Value Leader - Hyundai Adds 3 Years Of Included Maintenance On All New Models

This week, Hyundai announced that it will begin including three years of included maintenance on its new vehicles. “Hyundai has always been a company that listens to customers and strives to provide products and services that maximize value and simplify life,” said Barry Ratzlaff, chief customer officer, Hyundai Motor America. “Building on the strong foundation of America’s Best Warranty, Hyundai Complimentary Maintenance helps dealers ensure that our owners keep rolling with peace of mind. These programs, along with 5 years of roadside assistance and 3 years of Blue Link connectivity, give owners confidence that we will take care of them once they’ve joined the Hyundai family.”

Hyundai has very gradually been increasing its appeal to consumers over the past decade. Those who watch quality indexes know that Hyundai is now a leader in this regard, and that it has bypassed many brands that built their reputations on quality (Honda comes to mind).

Add to Hyundai's very high-quality ratings a warranty that is significantly longer than most competitor's and Hyundai is easy to call a value leader among its peers in mainstream automotive segments. With a warranty that extends out ten years, nearly double what most brands offer, and it is easy to see that those who shop for vehicles and include a value calculation may be attracted to the brand.

In addition to quality and warranty, one other area can differentiate a brand. That is included maintenance. Toyota has been offering two years of included routine maintenance on its vehicles for a while now, and we frequently point to it as one way Toyota adds values compared to its peers. Now Hyundai has raised the ante, with its offer of three years of included maintenance.

You can read the fine print of Hyundai's included maintenance at its official website. The plan includes all the scheduled oil services, tire rotations, and other routine maintenance outlines in its manual for 3 years or 36K miles, whichever comes first. Pretty simple to understand.

Hyundai offers this guide for buyers showing what it includes with a new vehicle purchase:
Warranty: 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, 5-year/60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty and 7-year anti-perforation warranty
Complimentary Maintenance: 3 years/36,000 miles of normal oil changes and tire rotations
Roadside Assistance: 5 years of roadside assistance, 24/7/365 coverage and trip interruption assistance
Blue Link: 3 years of complimentary Blue Link connected car service, including the Connected Care package that provides emergency assistance and maintenance/diagnostic alerts
Free Inspections: Hyundai’s pledge for convenient scheduling, factory-trained technicians, free multi-point inspections, clear explanation of recommended services, recap of all completed work and respect for the customer’s time

John Goreham is a life-long car nut and recovering engineer. John's focus areas are technology, safety, and green vehicles. In the 1990s, he was part of a team that built a solar-electric vehicle from scratch. His was the role of battery thermal control designer. For two decades he applied his engineering and sales talents in the high tech world and published numerous articles in technical journals such as Chemical Processing Magazine. John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his profile at Linkedin.

Top of page image courtesy of Hyundai. Chart courtesy of JD Power.