Mazda Total Advantage Plan

I'm looking through the Mazda website and it says you can prepay factory recommended scheduled maintenance for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years. Do you guys recommend purchasing a plan? There aren't any prices listed so what did your dealers charge you for it?
 
We skipped on that. If you look at the maintenance plan, all they really do is change the oil and rotate the tires. Everything else they just check.
I like to do my own maintenance for two reasons- 1- It takes WAY less time, and 2- I know its done right. I've heard many stories where the idiot "tech" didn't put a drain plug in, or said he did work that in fact was not done at all.
 
This will be my first time purchasing a new vehicle. Are there step-by-step maintenance instructions provided in the manual? Some of the stuff they do is lubricate some parts and check belts and stuff. Is this stuff easy to do? I don't have any experience with car maintenance at all but if there are clear detailed instructions in the manual, I think I can do them myself.
 
I would pass on this plan. Finance managers like to push it to increase their incentive compensation.
 
This will be my first time purchasing a new vehicle. Are there step-by-step maintenance instructions provided in the manual? Some of the stuff they do is lubricate some parts and check belts and stuff. Is this stuff easy to do? I don't have any experience with car maintenance at all but if there are clear detailed instructions in the manual, I think I can do them myself.

Yes, there is a scheduled maintenance list that's provided. It tells you when things should be checked and when fluids should be changed, ect. Just follow that, and you'll be fine.
 
Changing oil is so easy. It's a very good way to get to know your car- over time you'll learn to spot problems early... like a torn rubber boot slinging grease everywhere. Or a frayed belt on the verge of snapping.

On these vehicles, it's easy to get under the car for oil changes. Air filters are simple to replace. Spark plugs as well. The auto tranny sealed and doesn't require maintenance. Rotating tires is simple too as long as you have a decent torque wrench and a way to get one side up at a time. Flushing the radiator is not hard, nor changing the in-cabin AC filter.

You'll need a way to dispose of used fluids... my local walmart and autozone dispose of oil and fluids free of charge.

Go for it! You'll save a ton of money. And the satisfaction of doing something yourself feels so good. Your significant other will think you're the smartest guy on the planet.
 
I too am a DIY kinda guy but for a new car, what impact would doing your own maintenance have on the warranty? saw 50,000 mile into ownership and you discover a busted valve spring. Without any records of maintenance (other than receipts for fluids/parts purchased.) could you be denied any warranty repairs by Mazda?
 
I too am a DIY kinda guy but for a new car, what impact would doing your own maintenance have on the warranty? saw 50,000 mile into ownership and you discover a busted valve spring. Without any records of maintenance (other than receipts for fluids/parts purchased.) could you be denied any warranty repairs by Mazda?


Dated originals of receipts for fluids/parts/filters are sufficient documentation, especially when using "busted value spring" as an example of warranty claim.
 
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