By Neil G. Chirico
What happens when you pull into a dealership for service and the service writer's recommended-maintenance regimen is different from what's outlined in the owner's manual?
It's a little known reality that many (though not all) dealerships create their own "recommended" maintenance schedules, most often reaching beyond the scope of the carmaker's prescription. There are two motives here: (1) to help you maintain your car to better-than-average standards, and (2) to increase dealer profits. The relative importance of the two varies from dealer to dealer. The dealer-recommended schedule is likely to be more comprehensive and hence more expensive than the manufacturer's requirements.
How much of this extra stuff should you have done--or not? Your usage patterns and intended ownership cycle play a role here. For example, some owners lease their vehicle and know from day one that they plan on turning it in at the end of the term. Lease contracts mandate that you perform only the minimum manufacturer-recommended maintenance, so why pay for more? This same principle would apply if you bought your car and intend to replace it before the warranty runs out. As with the lease, you must do the minimum recommended maintenance to maintain warranty coverage.
Conversely, owners who buy their ride (or lease and then buy out) and plan to drive it until the wheels fall off may enjoy down-the-road benefits by following the dealer's more extensive preventative-maintenance schedule. What are the extra goodies dealers recommend, and do they make sense for you? Do the homework: Call dealers who service your make/model to ask for the price of a 60,000-mile service including an itemized list of what it entails. Be sure to ask about package versus individual-item pricing, as some dealers discount for service packages. You should notice that each dealer has a similar but different maintenance schedule; prices also vary, so compare carefully.