Is all this dealer-provided maintenance on my Jeep Compass worth it?

D

Dave

New member
OK an in depth question deserves an in depth answer, so here goes.
Im a Master Automotive Technician with over 25 yrs experience and I've worked in both dealerships and independant reapir facilities through my career. I'm currently the shop foreman at a Dodge Chrysler Jeep dealership. And this is what I can tell you.
First, you do not need to have all of your maintenance done at the dealer to keep your warranty valid. read your warranty paperwork carefully. You DO need to have bi-annual inspections done by the dealership after a certain mileage to keep the warranty valid but you have the right to have most of the maintenance done at the shop of your choice as long as you keep good records.
Next, I strongly recomend against the "cheap oil change places". They generally do more harm than good. They buy the cheapest product (like $0.75 Korean oil filters) and hire kids for dirt cheap wages that arent qualified to service your vehicle. That's why they are so cheap and still in business. If you dont want to go to the dealer, find a reputable independant garage, which can be tricky itself for most people. Your best bet is find people you trust who are willing to recomend a shop they have been using for a period of time. If you do that you will learn a lesson, The dealership is'nt really more expensive than our qualified independant bretheren. We're all just more expensive than the cheap oil change places and fly by night shops, because quality costs more.
Next, I looked at the maintenance schedule for you vehicle and I think your $1000.00 per year estimate is a bit high. Even though you drive about twice the miles per year as the nat'l average I can't see more than about $500.00 per yr in normal maintenance. Maybe you've been misled by an unscrupulous salesman?? Go to your dealers Service Manager and ask him to explain exactly what you have to do and who you can have do it to protect your warranty. If he tells you it all has to be done at the dealer then find another dealer, he's BSing you. Unfortunantly not all dealers are alike, but there are many honest ones out there if you look.
At the end of the day I strongly recomend doing what it takes to keep that warranty intact. It could save you a ton. I know, I see it every day.
Just do your diligence so you can maintain the vehicle affordably without sacrificing quality.
Best of luck!
 
I have a 2007 Jeep Compass which came with a lifetime power train warranty (no cap) meaning that for as long as I own the vehicle the warranty is still good. That is a good thing. I think. But the thing is, it costs me over $1000 per year to get the dealer-provided maintenance that is required in order to keep the warranty in effect.

I put about 25k miles on it per year and intend to keep it at least 7 years or as long as it is still in good running condition and isn't a constant source of stress about what's going to break next (and where).

So -- this means that I will be spending at least $7k or $8k on dealer provided maintenance in order to keep the power train warranty in effect (and that's assuming that the price of that maintenance doesn't go up over time).

So my question is: is it worth it to keep paying for all this expensive (and possibly excessive) maintenance "from the dealer" (who is more expensive than others who could provide the same service) just to keep the lifetime power train warranty in effect? Or would it be better to get regular oil changes at the cheap oil change place, rotate the tires myself, do other things 'as needed' and put the rest of that money in the bank in case I need to pay for something that would have been covered under the warranty (and if not, I can use it as a down payment on my next car)?

I would really appreciate answers from people who know something about this, rather than off-the-cuff opinions from people who don't actually know anything about vehicle maintenance (I already get those from friends, co-workers, etc., thanks).
 
Are you sure you have to have the dealership provide the maintenance? You should be able to provide proof of maintenance to keep the warranty in effect, but you would have to check. I personally think 1k is a ridiculous amount to spend just on maintenance, but seeing the amount you drive it sounds like you need a dependable vehicle. I don't care for the Compass so I'd take my maintenance elsewhere and save my money.
 
Back
Top