0:00
/
0:00
The Dirty Truth About Dealer Maintenance Plans
The Dirty Truth About Dealer Maintenance Plans
0:00
0:00
0:00
0:00
About this episode
Exploring the often misunderstood world of dealer maintenance plans, this episode dives into the hidden truths and potential pitfalls that car owners may face. Niall Motormill Jenkins shares insights from his extensive experience in the automotive industry, emphasizing the importance of viewing your vehicle as part of a fleet to save money on maintenance. With a mix of humor and practical advice, listeners will learn how to navigate dealer services effectively while keeping their cars in top shape.
Topics:
aftermarket warranty
extended aftermarket factory warranties
extended vehicle maintenance
extended warranty
factory warranty
fleet service
oil change
prepaid service plans
Volkswagen
Motormouth breaks down the dirty truth about dealer maintenance plans-what they cover, what they don't and who really benefit. Are prepaid service plans worth it, or just another way to lock you into the dealership ecosystem?
From real-world ownership costs to hidden exclusions, we dig into why many drivers think they're saving money when they're not - and when dealer plans actually make sense.
Share your experiences in the comments. Did the dealer plan save you money or costs you more?
Like, subscribe, and join the Motormouth crew for real-world car ownership advice.
More Episodes and ...links are available at Car Connection Business Network.com (ccbusnet.com) you'll find everything on our homepage if you'd like to follow the build/repair work we do connect with our program partners click their logo to connect with them, Thank You.
Grab some Car Connection Motormouth Merch, in our online store & join the crew in helping those struggling with addiction get to a Total freedom Addiction Campus Canada & USA where a New life awaits them. Tnx a Bunch, Nile Motormouth Jenkins. Happy Healthy Motoring Friends, Tnx for Watching & Listening helps our platforms to grow keeping the ignition powered on gas and oil in the tank too. NMJ Peace Patience Kindness Always.
Filter:
|
Technical
Too Afraid to Ask
Car
Jeep Wrangler
"...Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler..."
The Jeep Wrangler is a tough, off-road vehicle that's popular for outdoor adventures. It's built to handle rough terrain and is loved by many for its ability to go anywhere.
The Jeep Wrangler is a compact and mid-size four-wheel drive off-road vehicle known for its rugged design and off-road capabilities. It has a strong following among off-road enthusiasts and is often used for both daily driving and adventure activities.
Car
Nissan Rogue
"getting a second chance at life, or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order, or a mystery l..."
The Nissan Rogue is a type of car called a crossover SUV, which means it's a mix between a car and an SUV. It's known for being roomy inside and good on gas, making it a popular choice for families and everyday drivers.
The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV that has gained popularity for its spacious interior, fuel efficiency, and advanced safety features. It has undergone several redesigns, with the latest models offering improved technology and performance, making it a strong contender in the competitive SUV market.
Concept
fleet service
"...I look at my vehicles as tools, not toys, and fleet service. Every single piece of equipment needs to be serviced..."
Fleet service is when a company takes care of all its vehicles to keep them running well. This helps prevent problems and saves money on repairs.
Fleet service refers to the maintenance and management of a group of vehicles owned by a business or organization. This approach helps ensure that all vehicles are kept in good working condition, reducing downtime and repair costs.
Brand
Volkswagen
"But we made it through that. And I went to work for Volkswagen."
Volkswagen is a well-known car company from Germany that makes many popular cars. They are famous for models like the Beetle and the Golf.
Volkswagen is a German automotive manufacturer known for producing a wide range of vehicles, including the iconic Beetle and the Golf. The company is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world, with a reputation for engineering and quality.
Term
oil change
"Well, I have to prove to them that I did my oil change. He says, so I send them the receipts."
An oil change is when you replace the old oil in your car's engine with new oil. This helps keep the engine running well and is often required to keep your warranty valid.
An oil change is a routine maintenance procedure that involves replacing the old engine oil with new oil to ensure the engine runs smoothly and efficiently. It's important for maintaining the vehicle's warranty and overall health.
Term
prepaid service plans
"...you go, okay, yeah, so that's, and he's talking about the prepaid service plans."
A prepaid service plan is like a subscription for car maintenance. You pay in advance for services like oil changes and check-ups, which can help you save money and keep your car in good shape.
Prepaid service plans are agreements where car owners pay upfront for a set of maintenance services over a specified period. This can help manage costs and ensure regular maintenance, but it's important to understand what services are included.
Term
extended aftermarket factory warranties
"...when it comes to extended aftermarket factory warranties..."
An extended warranty is like extra insurance for your car that covers repairs after the original warranty runs out. It can save you money if something breaks, but you need to know what it covers before you buy it.
Extended aftermarket factory warranties are service contracts that provide coverage for repairs and maintenance beyond the original warranty period of a vehicle. These warranties can help protect against unexpected repair costs, but it's important to understand what is included and any limitations.
Term
extended warranty
"So, you wanna know aftermarket warranties or any kind of warranty, any kind of prepaid service plan, look for the list of the excluded things."
