Luxury cars offer premium performance, advanced technology, and high-end comfort—whether it’s an Audi RS5, Porsche 911, or Jaguar XF. But those added features often come with higher ownership costs, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs.

While luxury vehicles follow the same basic preventative maintenance principles as standard cars, their maintenance schedules and service requirements are often more frequent, more specialized, and more expensive. Understanding how luxury car maintenance differs can help you plan ahead, protect your investment, and avoid costly surprises.

What Is the Maintenance Schedule For My Car?

A car’s maintenance schedule is a to-do list of sorts for all the maintenance services your vehicle needs to operate efficiently and how often they should be done. By doing so, you’ll be helping to keep your vehicle running at its best for as long as possible while replacing common wear components on your vehicle to help you avoid any unexpected breakdowns or other types of repair issues.

So whether you are buying a new vehicle or are purchasing a used vehicle, staying up to date with its maintenance schedule is vital. Some of the most common regular maintenance services can include:

• Oil Changes
• Air Filter Replacements
• Brake Pad Replacements
• Tire Rotations
• Coolant Replacement
• Brake Fluid Inspection
• Windshield Wiper Blades Replacement
• Spark Plug Replacement
• Brake Rotor Replacement

While most gas-powered vehicles will require many of the maintenance services discussed above, not all will. For example, electric vehicles will not require some of the more common maintenance services needed for other vehicles, such as oil changes or spark plugs. However, regardless of whether you have a gas-powered vehicle, a hybrid, or an electric vehicle, you can if its suggested maintenance schedule can be found in your vehicle’s owner’s manual. If you do not have an owner’s manual, you can check with your local dealership or search online for a downloadable or printable version of your car’s maintenance schedule.

Remember, routine maintenance can reduce the overall maintenance cost of your vehicle when compared to vehicles that are not taken care of. Forgetting to change your engine oil can cause catastrophic damage to your engine, ultimately resulting in replacing it in extreme cases, which could cost you thousands, even without it being a luxury vehicle. Failure to maintain your automatic transmission or manual transmission fluid can cause your transmission to burn up, costing you even more in repair costs.

Do Luxury Vehicles Have A Different Maintenance Schedule?

As a luxury car owner, you will need to be aware of the specific maintenance schedule set forth by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Despite having many of the same components and types of maintenance needed for any other gas-powered vehicle, a luxury car can have more frequent services that will need to take place to maintain the expensive components found on these types of vehicles. So you will need to get very familiar with your owner’s manual and vehicle maintenance schedule to ensure your car stays properly maintained. And due to the advanced features of these luxury vehicles, the maintenance costs can be much greater than a normal vehicle, sometimes by up to thousands of dollars, as the replacement costs and labor costs are more expensive.

For example, BMWs have a reputation for being very expensive to repair as they have high-quality parts and technologically advanced features. So if you have a BMW M3 that ends up needing a new motor mount, a replacement will cost $729 to $1,069, with the labor cost alone making up nearly $500 to $800 of this cost. It’s not just BMW, however, as replacing a windshield wiper motor for a Mercedes-Benz AMG can run you about $679 and $782, while a radiator replacement for a Porsche 911 will be a whopping $2,645 to $2,842!

By keeping your vehicle properly maintained, such as ensuring your windshield wipers are operating smoothly, or any leaks are taken care of right away, you can help prevent these costly repairs. You can also find some help with these types of costly repairs by having an extended warranty, especially if you are well past your luxury vehicle’s factory warranty coverage.

Are There Luxury Car Warranties?

Depending on your automaker, you can most likely look at getting extended warranty coverage directly from them. After all, only they can truly “extend” your factory warranty coverage. You can also find coverage when it comes to unexpected repair costs with a third-party protection plan. Though technically vehicle services contracts (VSCs) and sometimes called a “warranty,” these plans will help cover many of the same repairs and issues as any factory or extended warranty coverage. However, unlike many of the plans from automakers, third-party providers, such as us at Endurance, won’t limit you to specific repair shops or dealerships for services. Instead, you can visit the certified repair facility or ASE Certified mechanic of your choice.

Better still, unlike other third-party providers, even luxury vehicles can find coverage with Endurance’s Highline protection plan. This comprehensive coverage can help protect select luxury vehicles from costly and unexpected repairs. This coverage will be available for eligible luxury vehicles from automakers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Porsche, Maserati, and more, up to 8 years old and have less than 80,000 miles. You’ll even be able to view your coverage, check on your claims, and even call for your complimentary roadside assistance and towing directly through the Endurance Customer Portal.

In total, Highline coverage is available for select models of vehicles from popular luxury automakers, including:

Keep Your Luxury Car Protected with Endurance

No matter how many more types of expensive components they may have, luxury cars will have maintenance schedules similar to regular vehicles. Still, they may differ depending on the manufacturer. Regardless, you can help keep your vehicle running by staying up-to-date on its maintenance as laid out by your automaker in your car’s recommended maintenance schedule. But while keeping your car maintained can help prevent unexpected repairs, it may not eliminate them completely, though there is help.

Regardless of whether you have a new car or a high-mileage used car, with the Highline auto protection plan from Endurance, you can get luxury car coverage and protection from unexpected repairs without having to pay luxury prices. And for those with non-luxury vehicles, the Advantage plan can be a great choice to give you comprehensive coverage while helping you save up to $3,500 on your vehicle’s yearly maintenance needs. That includes essential services such as up to three oil and filter changes, tire rotations, alignment checks, and more, including several special, one-time services. You’ll even get the chance to save on your car’s next state safety inspection.

You’ll also be able to enjoy 24/7 roadside assistance, trip interruption coverage, and rental car reimbursements, as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee, regardless of the plan they choose. Not only that, but you’ll even be automatically eligible for a full year of Elite Benefits, including tire replacements or repairs, collision discounts, key fob replacements, and more.*

To learn more about how an Endurance protection plan can help protect your vehicle, give our representatives a call at (800) 253-8203 or get started right away by requesting a FREE email quote. You can also shop online and see your price and plan recommendations right away.

Discover other insightful and informative articles on various automotive topics like expert auto tips, DIY maintenance how-tos, buying guides, and more by visiting the Endurance blog.