Ford extends capped-price servicing plans

FORD Australia has extended its already lengthy capped-price servicing plan in a bid to lift its appeal to local new car buyers.

The Blue Oval has boosted its “myFord” plan from six years or 105,000km to seven years or 135,000km, whichever falls first, ensuring it remains one of the longest capped-price servicing plans available in Australia.

Ford said the program wis available for all vehicles built since 2007, ranging from the tiny Fiesta light-car through to the Falcon large sedan, Ranger ute and Transit van.

The plan also includes brake pad replacements, which will be capped at $259 for front brake pads, $219 for the rears in most models, and $259 for rear pads in Territory and Falcon.

Ford dealers taking part in the program will also offer a free 12-month membership of a state-based motoring club providing roadside assistance, although excluding FPV and Transit Custom models.

Owners also can visit the Ford Australia website to check how much their service is likely to cost.

For example, maximum servicing costs for an FG Series II Falcon sedan ranges from $270 at 15,000km to $365 at 135,000km, while a front-wheel-drive 1.5-litre EcoSport starts at $220 for 15,000km to $275 at 135,000km.

Most mainstream brands in Australia offer capped-price servicing plans, with Subaru the only car-maker in the top 10 sellers holding out on introducing a similar program across its range. It does, however, offer three-years and up to 60,000km of servicing on its BRZ sportscar capped at $199.

Toyota offers three years or 60,000km, as does rival Holden, while Mazda introduced a lifetime capped price servicing scheme for its new Mazda3 earlier this year ahead of a wider rollout to other models from June.

Ford Australia customer service division general manager Stephen Kruk said customers had responded well to the original plan, with service retention – the number of Ford owners returning to Ford workshops – increasing by 13,000 in 2013.

“The addition of the auto club program is another customer-focused offering that Ford owners will enjoy,” he said.

“Customers expect this level of certainty from their dealers and we’re happy to say that since it was introduced in July 2011, the program has been very well received by our customers.”