[shlalk]

quote:Originally posted by zzzhuh


My sister bought a new '03 PT Cruiser Limited, but lives on a very tight budget.

I did a bit of math and figured that she could save as much as $2,000 by taking it in for routine maintenance every 5,000 miles, instead of every 3,000 miles.

I told her that she could still change the oil any time she wanted, but the warranty wouldn't depend on it.

When she took it in to the dealer at 5,000 miles they moaned and groaned and said they would give her a reciept for a 3,000 mile maintenance, and that she needed to bring it in that often especially in "this area" (central Florida).

I advised her to go back and get the 5,000 mile reciept, but she back repeated what the dealer had told her, and said she understood she would have to find the extra money.

She really doesn't have it, and badly needs what she has.

What would you advise someone in her situation to do?

How are you getting $2000 in annual savings? If you are strictly talking oil changes, seems awfully high. I put 250-300 miles on the car every week. So even at 3000 miles intervals (which I stick too) that's 4 or 5 oil changes a year. I do the oil changes myself.