Dealer Pre-paid maint. plan

[Walker1]

Hi, My wife & I bought a 2006 Prius last week. We like it & the feds have the tax credit for next year. The local dealer wants to sell us their maint. plan. However, they will give us free tires & batteries for life- (reg. bat.), BUT the deal is we have to bring the car in every 5,000 miles and pay them $43.55 to change the oil, filter, and rotate the tires each time. We live in an area that gets many flat tires. We bought a plan fronm Tire Kingdom for $90.00 which covers rotations, balancing, and road hazards for the life of the tires on the Prius.

The dealer wants $2432.00 for a 6 yr./ 75,000 mile preferred maint. plan. It includes: all oil & filters, all other filters, trans. fluid changes, and any other required maint. They also include tire rotations, rental cars, towing, and road hazard to include the rims. Here's the problem.

They offer this for only 30 days at this price. It's 0% interest for 18 months, which comes to $135.00/month. We really can't afford another $135/mo. at this time. We got beat up by the dealer on our trade in and we're not rich.

Do any of you think the package is worth all that money? Would you buy it? Also, we only get the free tires & batteries for life if we pay them every 5,000 miles. I also like synthetic oil and will NOT change it every 5,000 miles.

Any opinions & feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ralphh]

Originally posted by Walker1@Jan 14 2006, 08:24 AM
Hi, My wife & I bought a 2006 Prius last week. We like it & the feds have the tax credit for next year. The local dealer wants to sell us their maint. plan. However, they will give us free tires & batteries for life-

[snapback]189746[/snapback]

When it's time to get new tires, you could get a brand that might last for 60 thousand miles for around $300. A battery might be changed two or three times in a car's life.

From what I've heard, the oil changes on a Prius are very easy, so it probably can be done for $10/change...someone correct me if that number is wrong. I've also heard the coolant needs to be changed only at 100,000miles.

I bought a Jack($14), torque wrench and ratchet head($40) and a wheel block($9) so I could do the tire rotations myself.

I guess that plan seems a little pricey to me, especially since the Prius seems to be much easier to maintain(and need less of it) than other cars.

[Walker1]

[quote]
When it's time to get new tires, you could get a brand that might last for 60 thousand miles for around $300. A battery might be changed two or three times in a car's life.

From what I've heard, the oil changes on a Prius are very easy, so it probably can be done for $10/change...someone correct me if that number is wrong. I've also heard the coolant needs to be changed only at 100,000miles.

I bought a Jack($14), torque wrench and ratchet head($40) and a wheel block($9) so I could do the tire rotations myself.

I guess that plan seems a little pricey to me, especially since the Prius seems to be much easier to maintain(and need less of it) than other cars.

Hi, Thanks for the reply. I have another question. I just filled the car for the 1st time. The computer said the car had averaged 47.4 MPH. However, I filled it to the top and divided the total miles driven by the gallons and ONLY got 37.4 MPG. Do you have any idea what gives? The car has 266 miles on it-all city driving. Thanks.

[fshagan]

Originally posted by Walker1@Jan 14 2006, 10:53 AM
Hi, Thanks for the reply. I have another question. I just filled the car for the 1st time. The computer said the car had averaged 47.4 MPH. However, I filled it to the top and divided the total miles driven by the gallons and ONLY got 37.4 MPG. Do you have any idea what gives? The car has 266 miles on it-all city driving. Thanks.

[snapback]189854[/snapback]

Keep a log of the mileage and the gas used for at least 10 tank fulls, and then average them out. Fill up the same way each time, going to the first fuel click off, and then never topping off. Using just one tank full is probably not as accurate as the computer on the car.

On the prepaid maintenance plan, I would say they are too high. Your maintenance costs aren't going to be that high for the first 3 years anyway, unless you are driving 7,500 miles a month. You can get the tires rotated, an oil change, and filter changes for less than the $135 they want to charge you monthly, but you only need to do that every 7,500 miles. Some of us increase that to every 5,000 miles. If I do that, with my 80 mile round trip each day, I'll be doing it about every two to three months.

There isn't major maintenace required on the Prius until 100,000 miles, if I remember correctly. Check the manual, and follow it. Dealers often try to sell you unnecessary "Gold Plan" service under the guise of treating your car better, and charge you to check, adjust or lubricate "75 Items" like the alignment, lube the chassis, check the differential oil, etc. ... all things that you don't need to do or that, in the case of the Prius, include checks and lubrication of things that don't even exist. The manual includes the required maintenance to ensure your warranty is in force, and includes the manufacturer's "fudge factor" already. Anything more may be treating your car better at the expense of your wallet. Nothing wrong with it if you have the cash to spare, but if you have other priorities, its just wasting money.

I always take my cars to the dealers, but I know each time what is required by the manual, and that's what's done. No transmission flushes when they aren't recommended, no brake flushing unless its recommended (or there's a failure requiring it), etc.

[mdmikemd]

Originally posted by Walker1@Jan 14 2006, 12:53 PM

Hi, Thanks for the reply. I have another question. I just filled the car for the 1st time. The computer said the car had averaged 47.4 MPH. However, I filled it to the top and divided the total miles driven by the gallons and ONLY got 37.4 MPG. Do you have any idea what gives? The car has 266 miles on it-all city driving. Thanks.

[snapback]189854[/snapback]

You might not know this, but your fuel tank is not rigid, but a bladder, sort of like a hot water bottle. Has to do with reducing vapor or something like that.