An extended warranty is like insurance for your car that helps pay for repairs after the regular warranty runs out. It can save you money if something goes wrong later on.
An extended warranty is a service contract that provides additional coverage for repairs and services beyond the standard warranty period of a vehicle. It can cover various components and systems, offering peace of mind to car owners against unexpected repair costs.
Term
aftermarket warranty
"We haven't done a program on extended warranty, aftermarket warranties or factory warranties, but I will unpack that for you."
An aftermarket warranty is a type of insurance you can buy for your car that covers repairs after the original warranty ends. It's offered by companies other than the car manufacturer.
An aftermarket warranty is a service contract offered by third-party companies, providing coverage for repairs and services after the manufacturer's warranty expires. These warranties can vary widely in terms of coverage and cost.
Term
factory warranty
"We haven't done a program on extended warranty, aftermarket warranties or factory warranties, but I will unpack that for you."
A factory warranty is a promise from the car maker that they will fix certain problems for free for a certain time or distance after you buy the car. It's included when you buy a new car.
A factory warranty is a guarantee provided by the vehicle manufacturer that covers repairs and defects for a specified period or mileage. This warranty is included with the purchase of a new vehicle and typically covers major components.
Term
extended vehicle maintenance
"Extended vehicle maintenance is a very, very destructive idea. And the plan is that for you not to service it, for to stretch out your service intervals..."
Extended vehicle maintenance means waiting longer than usual to get your car serviced. This can cause problems because some parts might wear out or break if they're not checked regularly.
Extended vehicle maintenance refers to the practice of prolonging the intervals between scheduled service appointments for a vehicle. This can lead to neglecting necessary maintenance tasks, which may ultimately result in costly repairs or decreased vehicle reliability.
Select text to request an explanation
Good morning folks, you're tuned to Car Connection
where the coffee's strong, the stories are real
and the wrenches never stop turning.
And I'm your host, Niall Motormill Jenkins,
coming to you from the Car Connection Workshop
where the smell of fresh oil, a little elbow grease
is all part of our balanced breakfast.
Around here we don't just talk cars, we live them.
Whether it's a 25 year old Jeep Wrangler
getting a second chance at life,
or a Nissan Rogue getting its brakes back in order,
or a mystery leak that's got everyone
scratching their heads.
This is where we roll up our sleeves and get it done
with a little wit, a little wisdom, and a whole lot of fun.
The Car Connection isn't just about nuts, bolts,
and diagnostics, it's about connection.
Connection to our vehicles, to the people who drive them,
to the community that keeps Niagara rolling
because when you fix a car, you're not just turning a wrench,
you're restoring someone's confidence, freedom,
and maybe even their sanity.
We're here Monday through Saturday for you
every single week for the MotorMouth 8 a.m. morning drive
helping you keep your ride safe, reliable,
and ready for whatever road lies ahead.
Roads, where we're going, there are no roads.
So whether you're a weekend wrencher, a daily commuter,
or someone who just wants to understand
what that strange rattle really means.
So stop on by anytime, stick around for shop talk,
expert advice, view good laughs, and maybe,
if you're lucky, I'll have a flashback.
There'll be a story or two pops up here and there.
Well, first and foremost, we should have our morning swiggy.
Very important, so if you're scooting
through the drive-thru right now, yep.
Did you have a good family day weekend?
Get some stuff done, making her happener.
Get out there and you'll try out your new crazy carpet
and put the, what is it that Clark put on there,
some kind of cooking grease or something
on the bottom of that flying saucer?
I'll tell you, we nearly killed ourselves
on flying saucers when we were kids.
Yeah, nothing like being pulled behind a snowmobile
at 100 gajillion miles an hour going through snowdrifts
along the side of a fence that you could get tangled up
and come out the other side looking like human Julian fries.
We never thought about that stuff.
It was a lot of fun.
Anyway, so I hope you had a fantabulous weekend.
Let's enjoy a swiggy together if you're joining us
for the very, very, very first time.
Welcome aboard, we're saving a seat for you.
We always have our morning swiggy together,
so whatever your morning beverage is, it's okay with us.
Somewhat, kinda.
Ours is high octane, 99.5% octane boost.
So we count it down, three, two, one,
then we have a swiggy together.
So we'd like to thank Niagara Block
at 5,000 Monterels Road, Niagara Falls
for making our morning, car connection morning swiggy
possible building Canada since 1931
with building supplies, hardscape, landscaping materials,
and you best be getting on the radar on their calendar
to help them get you a spot, save you a spot
to get your backyard makeover taken care of.
So you have that oasis, that special space
where you wanna hang out and just be.
I have that space and I'll tell you, I love that spot.
Yep, I absolutely look forward to spring
and just heading outside on my space,
cup of Joe and just listen to the birds and just kinda be.
Yeah, and they can help you with that, help select
all the products you're gonna need to make that space
special just for you, line you up with a contractor
that can estimate it, start the job, finish the job
and you can go, wow, thanks man.
