Premium maintenance plan

[MikeR397]

Doesn’t seem to be any recent data on this, but flood ford, if you buy the warranty also, will sell a premium maintenance plan: https://www.floodfordesp.com/premium_maintenance.php

The prices for not for synthetic oil, so I heard that is an extra cost, but what I’m interested in is it covers brake pads and rotors it seems (And clutch not that I see an issue there). It says you get like a certain number of “visits” so I presume it’s just a regular scheduled thing for oil and they will cover pads if needed then? How flexible is this? If I can get 7 oil changes for say $1k, that’s almost breakeven there but considering I go through a couple sets of pads a year already and inevitably rotors, that would be a huge savings opportunity. Anyone do this with tracked cars? Please share feedback or how it works. Can you still schedule appts as needed if you’s pads are gone but no need for oil change yet, and does that count as a visit like it lists?

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[lightrules]

the words "ford dealer" and "maintenance" scare me.

 

[dpAtlanta]

I agree with lightrules... I would not let Ford do anything other than warranty work.
I don't have the same attitude with the Porsche dealer based on experience.
I'm not bashing Ford because I own a Porsche, but after a dozen Fords over 30 years and some of the stories I have, lightrules is correct!

 

[MikeR397]

You wouldn’t let a ford dealer pad slap or rotors your car if it was completely free? Come on. It’s not exactly hard to check they were done right.

Seems nobody has tried this, I’ll call and see if I can get “claimed details.”

 

[Frank.Herbst]

the words "ford dealer" and "maintenance" scare me.

I agree. But if you end up needing to have Ford work on your car make sure you talk to the service manager and request they assign your car to a qualified mechanic. While this may be good for a laugh it has worked for me. My service advisor was going to have a junior tech work on my Shelby. After calling the service manager a senior tech was assigned. Simple fix for engine light coded for engine taking to long to warm up was taken care of.

 

[lightrules]

when I got my car, I went to my local Ford dealer and befriended the service manager. after some discussion he said anytime I bring the car in I can go to the back with a mechanic and watched him do the work. not so much for maintenance but warranty purposes.

 

[MikeR397]

So I looked into this plan more. For 6 years/100k miles I can get a “20 visit” plan for $2,900. Each visit can include a full synthetic oil change if I want, but doubting I need even 2 a year despite track use.

The plan covers brake pads and rotors! At least one pad on front or rear has to be under 2mm left (and one on each front and rear to do all 4 sets or they just do only front for example). This is a small issue (unless you are swapping pads yourself all the time before) as new they are 9.5mm and I seem to wear about 1.5 -3mm per track day depending on the track and run time. They won’t cut the drilled rotors so once vibration or cracks or past min thickness they will cover rotors (I just paid sub $900 for a spare set of non drilled on eBay).

It also covers clutch and some other items of less interest (not tires). A clutch would pay for this plan itself, but I predict sub 25k miles and track use isn’t that hard on clutch, a lot of 3rd gear and I don’t do dumb crap with my clutch.

I seem to eat a set of front pads in 4-5 track days and rear in 7ish. Rotors are lasting great with soft oem pads, 20-25 days+. If ford covered all this for me (basically 20 visits for front pads, 11 for rear, and 12 oil changes over 6 years), and a couple rotors (Even is just front) that’s about $9,000+ worth of parts (is my diy cost buying at retail on eBay), so after $3k cost would save about $6k+ over 6 years. But I’m not going to do it...

I think it’ll be a major pain scheduling summer service visits (despite plan covering 24hr loaner) and getting in when I need in between track days. I also plan to switch to Raybestos ST43 track pads (at least front pads) just to not have to deal with so many pad changes. Oem pads work well for me, they just don’t last long. I suspect I’ll enjoy the track pads better at mid Ohio and grattan as well. I also have caliperfexion studs and don’t love explaining/dealing with dealer to not remove them and to use a 12pt socket and torque to 105lbs. I also might not track the car for 6 full more years and waste unused value, so $1k a year savings isn’t all that exciting for the pita vs diy in my garage.

All this said, it might make sense to look at a smaller visit count plan which includes oil each time and rotors a few times. The 30 visit plan was 50% more at $4500+, but maybe 10 visits for $1500 would be a no brainer less dealer visits and more flexibility for better bang for the buck.

 

[lightrules]

hey I'm glad you're doing your research, but an honest question: do you really want your dealer doing oil changes even? I'd be worrying what weight they put in, how many quarts they put in, torquing to spec, etc. I'm being totally serious.

 

[nordique14]

Also, the min pad thickness is a concern. If the pads had 3mm left, that would not be enough to be covered for replacement but it is also not enough to risk going to track with.

