Maintenance

Automakers do sometimes build trucks that should simply have "headache" written on the side. But happily, most modern vehicles, no matter the make or model, are darned impressive machines - especially if they're given periodic care.

Though new vehicles are mighty expensive to buy these days, the good news is that they're capable of lasting longer than ever. With frequent oil changes - perhaps

the most important maintenance task of all - most modern engines are capable of going 150,000 miles or more without major repairs. Tires are sometimes warranted for 80,000 miles and exhaust systems for the life of the truck. Even minor repairs - tune-ups - are required much less often on modern vehicles. Several automakers build engines that shouldn't need a tune-up for 100,000 miles!

Regular maintenance includes all services required to maintain the vehicle's warranty, services suggested by the manufacturer to ensure trouble-free operation, and other regular services, such as tune-ups and replacing brake pads, exhaust systems, tires, fluids, and filters.

Some Thoughts on Extended Service Intervals

In the old days - the really old days - automobiles required routine service every few hundred miles. During the 1960s and 1970s, 3,000-mile oil and lubrication service intervals were the norm. Today, automakers have stretched recommended oil changes to 7,500 miles or more, while chassis components are sealed so they never need lubrication. There's no question that technology has eliminated or reduced the need for several routine service chores. Electronic ignitions, for instance, have greatly prolonged the life of spark plugs. But when it comes to oil, many mechanics question the whole business of extended service intervals. They still prefer to see the oil changed every 3,000 miles or so; after all, oil is an engine's life blood.

Automaker recommendations can be tricky. In the fine print of the owner's manual, some automakers specify extended intervals for vehicles used in "normal driving," which they define as high-speed, highway driving. They classify puttering around town as "severe driving," to which the extended changes don't apply.

Extended service intervals have one drawback: If your mechanic sees your truck less often, he has fewer opportunities to spot potential problems, which makes it all the more important for you to inspect your vehicle frequently.

Maintenance Warranties

Several manufactures offer maintenance warranties on either some or all of their 2002 models, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Saab and Volkswagen. Maintenance warranties cover the services required to maintain a new vehicle's overall warranty - typically tune-ups, oil changes, and minor adjustments - and are offered for between one year and four years.

The actual dollar value of a maintenance warranty ranges from nothing (if you don't take advantage of it) to several hundred or a thousand dollars for three years of maintenance. Most of the really costly maintenance services occur after three years, e.g., tire replacement, exhaust system work, etc. That's one of the reasons you'll rarely see maintenance warranties extend much beyond three years.

Keep On Shining

Many a love affair with a vehicle is based on appearances. Today, thanks to automobile "detailers," the affair doesn't necessarily have to dim with age. With a combination of skill, elbow grease, and the right products, a professional detailer can keep a vehicle looking like new almost indefinitely. Of course, if you have the time and the inclination, you can detail your truck yourself. But whether you hire a professional or do the job yourself, detailing your truck once or twice a year should be part of your routine maintenance program. It isn't an extravagance - it's protection for your considerable investment. An old truck that looks new will have the highest resale value.

Repairs

One of the blessings of a new truck is a warranty. If something goes kerplunk in the night, at least you won't have to pay to fix it.

As your vehicle gets older you won't have the assurance of a warranty. However, follow the maintenance advice in the preceding section, and you will keep repair costs - even on an old truck - to a minimum. Preventive maintenance will prevent costly breakdowns.

Warranties

Every automaker offers a warranty on its new vehicles. So what then is the important difference between automakers' basic warranties? Time. For decades, the traditional warranty was 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever came first. Today, that warranty has gone the way of 8-track stereos and carburetors.

Among the major automakers from Europe, Japan, Korea, and the U.S., basic bumper-to-bumper warranties now range from three years and 36,000 miles to as long as five years and 60,000 miles. Kia and Hyundai, makers of low and mid-priced cars, offer a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, though the latter is not transferable to a subsequent owner. The Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler has a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 7-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty, though the latter has a $100 deductible. And Suzuki has a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty with a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty with no deductible and is fully transferable to future owners. But the longest warranties are usually from those that build luxury vehicles - Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and Volvo, as examples. Given the high cost of repairs on modern, electronically complex vehicles, and given the fact that more things are likely to go wrong the older a vehicle becomes, often beginning in year three, the extra miles and years of coverage can be a true money saver. If you plan to keep your vehicle longer than three years or 36,000 miles - the vast majority of buyers do - compare warranties as you shop.

It's just as important to consider the basic warranty if you lease your new vehicle. If the term of your lease is longer than the vehicle's basic warranty, you may end up paying out of pocket for say, a new transmission, in what is essentially a rental vehicle. The basic warranty is nearly always transferable to a subsequent owner. So if you want to sell your vehicle after two years and 24,000 miles and there's still a year and 12,000 miles left on the basic warranty, this could be a positive resale feature.

Roadside Help

Automakers and dealers alike have recognized the importance of customer service in the long-term success of their products. And part of their efforts are roadside assistance programs that come with their new vehicles, often at no extra charge. Virtually every automaker offers free towing service in the event of a breakdown while the vehicle is still covered by the bumper-to-bumper warranty. And though some offer little more than the free towing, others are far more comprehensive. Mercedes-Benz will pay for flat-tire repair, lockout service and minor repairs no matter how old the vehicle may be or how many miles it has under its chassis.

Service Bulletins

Manufacturers sometimes issue "service bulletins" for certain problems. A service bulletin can be an authorization to dealers to fix a particular problem on a truck for free - even if it is no longer covered by the warranty. Manufacturers do this when a large number of vehicles experience the same problem. Service bulletins are generally not publicized, and are often overlooked. Before you pay for any repairs, you should first check with your dealer's service manager to see if the repair costs are covered by a service bulletin.

