Should You Get Prepaid Car Maintenance? (2024 Guide)

What Is Prepaid Car Maintenance?

Prepaid car maintenance plans are contracts that cover regularly scheduled maintenance for your vehicle. Some manufacturers and car warranty providers offer these maintenance programs in addition to vehicle service contracts. These plans cover services like oil changes, tire rotations and serpentine belt replacements.

Prepaid Car Maintenance Plans

Most automakers offer different tiers of prepaid vehicle maintenance plans. Some plans are designed specifically for new vehicles, while others cover maintenance services for certified pre-owned and used cars. In most cases, you can select from a range of plan terms to be covered up to a specific mileage amount.

Common services covered under these plans include:

• Tire rotations
• Oil and oil filter changes
• Multi-point inspections
• Brake pad replacements
• Windshield wiper blade replacements
• Spark plug replacements

The table below lists prepaid maintenance plans from various car manufacturers.

Toyota and Mazda maintenance plans also include roadside assistance, which includes lockout services, towing, flat tire changes, fuel delivery and jump starts.

Pros and Cons of Prepaid Car Maintenance Plans

Before you buy any car protection plan, whether it’s an extended warranty or a maintenance package, you should know exactly what you’re getting into. It’s a good idea to know your vehicle’s expected maintenance costs and compare it to the price of the prepaid car care plan.

In the following sections, we’ll go through some of the positive and negative aspects of prepaid maintenance plans.

Pros of Prepaid Maintenance Plans

Some pros of prepaid plans include:

• Discounted prices: The services covered by some prepaid plans may be cheaper than existing prices.
• Locked-in maintenance costs: Prepaying for maintenance means costs won’t be subject to things like inflation or supply chain issues.
• Transferability: Most prepaid plans can be transferred to a new owner for a small fee.
• Convenience: Prepaying for maintenance takes one more thing off your to-do list. The dealer will contact you when your car’s due for a service visit, making scheduling much easier.

Cons of Prepaid Maintenance Plans

Some cons of prepaid maintenance plans include:

• Limited to dealership service departments: In many cases, only the selling dealership can perform any of the services listed in the prepaid contract. Dealership service departments are typically more expensive than independent mechanics.
• Expensive: Sometimes the cost of the maintenance plan exceeds the annual cost of maintaining your specific type of car.
• Coverage exclusions: Depending on the plan, some wear-and-tear items may not be covered, which can increase the amount you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
• Longer service intervals: Some prepaid maintenance plans provide services on a different schedule than what a manufacturer recommends.

Prepaid Car Maintenance Plans Cost

Most automakers don’t publish the cost of their car care plans online. Because they’re primarily sold through dealerships, the best way to learn what you might pay is to contact your local dealer. If you have an auto loan, you’ll usually be able to roll the cost of the prepaid maintenance plan into your monthly payments.

Are Prepaid Car Maintenance Plans Worth the Cost?

Depending on your circumstances, prepaid maintenance plans may not be worth the cost. When considering purchasing a care plan, you can use sites like RepairPal to research the average cost of repairs for the make and model of your car. If the prepaid plan is more than what you’d typically pay for routine maintenance, it may not be worth the money.

How To Choose the Right Plan

When deciding if a prepaid plan is right for you, it’s important to understand your own driving habits and how they compare to a plan’s service intervals. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that most people drive an average of around 13,500 miles per year. If you drive less than this, you may not need to take your car in for routine maintenance as often. If you drive more frequently, a prepaid car care plan could help you save money on routine services.

If you’re buying a new car and thinking about buying a prepaid maintenance plan, compare plans from a few different automakers before deciding on a vehicle. Some plans don’t cover wear-and-tear items or offer roadside assistance. If those things are important to you, you’ll want to be aware of alternative plans that offer what you want.

Best Prepaid Car Maintenance: The Bottom Line

Prepaid car maintenance plans can give you peace of mind by covering routine maintenance costs and helping prevent future breakdowns. Prepaid plans have specific service intervals and include coverage for oil changes, tire rotations and inspections. Make sure you know what your car typically costs to service, however, as some prepaid plans can actually be more expensive than what you’d normally pay for regular maintenance.

Routine maintenance services are important for keeping your car healthy and less prone to mechanical breakdown. If you’re on the market for extra protection in case this happens, we recommend turning to some third-party warranty providers like Endurance, Olive^®, CarShield or Carchex.

Prepaid Car Maintenance: FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions about prepaid car maintenance:

Our Methodology

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best extended car warranty companies. We collected data on dozens of auto warranty providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the companies that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Reputation: Our research team considers availability, ratings from industry experts and years in business when conferring this score.
• Coverage: Companies that offer a variety of choices for warranty coverage, long contract terms and added benefits are more likely to meet consumer needs.
• Cost: Auto warranty companies with affordable rates and multiple deductibles scored highest in this category.
• Transparency: This score is based on contract transparency and the availability of a money-back guarantee.
• Customer experience: Based on customer satisfaction ratings and our extensive shopper analysis, we consider the responsiveness, friendliness and helpfulness of each warranty company’s customer service team.

Our credentials:

• 500+ hours researched
• 50 companies reviewed
• 2,000+ consumers surveyed

*Data accurate at time of publication.