Anyhow, sometimes this bladder will "fill" up after only 5 gallons, when it could hold 6 if you could squeeze more into it, but because of the design, that is not recommended. In cold weather, it may be less flexible.

I keep a log as fshagan recommended. I've noticed some tanks get over 50 and some say 30. I havn't averaged them all out yet, but the computer tells us about 42 to 44 which I believe.

[fshagan]

Originally posted by mdmikemd@Jan 14 2006, 07:25 PM
You might not know this, but your fuel tank is not rigid, but a bladder, sort of like a hot water bottle.  Has to do with reducing vapor or something like that.

Anyhow, sometimes this bladder will "fill" up after only 5 gallons, when it could hold 6 if you could squeeze more into it, but because of the design, that is not recommended.  In cold weather, it may be less flexible.

I keep a log as fshagan recommended.  I've noticed some tanks get over 50 and some say 30.  I havn't averaged them all out yet, but the computer tells us about 42 to 44 which I believe.

[snapback]190130[/snapback]

Dr. Mike - is that a Silver Pine Mica Prius in your avatar?

I actually have a date now for mine ... 1/25. Waiting with baited breath ...

[SW03ES]

This is the deal with these plans,

If they didn't make the dealership more money they wouldn't sell them. Most dealers don't offer a prepaid maintenance plan.

That doesn't neccisarily mean however that you shouldn't buy one, if you plan to have the vehicle serviced exclusively by the dealer then it might save you some money.

BUT, lets say you sell the car or its totalled, is the plan transferrable or cancelable? You say the $125 a month would be a hardship, would you be able to pay for the maintenance when its required? I think the biggest maintenance on the Prius within 75K miles is like $400.

Does it include brakes?

Sounds too high to me...

[tumbleweed]

Originally posted by Walker1@Jan 14 2006, 06:24 AM
Any opinions & feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[snapback]189746[/snapback]

It's a rip off peroid. Almost everything some car dealers want to sell you is a rip off. As much money as they make by selling these cars at MSRP they should be giving us free service. I take in my own oil and the dealer provides the filter and changes the oil and filter plus checking fluid levels for $19.95, and that's not the dealer I bought the car from. I can get my tires rotated and flats fixed free at a Northwest tire dealer, Les Schwab, even if I didn't buy them there. If I change my own oil I can buy the filter from the same dealer for $5.00 and I understand they are available on line for $4.50.

So I think at the price you were quoted for the service contract you would be wasting a lot of money. Besides that what if they do something you don't like and you decide to go somewhere else? Will they return your money? What if you move or sell the car? What kind of tires would this dealer provide you with? Most Prius owners upgrade to better tires when the originals wear out, or before.

As previously mentioned this car doesn't require much maintenance, not much to do until 100,000 miles. You've already taken care of the tire rotations and repairs. I'm betting, that on mine anyway, the brakes will last the life of the car.

Edit: My suggestion: Don't buy the maintenance plan and put the money you save to one side and after a year or so buy something nice for yourself and your family.

[Walker1]

[quote]
It's a rip off peroid. Almost everything some car dealers want to sell you is a rip off. As much money as they make by selling these cars at MSRP they should be giving us free service. I take in my own oil and the dealer provides the filter and changes the oil and filter plus checking fluid levels for $19.95, and that's not the dealer I bought the car from. I can get my tires rotated and flats fixed free at a Northwest tire dealer, Les Schwab, even if I didn't buy them there. If I change my own oil I can buy the filter from the same dealer for $5.00 and I understand they are available on line for $4.50.

So I think at the price you were quoted for the service contract you would be wasting a lot of money. Besides that what if they do something you don't like and you decide to go somewhere else? Will they return your money? What if you move or sell the car? What kind of tires would this dealer provide you with? Most Prius owners upgrade to better tires when the originals wear out, or before.

As previously mentioned this car doesn't require much maintenance, not much to do until 100,000 miles. You've already taken care of the tire rotations and repairs. I'm betting, that on mine anyway, the brakes will last the life of the car.

Edit: My suggestion: Don't buy the maintenance plan and put the money you save to one side and after a year or so buy something nice for yourself and your family.

I suppose so. I'm just real bent that I traded in a super clean car that was in KBB with a trade in value of $8700.00. I figured the dealer would at least go for that, but as usual they low balled me with an $8200 $$ offer. I asked them to split the difference and they only went up to $8400. I could have sold that car outright for about $11,000, but then I would have had to deal with CHEAP people that can't get financed due to being irresponsible. I would have been happy to get the $8700. This dealer doesn't sell the Prius's above full list. They actually had about 10 2006's on the lot that day. I picked the black with pkg. 1 because I didn't want all the airbags, bigger stereo, etc. for all that xtra money. I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 with all the goodies. I also have a 2005 Harley Sportster 1200 Custom.

I am concerned with the poor gas milege @ 166 miles. The computer totally disagreed with reality. Do you ever get just 37MPG straight city? Is your computer different than dividing miles driven by gallons put in? I just don't understand a paltry reading like 37MPG. I could get that with a 4 banger Civic. Any thoughts??

[mdmikemd]

Originally posted by fshagan@Jan 14 2006, 11:51 PM
Dr. Mike - is that a Silver Pine Mica Prius in your avatar? 

I actually have a date now for mine ... 1/25.  Waiting with baited breath ...

[snapback]190230[/snapback]

No, I it's a Matthew & Lina The car behind it is Millenium Silver. Picture was taken with a low res PDA