What to do when your motor Service Plan expires

One of the benefits of buying a new or relatively new used car is that it will generally come with some kind of Service or Maintenance Plan, which means that you’ll be off the hook for service costs for the next few years. These plans vary in terms of how generous they are, but they should all cover basic services.

Once these plans expire, you’ll need to decide what to do. There are many different options, each with their own pros and cons.

Firstly, you could decide to trade in your vehicle and buy a new one, which would then come with its own service or maintenance plan.

Alternatively, if you’re planning to keep your current car and want to remain covered by a Service or Maintenance Plan you have the option of extending your current plan through your dealer, who will quote you on an extension for a number of years and/or kilometres.

Cover from your auto dealer should be similar to what you’re used to but maybe more expensive than purchasing a service plan from a third party which cover all brands of cars. It pays to shop around and get the best deal. When you ask for a quote from MotorHappy, our expert agents will shop around for a selection of the best plans for your needs. They will also help you make sense of each offering, to help you select the option that suits you best.

You could also choose to cover these costs yourself rather than purchasing a service or maintenance plan. It’s then important to shop around and ensure you get the best quote for services or any work that needs to be done. Different dealerships from the same manufacturer may have different labour rates. According to the Lightstone Consumer, which measures and tracks retail, labour rates can vary across passenger brands from as little as R300 to as much R1 195 per hour. On average premium brands will charge around R810 per hour while volume brands average at R587.

If you choose to pay-as-you-go, our advice is to put some money aside every month so when you do have to pay for your annual service or other work to be done you have this available.