That's what we're talking about, that's Niagara Block.
Check them out on our website, we'll get there in a minute.
So are you ready, I bought you some time,
you got your cup of Joe, double check it.
It is a take out window and it is Tuesday, Monday today,
if you know what I'm saying, or Monday, Tuesday.
So we're a little bit behind so today we need to be
extra sharp, so check your order,
because remember, the rules to the drive through
do not include reverse.
So lock that down in your cup holder,
keep an eye on the other guy, one eye on the road,
if you've got a co-pilot this morning,
16 pack of crayola crayons over there to the right
and a folded up leaf bag is our special laptop
for taking notes.
So welcome aboard, three, two, one, yeah baby.
It's a little on the chillax side,
what's going on with that?
I think I left it sitting too long,
while I was lighting the fireplace
in the main part of the campus here.
It's acceptable behavior, we'll take it, we'll take it.
Our topic this morning, little bit of a heavy one,
so I thought I'd better spring it on you now.
And now we got Fun Friday coming up this week,
we're gonna, I thought, you know,
on the lighter side of things towards the end of the week,
heading into the weekend, kind of a good thing,
you know, kind of prep, prime the prompt a little,
prime the prompt, pump the primer,
you know what I'm trying to say,
prime the prompt, heading into the weekend.
So we're gonna have Fun Friday,
we're gonna spend some time mocking out mini vans.
In a nice way, yeah, in a very nice way.
We're gonna have some fun with that on Friday.
So if you're a mini van owner,
the biggest question is, I'll throw it out now,
is can you really look cool in a mini van?
Is that possible?
I like, that one's been spinning around in my head for a while.
Never really thought about it much.
And then I was thinking,
if the only vehicle that we could all buy
would be a mini van,
how would you like go for like a Sunday afternoon cruise
and look cool in the mini van?
I don't know.
Let's see if we can rattle out some answers
on Fun Friday this week.
Okay, this morning, the dirty truth
about dealer maintenance plans.
I could get some hate mail on this one.
But I don't care.
I really don't.
I only have one feeling left and I can't even identify it.
So we're not, you know, sciences check me over and going,
it's an IDK motor mouth.
I don't know, can't define it.
That one emotion or whatever that is that you have left,
that one feeling.
So that's what we're gonna be talking about.
I'm gonna unpack a couple of tips.
I'm not gonna go behind the curtain
because I could and that would really get me,
I'm somebody's gonna have to make me a hacksaw pie
and weave a rope or something to get me out.
So we don't wanna do that because there's coffee to drink
and cars to fix.
We got stuff to do.
As we say on the shop floor, there's poop to do.
Are you loitering?
Were you thinking about going out front of the shop
and busking for a while?
Well, that's not a bad idea.
See if you can get enough money for coffee time.
All right, let's jump in this morning.
Yeah, I tell you what the phone numbers are,
but we don't have any, it's a podcast.
So remember, everything we talk about
in the car connection workshop lives on our website.
So whether we're on YouTube,
we shot three new videos yesterday
and our fleet maintenance video will be coming up
a week Friday.
It's already slotted.
It's scheduled to light up on Friday.
I think that's the two seven of February, I believe.
Anyway, it's not this Friday, but next Friday.
So you're gonna wanna jump in on that
and take a look at how important it is
to change your mindset on vehicle preventative maintenance
and grab hold of the concept of fleet service.
Because that's gonna save you a lot of dough.
A lot of dough going back in your wallet.
So that video, that's a special video
I put together for you, Skippy giving me a hand.
Yeah, she's not good with cue cards.
Yeah, like you gotta put the side towards me
that I'm supposed to read, but we got there.
We got there in a second take.
We pulled it off.
We've never done that type of video before,
but I wanted to make sure that all the points
that I wanted to cover with regards
to treating your everyday driver as a fleet,
part of your fleet.
So if you got a couple of kids at home with cars
plus hubby's car and your own,
man, you got a mini fleet that you gotta take care of it.
That's where I spent a lot of my time
as a mechanic growing up in the mechanic world
from my first, second, third year,
did a lot of work on fleet vehicles.
And I'll tell you what, that's the,
I realized right away, this is how they do it.
What do you mean?
Well, you'll have to watch that video.
If you change your mindset and lean towards
seeing your vehicle as a fleet,
it's gonna save you a lot of money, let me tell you.
And I'm gonna guide you all the way through it
because I know how to do it.
Because that's what I do.
I look at my vehicles as tools, not toys,
and fleet service.
Every single piece of equipment needs to be serviced
so that you can keep it and not end up,
you know, as I say, home to work, home to work,
home to work, home to work, you know,
like the hamster on the wheel spins in,
run, run, run, run, run, jump off, lick the ball,
get a pellet, jump back on, and make a car payment.
That's the never, never plan.
And that's what I call the noise.
So in that video, you'll hear me talk about
the noise versus the signal.
So that's coming up a week from this Friday.
As I said, I can't get to my calendar at the moment.
