Is there a grace period for doing scheduled maintenance on your car?

Question

I have a 2006 Subaru Forrester and the first scheduled maintenance needs to be done. Is there any grace period for having this maintenance performed -- like within one week or 100 miles or something like that?

Answer 1

Ask from the firm or dealer you have bought from or open the WEB SITE of the Subaru Car Company you will get the answer.

Answer 2

Scheduled maintenance is a much overdone activity and it goes against the philosophy: If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

I had a Dodge Power wagon that I did regular maintenance on. It was a stick. After 85 thousand, it began to use oil. I did not think it should have.

I have been driving a .98 Toyota Tacoma for the past 8 years and I have changed the oil and filter no more than 6 or seven times. I have never drained the Radiator, and I havn't touched the read brakes.

I have replaced the pads 3 times in front. and changed the Transmission oil one time.

To date, I have had to replace the starter, because the solenoid started sticking and running the starter after the Engine started.

I have replaced the Timing Belt, because if it should break the Engine would be ruined. I have about 74 thousand on this one and the performance is outstanding. the most maneuverable and easiest driving vehicle I have ever owned. It is a six cylinder an really fast on acceleration.

You can go by the book, but all it will do is cost you money that you don't need to spend. If you are not driving on dirt roads, every 6 thousand is plenty soon enough for maintenance.

Of course I have always done my own Repair work. so I don't worry too much.

Answer 3

You do not have to take your car back to the dealer for the exact mileage, but close to it plus or minus. Secondly you do not have to take it back if you have a reputable shop that knows what they are doing and is certified to do the job as well. It might be cheaper than the dealer. Check the maintenance schedule and see what that says about oil and filter changes. If you don't drive too much, then change the oil every 3,000. Otherwise every 5 or 7,000 will be okay. Check also for anything that says the valves need to be adjusted and how often. If this is missed then you may encounter problems with the engine. If your engine has hydraulic lifters, this phase is not required.

Most Japanese manufacturers like to have the cars back after the first 3,000 for what they call an inspection of the car and adjustments besides the oil change are done then, though at times the charge is to the customer. Remember that if the maintenance is costing you more than $50. you might be paying too much. Check with other service centers.

Answer 4

There isn't a grace period when it comes to maintenance on your vehicle. Maintenance is a preventative measure used to keep you from having to have major repairs performed on vehicle. Now the car may not necessarily run funny or different if maintenance is not done on schedule, but the longer you wait you may be causing problems on a particular system or component for which needs the maintenance done. Maintenance assures longer life and use of vehicle. Pay a little now or a lot later.
PS Always go buy the Factory Schedule Maintenance book for your vehicle.

Answer 5

The scheduled maintenance is there for a reason. The mileage you put on the vehicle over the suggested mileage is not that critical, as long as you do the maintenance within a reasonable time frame. Say within the 100 mile over or under the scheduled miles. You cannot let this go for too long as it would conflict with your warranty. The thing to do is read your warranty and see what it says about it, paying close attention to any abuse clauses written therein. If something should go wrong with your vehicle and you are outside the limits of your written warranty, they may not be liable or honor it altogether. Good Luck!!

Answer 6

I am just a woman but, with every scheduled maintenance they give you the milage number of when it should be done,(should being the key word) I know that with people in general with there busy schedules won't always keep that close attention to the miles, I usually go between the scheduled number and give or take 300-500 miles over the scheduled amount. I have a 2006 Nissan Altima and my husband drives to Santa Ana every day which is 136 a day and very hard to be exact. Just do the best you can.

Answer 7

There isn't a formal grace period, but some manufacturers tend to publish two maintenance schedules - longer intervals for easier driving, and shorter intervals for harsh conditions. Read your owner's manual carefully to determine the right schedule.

Generally you can stretch things a bit here and there, but your manufacturer recommends these service intervals for a reason. Skipping services is generally not a good idea, particularly if you depend on your car. In short, review the manual and then get it done at the appropriate time. This is a major investment - protect it.

Answer 8

2006 Nissan Altima Maintenance Schedule

Answer 9

There is no real deadline for performing the 'required' maintenance on your vehicle. The only time that the dealership is going to pay attention to it is if something serious has gone wrong with your car and you had seriously neglected to perform a maintenance that led to the problem. Don't worry about a deadline but then again don't neglect it if it needs to be done.

Answer 10

You should have your oil changed every 3000 miles.

If you go over the mileage for your scheduled maintenance, your car will melt into a pool of putty. Of course not! Obviously you need to get your maintenance done but if it says 5000 miles and you go in at 5042 miles, nothing bad should happen.

Answer 11

Regarding the effect on the car, the car is not going to care about a little deviation. A few miles more or less won't really make a difference. Notice I said a few.
As far as the warranty goes, they can be very strict if they want to. Remember that they are trying to save as much money as possible. If you give them an excuse, and if they are inclined to do so, they will say the warranty is now void. But it won't hurt the vehicle.