2011 Cadillac adds free Maintenance for 4 years

[Bruce Nunnally]

DETROIT – Cadillac announced today it will provide owners of all 2011 models with frequently required maintenance services for the first four years or 50,000 miles as it seeks to build the best customer service experience in the luxury segment.

The program, called Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance, covers scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, replacement of engine and cabin air filters and a multi-point vehicle inspection.

“Cadillac is adding Premium Care Maintenance as a way to extend customer service beyond the sale,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president of Cadillac sales and service. “The program is designed to raise satisfaction for owners by ensuring access to expert service. It should lead to higher loyalty rates for dealers by establishing them as a valued resource for our customers.”

Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance launches with the arrival of the 2011 model Cadillacs. The CTS family, which is being expanded this year to include the all-new CTS Coupe, will be the first of the 2011 models to arrive at U.S. dealerships in late summer.

Premium Care Maintenance is the latest in a host of Cadillac initiatives that elevate the luxury ownership experience. It joins other Cadillac customer service and ownership benefits including:

* Five-year, 100,000-mile Powertrain warranty along with standard 24/7 Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation.

* Four-year, 50,000-mile vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage.

* Standard one-year OnStar Directions and Connections plan, which includes Automatic Crash Response, Turn-by-Turn Navigation, Vehicle Diagnostics and Stolen Vehicle Assistance.

* Standard XM Radio with a three month trial.

In 2009, Cadillac placed second in the industry in both the Sales Satisfaction Index and Customer Satisfaction Index studies from J.D. Power & Associates. A survey by AutoPacific of 2010 new vehicle buyers rated Cadillac No. 1 in total satisfaction.

“Cadillac rates among the industry’s best in customer satisfaction, but we have room for improvement,” McNeil said. “Cadillac Premium Care Maintenance is another step in our goal to set the standard for the industry in customer service.”

[JimD]

Not to bad-mouth GM/Cadillac here, but I have learned to be suspicious of "free" items from car makers. The "multi-point inspection" is the gag point for me.

GM/Cadillac will likely reimburse the servicing dealer for some or most or all of the cost of the oil and filters and labor for tire rotation. So far, so good. But the multi-point inspection is the open window for the dealer to "discover" items that need attention according to some (profitable) dealer recommended maintenence schedule program (not to be confused with the GM/Cadillac maintenence schedule published in the Owners Manual).

I do understand that some (most?) owners cannot, will not, deal with DIY oil changes.

Not only is GM/Cadillac playing catch-up with this policy, they are trying to promote more visits to dealers for "free" routine service.

Who benefits (follow the money)?

[Cadillac Jim]

I think that this type of program is necessary because some automakers have been providing it for leased cars for some time to protect their investment in the customer's car, and some buyers have begun advertising it as coming with all their new cars. If some customers see turnkey car care as something that they expect when they come in to buy, they may go elsewhere if they don't see it.

As far as the well-known dealer browsing for service items when the car is serviced, you don't see that much on cars in warranty, in no small part because the manufacturer pays and wants the old parts for analysis.

[Texas Jim]

My dealer has a great service department... and I am very grateful for that.

My service adviser knows me and has never recommended a bunch of junk to be done to the car.

I changed the oil myself, in my DTS, not long after I bought it.

NEVER AGAIN...as long as I can afford to "HAVE IT" done. LOL.

As you can see in my sig pic... my car site really low to the ground...lower that most other DTS's.

(thats another story about a great service department)

It was a major undertaking to get it up on the ramps without tearing the front chin spoiler off.

I had to line up 2x4 blocks...in a progressively higher ramp to get the car up on the REAL ramps without damaging anything.

It still scraped coming back down off of the ramps... (big frown)

I get discount coupons from my dealer and it isn't much more expensive yo have them do it vs doing it myself.

The free service would probably be worth "SOMETHING" to me...just don't know how much.

[Bruce Nunnally]

I am happily surprised that Cadillac added this. I agree it is difficult to quantify exactly how valuable an addition it is; probably $100 per 7,500 miles, a total of $1K+ over the covered period. From an emotional point of view it is reassuring to Buyers to know that any maintenance is covered.

[Texas Jim]

I am happily surprised that Cadillac added this. I agree it is difficult to quantify exactly how valuable an addition it is; probably $100 per 7,500 miles, a total of $1K+ over the covered period.

From an emotional point of view it is reassuring to Buyers to know that any maintenance is covered.

I can wholeheartedly agree with that.

I hope it gets more buyers to consider Cadillac.

[Cadillac Jim]

Even as an old cynic, I like the new program too. Better Mr. Goodwrench than Mr. Badwrench looking over my car every two or three months.

[JACK]

Even as an old cynic, I like the new program too. Better Mr. Goodwrench than Mr. Badwrench looking over my car every two or three months.

I have had this free oil changes, cabin, air filters etc on my 07 DTS ever since I bought it.I think it was only for Canadian purchases, really have enjoyed it.

[JohnnyG]

I hate to say this, but this program is not going to do it for Cadillac. They've got to come up with something much better than this to win customers. Customers, as you can tell from the current responses to this post, are very skeptical of the American dealership's honesty. They simply have very little credibility with the buying public.

Overall, I see it as a step backwards, considering the fact that they're cutting XM/Sirius from one year to 3 months. Heck, even Volkswagen gives you 4 months free, and free service!

Then to add this to the situation:

have had this free oil changes, cabin, air filters etc on my 07 DTS ever since I bought it.I think it was only for Canadian purchases, really have enjoyed it.

Makes matters MUCH worse for me. What, I'm not good enough to get free service on my 2008 DTS? Just crawled out from under the Caddy this morning, 3rd oil change, 60% left on the OLM (one year was up on the time), and $56.00 worth of Mobil1 Extended perfomance. Tires rotated and RF balanced the other day, $26.00 (one is at 24# RF now, but I can't feel it).

BTW, a scissors jack at the proper jack point on the right side of the car makes changing oil and filter easy, but you still need to crawl under it.

[Cadillac Jim]

I don't think that Cadillac is doing this as an attempt to get new customers. I think that they are simply responding to the fact that everybody has such a program and they don't want to lose customers that come in to a dealership expecting it. Most dealerships offer such a program, often hidden in the purchase price as a plumb instead of a price cut of the value of the plan. What GM is doing here is defining the program so that dealers and customers can get it at any GM dealer, it is transportable between GM dealers, and the business model is integrated into the dealer business model through GM infrastructure.

[JimD]

....BTW, a scissors jack at the proper jack point on the right side of the car makes changing oil and filter easy, but you still need to crawl under it.

For as long as I am physically able to 'crawl under', I will do it. But I use two Rhino Ramps to 'lift' the car which keeps the crankcase at least as level as the parking place.

As to GM's policies, it is worth mentioning that the US and Ontario, Canada, taxpayers own something like 60% of GM's equity which gives Obama's 'Car Czar' a loud voice. We will not soon learn how this influences GM's day to day offers.

[Cadillac Jim]

I think that both the Government and GM are trying to minimize any effect of Government ownership for reasons of best benefit to both the Government/taxpayers and GM. Exceptions are overruling GM in some cost-cutting measures like closing some plants and some decisions regarding the UAW, who also owns a big chunk of GM. But, overruling some cost-cutting measures for political reasons is bad enough.

In any case I think this offer of free dealer service during warranty is on a far lower level than anything the Government people on the Board are interested in.