Well, I could, but I don't feel like it.
Okay, it's a 27th.
I believe that's Friday the 27th,
but you can correct me if you would like.
Car Connection brought to you by Rainbowl Motors
and Garage up in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Rita and Remiz, Shenouda, the brothers
have sales and service going on there for a long time.
They've been a part of our programming
when we were on radio all the way up
until this past November.
So if you're up in the Scarborough area,
they do have a small car lot
and they do have the resources to find something specific
you may be looking for to drive,
like a minivan, just saying.
Sales and service you can trust always.
You can buy something there and have it serviced there.
Some vehicles qualify for extended aftermarket warranties,
but if you just have your everyday driver
and you need a place to go
where you can trust them to your vehicle,
Rainbowl Motors and Garage, sales and service,
you can trust service to all make some models,
including light commercial vehicles as well.
Thank you to Crystal Ridge Dream Center
for serving men, women, children, meals, love and hope,
changing lives one at a time in the Niagara region.
They are 2025, 2026 nonprofit, faith-based organization.
We've come alongside to make you aware
of what they're doing out there
in times when community support is very crucial.
Crystal Ridge Dream Center shines
as a beacon of compassion and transformation,
located at 385 Derby Road in the heart of Crystal Beach
and serving those, the kids,
they have an after-school program for the kids.
They feed them, love on them, teach them,
help them with their homework,
mentor them, chocolate bingo, can't get in, tried, no.
And they have music class.
They can take music lessons for free.
They have a music department there.
All at no cost, programs for single moms, seniors,
the elderly, small humans, large humans.
Check them out at carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com.
Just click on their link below their logo.
Actually, right now we've got it set up.
Just click on their logo.
Bam, take you right to the profile page.
You can check them out and maybe you can figure out
how you'd like to get involved there.
Be a donator donating once a month
or once a year or when you can.
That all helps.
Or why not become a volunteer?
See how you can get involved.
So thank you for that.
And if you do donate $25 or more,
they will issue a tax receipt.
So let's jump in this morning.
Jump in real deep.
So our biggest toolbox drawer is our website.
That's where we park everything
so that you can connect with us
and we'll connect with you.
So here's what you'll find.
At carconnectionbusinessnetwork.com,
on the homepage, you'll find everything available to you
to connect and follow on our YouTube channel.
And if you haven't, if you have not subscribed
to our YouTube channel,
you're missing out on a lot of teaching.
The basics, the basic fundamentals of vehicle ownership.
If the more you learn,
the more you're protected from being taken advantage of
by taking your vehicle in for service.
So it's very simple.
You learn five things on each video.
What it is, where it is, how it works, how it breaks
and what you could have known and learned more
about the basic fundamentals of owning
and operating an automobile other than unlocking the door,
getting in, turn the key or press the button away you go.
Gas and oil once in a while, right?
Tires are round and black.
No, there's more to it than that
and I teach you all those things.
We have over a hundred videos available to you
and we put three new videos up every single week,
covering different aspects of the automobile
and having some fun all at the same time.
And yes, Skippy does make fun of me and it's okay
because she's laughing behind the camera.
Most of the time.
We have a good time.
Yesterday we did a, we put,
she's putting together a reel of me and our Groundhog.
We have our own, very own Groundhog.
Yeah, so you'll have to check that out.
It'll pop up on Facebook and or Instagram or both.
I can tell you that right now.
Those links are all available.
Top right hand corner of our homepage on our website,
as well as our iHeart radio is there.
Click on that link and our merch store.
And don't forget about Stevensvilleontheweb.ca.
We're there as well to be part of the Stevensville community.
And that website was created by our Skippy,
our videographer to bring the people
and businesses together as a community.
She lives in Stevensville, grew up in Stevensville.
My parents lived in Stevensville for almost 42 years.
So they decided that they would put us there
and make us unofficial Stevensville people.
Yeah, so there you go.
We have a merch store available for you.
Buy and grab some car connection motor mouth garb
and be part of our car connection crew,
helping those who are struggling with addictions
to get to a total freedom addiction campus
for Canada and USA where a new life awaits them there.
And so when they made that decision,
we want to make sure that we're doing,
as our car connection crew, we want to do our part
and make sure that we do everything to help them
to get there because they do not receive any outside funding.
They are responsible to create their own resources
so that people can get into the campus.
So help us out with that.
Buy some merch, show it off, send us a selfie.
We put six new items up at the beginning of winter
as well as our official very own car connection coffee mug.
And it will accept any beverage you place inside it.
So it's limited edition.
Make sure you grab one.
You order online, pay online safely,
and it gets shipped to you by Freedom Expressions,
which is a part of total freedom Canada and US.
So got your crayons ready.
I bought you a bit of time
so you can take some notes this morning
because this is a heavy duty one, but not really, not really.
I'm breaking it down into bite-sized chunks
as my professor would say.
Motor mouth, how do you eat an elephant with ketchup?
Hot sauce?
HP sauce?
Barbecue sauce?
I don't know.