Service Contracts (Mechanical Breakdown Insurance)

As a new-truck buyer, you'll be confronted with yet another warranty of sorts - an extended service contract. Typically, the dealer will offer the contract to you at the time you buy the truck.

No doubt about it, extended service contracts are big business. Nearly half of all new-truck buyers purchase these contracts each year. The typical extended service contract backed by an automaker can have a markup of 100% by the automaker to the dealer, plus a 200 to 300% markup by dealer to the buyer.

Extended service contracts can be a rip-off, or they can be a prudent form of budget control by eliminating unexpected repair bills. Whether one is right for you depends upon a) how many miles a year you drive your truck; b) how long you plan to keep your truck; and c) the length of the new-vehicle basic warranty. If for example, you buy a new truck with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and you plan to keep it for 5 or 6 years and drive it 90,000 or 100,000 miles, then an extended service contract may be right for you. But if you plan to keep the truck for 4 years and 48,000 miles, you may be better off to self-insure. Put the money that you would otherwise pay for the contract in the bank; it's there if you need it for a repair during your last year of ownership, and if you don't, the money is still yours when you trade in the truck.

If an extended service contract seems right for you, follow these guidelines when you shop:

• Consider the source. Not all extended service contracts are backed by the automaker. Dealers may offer contracts backed by independent companies, often at a lower price. But automakers are less likely to disappear.

• Consider what's covered. Some contracts may only cover the powertrain - the engine, transmission and differential. But in modern cars, these items are much less likely to fail than all the electronic doodads and amenities in most new cars. Virtually no contract will cover normal "wear" items like brake pads. Expect there to be some sort of deductible for each repair as well.

• Consider who's to perform the repairs. A contract backed by a dealer will probably require the repairs to be made at that dealership. A contract backed by an automaker will usually allow you take the car to any of its authorized dealers.

• Consider how the bill is to be paid. Some contracts require you to pay the bill, and you will be reimbursed later. Others provide for direct payment to the repair shop.

• Consider the price. Extended service contracts, like most everything else in buying a new car, are negotiable. There's usually plenty of room to bargain. Try offering half the price quoted by the dealer.

There's a less well-known alternative to dealer-marketed extended service contracts called "mechanical breakdown insurance" or MBI. This insurance is underwritten by insurance companies and is only available through licensed insurance agents. Unlike extended service contracts, MBI policies typically must be approved by a state's department of insurance. MBI policies are often comprehensive in their coverage. Prices are comparable to, or even less than dealer-offered service contracts. Their prices however, are not negotiable. The policies are sold through insurance agencies. Many credit unions have licensed insurance agents on their staffs who can sell MBI policies.

Numbing the Pain of Repairs

For many truck owners, a visit to a repair shop is accompanied by all the joy and excitement of heading for the dentist's chair. There are ways to make the visit less painful, however.

If your truck is under warranty, you're pretty much married to an authorized dealer for repairs. But if you receive lousy service from say, the Nissan dealer who sold you your Pickup, there's no reason why you can't drive across town to another authorized Nissan dealer for service. All dealers must honor a manufacturer's warranty whether or not they originally sold the truck.

Once your truck is out of warranty, you have a couple of other choices. You can take your truck to an independent mechanic, or to a specialist who works on only specific components: radiators, brakes, mufflers, and so on. Independent mechanics and specialists often charge less than a dealer. But make sure they have a working knowledge of your kind of truck, can obtain the correct parts, and have the diagnostic equipment necessary to repair complex electronic gadgets found in so many trucks today.

How do you find a competent, trustworthy mechanic? There's a certain amount of trial and error involved. But recommendations from friends or owners of trucks like yours are usually your best bet. Plus, mechanics usually know the scoop on other mechanics in town; if you buy a Chevy and know a good Toyota mechanic, ask him or her to recommend someone who works on Chevys.

Whether you take your truck to a dealer, independent, or specialist, be polite. It's a great American pastime to bad-mouth auto mechanics - and unfortunately, some deserve it. But in the long run, a truck is only as good as the mechanic who takes care of it. Here are some pointers to help the two of you have a long and happy relationship:

• A good mechanic may have grease on his overalls, but don't treat him as if he's not intelligent. You can't be a dummy and properly repair complex, modern vehicles.

• Follow a trusted mechanic's repair recommendations. A good mechanic will spot potential problems before they occur.

• Look for ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification. ASE certified mechanics have passed rigorous industry tests and continually update their technical know how.

• If you're not sure whether to trust a mechanic, ask to watch while he works on your truck. If that's not possible, you should at least expect him to explain the problem in simple language and to show you the defective part while it's still on the truck. If he's a good mechanic, he'll appreciate your interest.

• It's proper business practice for you to receive a written estimate before any work is performed. In some states it's the law. And if you authorize a repair and the mechanic later finds more is involved, he should get your permission to raise the estimate before he does the work.

• If you don't trust your mechanic and if a quote seems too high, be sure you understand what's involved with the repair. Then before you agree to the repair, telephone one or two other mechanics for quotes so you can compare.

• When talking to your mechanic, be as specific as possible. "There's a high-pitched squeal that seems to come from the right rear wheel between 50 and 60 m.p.h.," is a lot more helpful than, "The wheel makes funny noises."

• If you're unhappy about warranty work, don't hesitate to complain to the manufacturer's regional service representative. The truck's owner's manual will usually give an address. If you're unhappy about work you paid for, contact your state's bureau of automotive repair. As a last resort, small claims courts are generally sympathetic to truck owners who can present a well-documented case of an auto repair rip-off.