Why aftersales is the most important part of your vehicle purchase
Purchasing a vehicle, whether it’s brand new or pre-owned, is a big financial commitment and buyers need assurance that their purchase offers value for money and low risk.
There’s nothing better than the feeling of taking home your new vehicle and Mazda wants its customers to enjoy that ownership for many years.
This is why Mazda now offers a 5-year / unlimited km warranty on all its vehicles. As much as we all love the new car feeling, the true test comes when owners need aftersales support in the form of repairs and servicing.
Aftersales offers, including warranty, service and maintenance plans, form the ‘support network’ for vehicle owners and often determines the true value for money you get when you buy into a specific brand.
Aftersales explained
Most products, from cell phones and laptops to furniture, come with a manufacturer warranty or guarantee that allows for free repairs or exchange for a limited time. Most buyers won’t risk purchasing any of these products without some kind of warranty as these are items that most people can’t repair themselves. They want some kind of assurance from the manufacturer that their products are built to last.
The same applies to vehicles. We place a lot of ‘responsibility’ on our vehicles and as such they require a detailed and robust aftersales support network to ensure they keep functioning as expected.
The three key pillars of automotive aftersales are the vehicle warranty, maintenance plan and service plan.
Having these in place allows customers to plan for the future of their vehicle. If the past decade has taught us anything it’s that financial security is impossible to guarantee. With a good aftersales structure, however, vehicle owners know that they won’t be derailed by unexpected parts or service costs.
1. Warranty
A vehicle warranty can be described as a ‘mechanical insurance’ given by the manufacturer. This means that the manufacturer will repair or replace all of the mechanical parts covered by the warranty at no extra cost to the customer, for the duration of the warranty. In Mazda’s case, this is 5-years / unlimited km.
All manufacturers and vehicles are different, and the parts covered in warranties will vary. Your Mazda dealer will go through the detail with you to ensure you know exactly what is covered.
Mazda’s 5-year / unlimited km warranty is now standard on Mazda 3, Mazda CX-30, Mazda CX-5 and Mazda CX-60 and includes a 5-year / unlimited km roadside assistance plan, and a 5-year unlimited km anti-perforation guarantee.
2. Service plan
As mentioned above, vehicles are intricate machines that consist of thousands of parts. To keep all these parts functioning as they should manufacturers set specific intervals when vehicles should be serviced.
A service plan covers the cost of these scheduled services. Mazda offers a service plan that ensures your Mazda is kept in top condition. This has a knock-on effect as it will extend your Mazda’s lifespan, reduce the risk of mechanical failure and further stretch the true value for money of your vehicle.
3. Maintenance plan
A maintenance plan is similar to a service plan in that it requires owners to schedule their vehicle for maintenance at regular intervals. While a service plan usually covers consumables such as oil and brake fluid, a maintenance plan will typically cover wear and tear parts that may need to be replaced after a certain period or kilometres.
Customers can opt to enhance their service plan with a maintenance plan.
Mazda recognises that customers should be able to select which aftersales options best suit them and therefore offers separate service and maintenance plans. This adds immense value to the Mazda ownership experience and reassure buyers that Mazda are confident in the quality of their products.
