen within the first six months/5,000 miles, and the second at one year from the initial car purchase/first 10,000 miles.
20 Volkswagen
New Volkswagen models benefit from complimentary scheduled maintenance for the first two years or 20,000 miles.