Subaru capped-price servicing arrives

Subaru is the last of Australia's top-10-selling vehicle brands to join the capped-price servicing set, today announcing it will limit service costs to simplify the Subaru ownership experience.

The new car maintenance regime applies retrospectively to all Subarus dating back to the model year 2006 (meaning some cars bought in 2005).

Subaru's capped-priced service is also one of the most extensive schemes offered in Australia, and will last the entire lifetime of the vehicle, potentially increasing the value of used Subarus, as 2006 models onward will retain the fixed-price servicing scheme.

The decision to adopt capped-price servicing was mooted in March
and Subaru will outline the costs per service for its various
vehicles on its website on July 1, 2014, when the scheme begins.

Subaru has not put time stamps on its service intervals like some car makers, relying solely on kilometres travelled.

Owners will pay no more than $299.96 for the first service at 12,500km for the popular Subaru XV small wagon, while the largest outlay for the XV model is the fourth scheduled service that occurs at 50,000km.

Subaru Australia's managing director, Nick Senior, says the new system will give customers "peace-of-mind throughout their ownership" by giving customers a clear idea of the maximum amount they'll pay for each service.

"Customers have the peace-of-mind of knowing that if they bring their vehicle to a participating authorised Subaru Service Centre, they will not be charged more than the current published Capped Price for the specific service interval," he said.

However Senior noted that "Capped Prices are subject to change". This suggests that after an initial testing period, particularly with older models, prices may be altered.

Most capped-price service regimes apply for a limited time, between three and five years, giving Subaru a point of difference in terms of ongoing vehicle costs.

"Subaru has long been renowned for reliability, durability and retained value and our Capped Price Servicing program is clear proof that we have every faith in the long-term integrity of our products," said Senior.

He says it means customers can make "better, informed choices on how they service their Subarus".

The capped prices cover parts, oils, fluids and labour, along with "environmental levy and supplies" such as oil and waste recycling.

"Many other car companies exclude some of these items from their Capped Price for the standard scheduled service. So when considering these programs, be sure that you are comparing apples with apples," said Senior.