Latest New Car Buyer Lure: Free Maintenance

Washington DC June 22, 2010; The AIADA newsletter reports that USA Today reported that after years of touting cars with tire-screeching performance, miserly gas mileage, or big rebates, automakers are increasingly trying to lure customers with less dramatic free oil changes and wiper blades.

In recent years, scheduled maintenance programs have been initiated by both mainstream and luxury brands, including Jaguar, Volkswagen, Volvo, BMW, Land Rover and Mini.

"It's good for customers," says BMW spokesman Tom Kowaleski. "It lets you know over the term of ownership, you don't pay for anything except wheels or tires." That's because free four-year or 50,000-mile replacement of wear-and-tear items picks up where the car's warranty leaves off.

BMW points to figures showing the value of scheduled maintenance can be more than $1,000. And it's effective: Kowaleski says about 97 percent of buyers of new BMWs take advantage of the freebies, building a relationship between customers and dealers.

That's important for dealers, because new-car profit margins are relatively thin. Keeping service bays full has helped many dealers survive the recession. And dealers can pitch extra services to customers in addition to services paid for by the automaker.

Click here for a rundown on which automakers are using free auto maintenance plans to lure customers.