Chipotle?
He goes one bite at a time.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, got that.
That makes sense.
They're not chicken wings.
Exactly.
The dirty truth about dealer maintenance plans.
Well, first and foremost, to get my bum,
which I don't have, I'm British.
I don't have a bum.
People tell me all the time,
do you know you don't have a bum?
I go, excuse me?
Do I know you?
It's personal.
Anyhow, Skippy picks on me with that too.
She goes, you know you don't have a bum?
What would you do if you had a bum?
I go, I don't know.
I don't want to talk about it.
It's emotional.
Emotional damage.
Yeah.
So, where was I going with that?
Well, right out of the gate.
When I, we closed our shop in 2000 and something or other.
I can't remember now.
Rain fart, 2001, I believe.
2001, for health reasons.
It kind of blew out a couple of discs in my back
working 18 hour days consecutively for quite some time
and moving some carpet.
Yeah.
It almost put me in a wheelchair.
It was bad.
It was not good times.
Not good times.
But we made it through that.
And I went to work for Volkswagen.
And so I learned a lot.
I really did.
I learned a lot.
Great company.
But I'll tell you, you gotta make sure you do your job.
Yep, otherwise they do show you the door.
But I remember my factory rep developed a really good
relationship with him.
He was Bavarian and I'm English.
I was born in Oldham Lancashire, just so you know.
I do like fish and chips, okay?
And mushy peas.
Can't help it.
It's in the jeans, the Levis.
So we were talking about, him and I were talking about
the maintenance schedules in the owner's manuals,
which was huge and it still is.
You know, if you're doing your maintenance according
to the dealer's outline, their maintenance outline,
you gotta make sure that your documentation
is done correctly so your repair orders are in order
and you have that filed away ever so nicely,
should you need to claim some warranty,
that's the first place they go.
Are you servicing it at a dealer?
Do you have your paperwork up to date?
Are your service maintenance intervals up to date?
So we, there's one particular time he was down
to the dealership where I was posted, where my post was.
And I said, you know like,
you know, Mike, here's the thing.
Like, is all this stuff gotta be done all the time?
Like, and he goes, and he was a Bavarian.
Well, he'd always say, well, you know Naya,
is not the Bible, is not cast in stone,
is only a suggestion.
And I'm like, what?
It's like, what did you just say?
It's only suggested.
Okay, but if you don't do them, then you're blacklisted.
So that was, I didn't say that part out loud.
That was an inside conversation, if you know what I mean.
Did not wanna upset my factory rep,
because when you need them,
you need them to help you out with customers.
So I'm like, oh, it's only a suggestion.
And that has stuck with me for a long time,
since like 2004.5.
And I got to thinking about that.
And I'm going, how can it just be a suggestion?
But yet, if you don't bring your vehicle in
for the eight, the 16, the 32, the 48, the 64, et cetera,
et cetera, and get your paper, get your book stamped.
That was huge.
Don't forget to get the, the VW stamp in the book.
We always had to make sure when they came in,
drop the vehicles off,
that they brought their service book inside
so that we could stamp it, sign it,
put the mileage in, blah, blah, blah.
Make sure that all the paperwork is done
at the dealer level.
Now, if you lose your copies or your invoices,
well, the only thing I can tell you is,
there is a file set up on every one of those vehicles
because when there is a warranty issue
that needs to be resolved,
the first place I would have to go
is when the manufacturer's rep is coming down
to the dealership for a dealership they visit.
I would have to have all those that want to meet
with the rep, have their files pulled.
That's the first place he went to.
Fresh cup of coffee, little snack,
and the files.
Where's the files Niles?
And there's no S on my name, just saying, okay.
All right, don't call me Kevin.
That's close, but not quite.
I'd go the right here.
I'd have everything all set for him.
Perfect.
Goes through every single file
for every individual that's bringing their vehicle in
and wants to talk to the factory rep
about something that we just can't get resolved
because it's not covered by warranty.
And it goes on, but I'll tell you this.
For as a company, I never even imagined for one minute
the amount of W5 warranty that VW puts through
for their customers.
They want you to buy a VW forever.
And they go out of their way.
What is W5?
Well, I did a lot of warranty.
W5 meant it was good will warranty.
That means you're 10 decades out of warranty
and the factory rep says, yeah, we're gonna cover that.
All of it.
W5.
Yeah, try that with a domestic car company.
Yeah, right, we'd really love to help you,
but we can't.
You're two kilometers over.
Yep, sorry, click back.
That's how that works.
We used to make fun of it in the shop.
You know, us guys picking on each other all day and say,
I'd really like to help you, but I can't.
I'm a little busy here.
So anyhow, that got my attention.
Is the amount of W5 warranty they put through
for their customers to keep them as customers.
And not just customers, but clients.
So let's jump into some of the stuff
that my neighbor is a great example.
I won't put the name out there,
but he bought a very expensive vehicle
and he's like an old hot rodder.
No, that's really not true.
He's more like a child.