 

[MikeR397]

hey I'm glad you're doing your research, but an honest question: do you really want your dealer doing oil changes even? I'd be worrying what weight they put in, how many quarts they put in, torquing to spec, etc. I'm being totally serious.

I don’t really care. I can easily check oil level when I get it and see the 10w50 on the receipt. Torquing an oil filter is kinda hard to fuck up for even a ford mechanic. If they do fuck something up, I have an 8 year warranty to fall back on.

Now torquing my caliperfexion studs properly with a 12pt socket to 105lbs is More concerning to me.

 

[MikeR397]

Also, the min pad thickness is a concern. If the pads had 3mm left, that would not be enough to be covered for replacement but it is also not enough to risk going to track with.

Yes, that’s what I mentioned. You can have multiple sets of pads (backup) and swap which makes sense for the track or service. Lotta brake changes though.

I am just considering if it covers 10 oil changes and 2 sets of rotors that alone pays for the plan. Then your piece of mind in clutch and if you want to do some oem pads too.

 

[IronSooner]

Doesn’t seem to be any recent data on this, but flood ford, if you buy the warranty also, will sell a premium maintenance plan: https://www.floodfordesp.com/premium_maintenance.php

The prices for not for synthetic oil, so I heard that is an extra cost, but what I’m interested in is it covers brake pads and rotors it seems (And clutch not that I see an issue there). It says you get like a certain number of “visits” so I presume it’s just a regular scheduled thing for oil and they will cover pads if needed then? How flexible is this? If I can get 7 oil changes for say $1k, that’s almost breakeven there but considering I go through a couple sets of pads a year already and inevitably rotors, that would be a huge savings opportunity. Anyone do this with tracked cars? Please share feedback or how it works. Can you still schedule appts as needed if you’s pads are gone but no need for oil change yet, and does that count as a visit like it lists?

Thanks for posting this. The only thing I am not understanding, and I feel like this is a stupid question, but how do the service intervals work? Is that the amount of miles that must elapse before you can go back for the next visit, or you get xnumber of visits per that service interval or what? Is it the mileage on the car when you sign up, so you get x number of visits?

I plan to track mine some, and you're right...the savings on the pads and rotors could be big. And, I can visually inspect them when I get it home and be reasonably sure it was installed properly and with the correct pads and rotors. Maybe even pull a wheel and check the torque on a stud if I'm feeling super serial....

 

[MikeR397]

The mileage and years are when the maintenance plan expires, whichever comes first. Otherwise you get xx service visits and can use them whenever you want. You can do oil on every one apparently is what I was told. If oil and pads and rotors need changing at same time, that can be just one visit. Doing each separate would count as 3 visits I’m told.

And apparently I misread in rotors and the rears are identical but still sold separate. I thought it was $270 for 2, not $270 for one (my package just came and only one is in it). I paid $265 each for fronts, not sure why each rear is more $? Probably going to return these and go with this maintenance plan, as rotors alone are basically 1/2 the cost of the damn plan.

 

[IronSooner]

The mileage and years are when the maintenance plan expires, whichever comes first. Otherwise you get xx service visits and can use them whenever you want. You can do oil on every one apparently is what I was told. If oil and pads and rotors need changing at same time, that can be just one visit. Doing each separate would count as 3 visits I’m told.

And apparently I misread in rotors and the rears are identical but still sold separate. I thought it was $270 for 2, not $270 for one (my package just came and only one is in it). I paid $265 each for fronts, not sure why each rear is more $? Probably going to return these and go with this maintenance plan, as rotors alone are basically 1/2 the cost of the damn plan.

Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense.

How many pad changes are you getting out of a set of rotors? I saw one video saying you needed to change rotors when you change pads which sounds rediculous to me. This thing isnt going to space. A few sets of pads should be fine I'd think. Use the visit when its rotor change time.

 

[MikeR397]

Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense.

How many pad changes are you getting out of a set of rotors? I saw one video saying you needed to change rotors when you change pads which sounds rediculous to me. This thing isnt going to space. A few sets of pads should be fine I'd think. Use the visit when its rotor change time.

Some of it’s a crapshoot. I got pad deposits on my front rotors on the 5th track day when my pads wore super thin (1/2 mm or less). I had my friend turn them to fix the front rotors but ford won’t do this and presumably you get covered rotors here.

I don’t think you can warp these rotors easily with oem pads, they are too soft. I have about 15 days on my rotors and they are fine, only turned the once. Very small cracks starting around holes. Thickness is still fine. I think generally you’ll get vibration from pad deposits before warping and maybe get replaced then, idk.

Rear rotors probably last 2x as long as front.

I think if your rotors vibrate for any reason, you’ll get at least new front from this coverage

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