The Best Free Car Maintenance Programs in 2025

When you're out shopping for new cars, you'll likely find yourself weighing a ton of different options. Free car maintenance programs are a popular incentive that car manufacturers use to try to sway your decision. Automakers use these programs to promise prospective drivers a stress-free purchase, easy upkeep, and sometimes even valet pick-up and drop-off. However, these free car maintenance programs might not be worth it for many buyers.

Regardless of whether you buy a vehicle that includes one of these programs, you'll need to ensure you're equipped with the right car insurance before driving it off the lot. An independent insurance agent can help get you covered right away. But first, consider these tips on weighing free maintenance programs against price and other incentives.

What Are Free Car Maintenance Programs?

For most car brands, a free car maintenance program extends only to the first few oil changes and probably won't factor highly into your decision of which vehicle to purchase. The truly valuable car maintenance programs apply mostly to luxury brands. This is because they provide high-end automakers a way to offer value to the buyer without undercutting the price. 

Luxury carmakers have a reputation for being better than the rebate offers and discount promotions that high-volume carmakers use. Therefore, they have to get a bit more creative to edge out the competition. 

Big car maintenance programs, like BMW's offer for 36,000 miles or three years (whichever comes first) of comprehensive coverage, may just be enough to entice a prospective luxury car buyer away from Jaguar's less extensive program, for example.

Examples of Free Maintenance Programs from Popular Car Brands

Many popular car brands offer these free maintenance programs to entice buyers. Here are just a few examples from some of the biggest names in the industry.

• BMW: Offers free maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
• Buick: Offers a free first oil change and a free multi-point inspection, and tire rotation.
• Cadillac: Offers a free oil change and a free inspection, and tire rotation.
• Chevrolet: Offers a free maintenance visit, including an oil change, tire rotation, and multi-point inspection within the first year.
• GMC: Offers a free first oil change along with a complimentary tire rotation and inspection.
• Honda: Offers free maintenance for two years or 24,000 miles.
• Hyundai: Offers free regularly scheduled maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles.
• Jaguar: Offers free maintenance for the first five years or 60,000 miles, making it the most generous brand on our list.
• Lexus: Offers two free maintenance services, scheduled at the first six months or 5,000 miles and 2 months or 10,000 miles.
• Nissan: Offers up to three free oil changes within two years or 24,000 miles through its Maintenance Care program.
• Toyota: Offers free maintenance for two years or 25,000 miles through its ToyotaCare program.
• Volkswagen: Offers free maintenance for the first two years or 20,000 miles.

As you can see, Jaguar offers the most extensive free maintenance program, which could convince many prospective buyers to check out the vehicles offered by the brand.

Are Free Car Maintenance Programs Worth It?

Ask yourself this question at every dealership. Just seeing an advertisement for free car maintenance could mean anything from a single oil change to a bumper-to-bumper quality care program. Knowing the estimated dollar amount of the services offered can help you decide which car is the better deal. 

Let's say you're comparing an Audi with a BMW of similar size and features. Maybe the Audi sells for $1,000 less than the BMW. However, the BMW offers $2,700 in potential maintenance services. 

Now, consider that you may or may not end up using all the services offered in the maintenance program. If you do use them, the BMW would be the better deal. But if you tend to use your own mechanic and your own tire service expert, you might prefer the Audi. You'll have to do some digging to find out exactly what the program covers and how long the coverage lasts. 

Also, beware of the list of exclusions. Many of the incidents and items you might expect to fall under comprehensive maintenance coverage could be red-listed. Further, even if the maintenance program seems enticing, take a look at other automakers because they may offer cash incentives. 

New cars often need very little in the way of repairs, so the biggest value of most of these programs is simple upkeep. Add up the costs of taking care of this expense yourself, and see how it stacks up against the lower prices and rebate offers of other brands.

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Free Car Maintenance Programs Usually Aren't Free

Almost any dealer you speak with will offer you some kind of maintenance program, but that doesn't mean it comes without a cost. You may end up paying for it in your monthly payments without even noticing. 

Always read the fine print because "free" doesn't always really mean free. The sticker price or lease agreement of the vehicle might include the cost of the "free maintenance" that's advertised, or the limitations might make the plan not worth very much.

The Best Free Car Maintenance Programs Are a Bonus Factor

In many cases, the free car maintenance program won't be a major deciding factor in your decision. It could factor heavily if you're deciding between two luxury cars of roughly the same price, one of which offers a great maintenance bundle. 

But most likely, you'll make your choice based on other criteria, like purchase price, fuel economy, resale value, and reliability. However, if it comes down to two great options with similar prices, consider the maintenance program. 

Don't Forget the Car Insurance

Don't forget to consider other monthly expenses in your decision, such as the price of car insurance for each vehicle on your list. Independent insurance agents can help you find the best deal for auto coverage since they can shop around and compare several insurers instead of being tied to just one company. 

They'll get you matched to the policy that offers the right blend of coverage and cost. And down the road, they can help file car insurance claims for you or update your coverage as necessary.