He has this special vehicle that brings it out
and I just love to see that because at that age,
he's enjoying, he enjoys automobiles.
I love hanging around with those guys
because we're like-minded.
We enjoy automobiles.
So anyways, it's got a really nice, expensive toy.
And I remember the one day where I was talking to him,
I go, oh, you're doing your own oil changes now.
He goes, well, a few colorful metaphors came out
to start the conversation.
He goes, yeah, and he has an accounting background
because his father wasn't counting anyways.
He goes, like $800 Nile for an oil change?
Really? $800?
And he's going, $800 for a stinkin' oil change?
He says, I can check stuff myself.
He says, all they do is do it.
Check it, check it, check it, check it,
check it, check it, check it, check it, check it.
Yeah, 900 bucks.
I go, wow.
I never would have imagined it's that much money.
I said, well, what do they check it?
Oh, they check the seat belts, make sure they retract.
He goes, somebody sticks their head in the glove box
and I couldn't stop laughing.
They slam it and make sure that the light goes,
they can verify that the glove box light
does, in fact, go out and he goes,
and they charge you for that stuff.
Just checking.
Just looking, yep, yep, yep, the wheels are on,
yeah, all four, they're on, check.
And he goes, they charge you for that.
I can do that myself.
I said, well, how do you maintain your warranty?
Well, I have to prove to them that I did my oil change.
He says, so I send them the receipts.
And then I show them that my sheet, I checked it all off.
I go, well, yeah, well, good luck with that one.
I said, he goes, I am not gonna pay $800, $900
to go in for an oil change.
And all they does is all check marks in my sheet.
And I'm paying for check marks.
They don't actually do something.
They're just checking stuff.
You go, okay, yeah, so that's,
and he's talking about the prepaid service plans.
They really benefit the dealer more than the owner.
They do, because it brings you back to the dealership
so they can get you again, if you know what I'm saying.
Yeah, I'm trying to do this nicely.
As nice as I possibly can,
because it really needs to be trimmed down.
If you know what I'm saying, trimmed down, fellas.
If you want to get people to come back to the dealer
after they purchased the vehicle,
a lot of people would say to me, you know what,
can you do my maintenance as I don't,
I do not want to go back to the dealer
because they feel, and rightfully so,
that they're being taken advantage of.
Huge, $800 for a check-a-check-a-check-a-check-a
and an oil change.
Right, sign me up, never.
So, here's the other thing you have to watch.
What's actually included versus excluded
if you buy those prepaid service plans?
As I mentioned already, they often benefit the dealer
more than the owner.
As long as you're getting the work done
and it's documented and get the shop owner to ask them,
can you do factory dealer maintenance?
And a lot of the high-tech shops,
and I can think of a few right off top of my head
in the St. Catharines area,
they can peel off those documents
and include them with your service order.
That that work was done,
and it was done to the dealer specifications.
And it didn't cost you $900.
So, if you're prepaying, like you prepay a package
where it could include oil changes for the first year
or the first two years,
you wanna make sure you understand completely
what is included.
But most of all, I always say,
when it comes to extended aftermarket factory warranties
or even the factory warranty,
you know what little list I really wanna look at?
What's not covered?
That's the list I wanna see.
I don't care about the covered list.
I wanna look at what's not covered
because if there's anything on the what's not covered list
that I'm concerned with,
I am going to express that in a responsible manner,
practicing discernment best I can without losing it.
So, that's the list I wanna look for.
So, there's my heads up.
We haven't done a program on extended warranty,
aftermarket warranties or factory warranties,
but I will unpack that for you.
And your eyebrows are going to flutter a little bit longer.
So, you wanna know aftermarket warranties
or any kind of warranty,
any kind of prepaid service plan,
look for the list of the excluded things.
And if there's things on that excluded list
that you're concerned about not being on the included list,
that would be the point of discussion immediately.
And don't assume something that's on the excluded
could get on the included by crocodile tears,
throwing yourself prostrate on the floor,
pounding your fists and saying, I didn't know,
I didn't know, I didn't know,
that's not gonna help you.
So, I just thought I'd put that out there
in case you were thinking, that's the game plan.
Next, why intervals are often marketing driven?
Like I would see this myself and go,
8,000 K, 16,000 K?
Well, you know, it extends after that.
It goes up by 16.
And I'm like, what, 16,000 K before a service?
Are you out of your mind?
Right, exactly, because that ain't right.
You know, if you're wanting to own that vehicle long term,
you're gonna need to ride that preventative maintenance
horse right from the get go if you're wanting to keep it.
There's no way on this earth
that I would extend my service intervals by that much.
No, no, no, times no, divided by no, plus no, equals no.
Yeah, just in case you were wondering,
that is the formula for no in the car connection workshop.
That is the formula.
So intervals are often way too marketing driven.
Oh, you don't have to service it for 8,000 kilometers.
But the next one, you don't have to service it
for 16,000 kilometers.
Think of all the money you're going to save
on too much maintenance.
Too much maintenance?
It's a freaking mechanical machine, bro.
Yeah, made by humans, large humans, big humans.
Yeah, big humans.
Yeah, it's mechanical.
It's no different than a bulldozer.
It's mechanical and it needs servicing more, not less.
So they want you to service it less
because those are the things that make your ears tickle.
Oh, goody, goody, goody, goody, drum drop, gum drops.
That's what I'm trying to say.
Yeah, I don't have to service it for 16,000 kilometers.
Well, something to keep in mind, fluids aren't monitored.
And we're gonna talk about that in the very near future.
Fluids are not monitored and they protect,
the fluids protect very expensive components
that when they break and you're outside a warranty,
it's your baby, it's your dime.
And if you're thinking of keeping the vehicle long term,
then you've gotta practice the right maintenance strategy
from the very beginning.
Thus and so, I'm teaching you the fleet management
maintenance package and that video comes out
a week from this Friday on our YouTube channel.
So you wanna get on our channel, get subscribed, signed up,
whether you know a little about automobiles
or absolutely nothing, watching the videos,
you will be taught a lot of information
on how to understand your vehicle
and get every dime out of it.
And at the end, you still have change left, exactly.
Extended vehicle maintenance is a very,
very destructive idea.
And the plan is that for you not to service it,
for to stretch out your service intervals
so that they can get you out of that vehicle
into something else and they really want your trade in
because pre-owned vehicles are selling like hotcakes.
New vehicles are sitting in stockyards.
They still, there's manufacturers still have 24s,
2,024s, thousands of them sitting around.
2,025, thousands of them sitting around in stockyards
that haven't even made it to a dealership level yet.
And we're into 26.
Anyhow, when do dealer plans make sense then?
Maybe that's a question you're asking me.
Well, here's the thing.
If you suck at vehicle maintenance completely,
then following the factory maintenance plan,
if that's what it takes to get your vehicle in for service
to make sure that it's doing well,
then that's when I say, if you got the money to pay
and it's convenient for you to do that,
then you know what, continue to do what you're doing.
If you're one of those people that you've got buckets
and bathtubs full of cash and you're able to replace
a vehicle every three years, three to five years,
you know, so kind of like last payment
or you know, I'm kind of tired of this.
I really like that one.
I'm gonna get that color next time.
Yeah, so if you're that kind of person
that you know what, throws stuff out when it's still good,
I like to hang around those people.
Just saying, yep, another man's trash,
another man's treasure.
I'm just saying, I got some pretty cool stuff,
let me tell you, being in the right place at the right time.
Go on, yeah, I see what you mean, has a little nick on it.
I'll take that, thank you, scratch and dent.
Best way to buy appliances too, man, scratch and dent.
You know, your names aren't coming over
and check to make sure there's no dents
or dings in your washing machine.
Hey, can I see your washing machine?
No, why, it's out for service.
Oh, I see, yeah, scratch and dent.
We have to look for all those ways to save money.
And then you can, you're not being a tightwad,
TW for short, but you're saving money.
So who cares, it's not what you make,
it's what you get to keep that counts.
That's where it counts.
It's not what you make, it's what you get to keep.
So again, if you're in that position,
where you know, it's convenient for you
to take it to the dealer, they give you a ride home,
or they give you a loaner car,
if it's gonna be tied up for a bit,
you know, you might get an electric scooter,
you know, let the loaner cars are out for too long,
and they go, you're gonna have to take this at secondary.
Yeah, electric scooter, which isn't too bad,
as long as it's got winter tires on this time of year.
However, if that is what makes you comfortable
and gives you that sense of security,
taking it back to the dealer,
because you think they're the only ones that can fix it,
oh, I think I swallowed a bug.
Yeah, so then continue to do that.
But as for the rest of us, yeah,
the festivist for the rest of us, remember that?
We need to go elsewhere,
and we need to take control of our own destiny
when it comes to owning an automobile.
And to reiterate, if you're just tuning in,
my factory rep stating that the service intervals,
it's not cast in stone now, it's not the Bible,
is only suggestion.
Wow, I held on to that baby close to my chest.
There you go, there's your answer.
I'm not the message, I'm just the messenger, yeah.
There's your answer, it's not cast in stone,
but while you're under warranty, I will tell you this,
you better have complete documentation,
and I can teach you that,
because I did a lot of warranty work,
millions of dollars of warranty work, paperwork, yeah.
Putting through and coding warranty and getting paid,
making sure that the warranty claims
within the heart of mothership got paid out
by the manufacturer.
That was just one part of my job while I was there,
is making sure that happened.
And as they always say, he who plays best knows the rules.
Exactly, and I learned the rules,
and I learned how to play the warranty game,
and I was very good at it, and I was all for the customer.
Yeah, I'm under the umbrella of mothership,
but I was working behind the scenes like a mole,
mole, moly moly, anyways, and I learned a lot.
I learned a lot in four and a half years,
80 plus hours a week, let me tell you,
90 minutes, one way from home.
Exactly, so we better ride this one out,
and we'll see you tomorrow morning.
What are we talking about tomorrow morning?
Better make sure I get this in there.
Thank you to City Auto Sales and Leasing Earl Louise Grant.
You have got to meet this couple.
They are car guys.
They really, really are.
They've been in the business for 25 years,
providing low mileage, quality vehicles at fair prices,
and I'll tell you, the reason I took them on
when Louise called me and said,
we'd like to be a part of car connection.
I saw the products they were putting out,
and I'm like, these cars look like stinking brand new.
Like they've been hermetically sealed
and just released recently.
Low mileage, quality vehicles at fair prices,
that's how they've earned the moniker
Greater Toronto Area's premier pre-owned auto store.
You can buy with confidence and be treated with nothing,
less than honesty and integrity.
If you or someone you know is struggling with debt,
they have investment portfolios with the bank
making pittance on your money
while they're making oodles of cash.
You need some estate planning, not escape planning,
estate planning, powers of attorney,
health proxies, the whole nine yards.
And if you've got kids living at home,
you need to make sure they're covered in your estate plan.
You need a mortgage arranged,
life insurance, critical illness insurance,
then you need to connect with my brothers
from other mothers, Tony Miele, Larry Tietro,
50 years combined experience as fiduciaries,
certified financial planning professionals.
Two of the best in all of Canada and very humble.
They've been my financial planners for decades
and I'll tell you what,
everything I just talked about, they take care of.
And it gives you a great sense of security
knowing that those areas that need attention
that we don't like to talk about
are covered and being well taken care of.
So you can qualify for an hour
and a coffee discovery meeting
by simply connecting with either Tony Miele
or Larry Tietro and get your questions answered, folks.
That's the best thing I can tell you.
Go to those who have the fruit on the tree,
not advisors, certified financial planning professionals.
They understand tax planning, pre-tax planning, all of it.
Because remember, it's not what you make,
it's what you get to keep that matters.
When you're trading time for money,
moms and dads out there every single day
doing it again and again and again,
and it may be something that you don't even like to do,
but you gotta do it for the next 35, 45 years.
It's not what you make, it's what you get to keep.
So connect with them.
Grab that hour and a coffee discovery meeting,
no sales, no pressure sales whatsoever.
Leave your wallet at home, you won't need it.
And book your time and get there
and get your answers to your questions.
Real answers to real questions.
And there's no condemnation.
Nobody's gonna say, hey, that was a dumb idea.
You will not tell Tony or Larry
anything they've not heard before.
Trust me, absolutely.
So you can meet by Zoom, conference call,
in the boardroom, coffee shop, or even at your home.
Whatever level you're comfortable at,
Tony and Larry will meet you there
and let me tell you, that's gonna be a great day for you.
A great day.
When you think all is doom and gloom,
that's gonna be a turnaround day for you
and you'll say these words, should've done that sooner.
So take advantage of that and get that discovery meeting
done so that you can have peace of mind, peace of mind.
So we're talking about tomorrow morning,
why modern cars are harder to own
even if they're more reliable.
And that's true.
That is a very true statement.
Why modern cars are harder to own
even if they're more reliable.
So we're gonna cover that off tomorrow morning.
Come and join us at eight AM
for another round of motormouth's morning drive
and take it easy out there.
Be careful, weather, we didn't cover weather.
Well, good thing somebody just reminded me that.
It's gonna be a bit gruesome today
so batting down the hatches.
Severe weather in the Niagara region
so if you're in our areas, listen up,
special weather statement.
Conditions expected around three AM this morning.
Is it the 18th already?
No.
Additional alert for Wednesday, February 18th.
That's what they're saying.
Okay, let's jump over here.
Have a look.
Here we go.
36 degrees right now on cloudy.
Wind is making it a feel colder, about 28.
Foggy conditions.
I'll tell you, at 4.30 this morning,
I couldn't see my hand.
I'm like, I think I left my hand under my pillow.
I gotta go get it.
Can't see it.
So foggy, seriously foggy.
From 8 AM till noon, so be careful out there
with hazy conditions expected around noon time today.
Today's temperature range is from 34 Fahrenheit
to 39 Fahrenheit and feels like actually 27 Fahrenheit
to 38.
So take it easy out there.
Gonna be a little bit tricky
and we'll give you the weather report tomorrow morning.
Let me thank you for being with us today.
Peace, patience, kindness.
Always happy, healthy motoring
and we'll see you Wednesday morning.
Bye for now.
Request an explanation for:
2 cars
2 cars featured
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.
Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars
More from Car Connection Workshop
Fun Friday - June 5' 2026 | 5 Way to Create Priceless Summer Memories Without Breaking the Bank
Jun 5, 2026
How Can I Keep It? The 5-Step Plan to Keep Your Vehicle Longer and Save Money
Jun 4, 2026
Service Engine Light On? Don't Panic Until You Do These 5 Things First
Jun 3, 2026
The 5 - Step Vehicle Maintenance Pattern Every Driver Should Know
Jun 2, 2026