Trish got a new car in September and Subaru is offering a pre-paid 6-year service plan. My initial reaction was, “No way, it must be a rip-off!” As I thought about it some more, I wonder if it might be worth it.

If we get all of the scheduled maintenance over the next 6 years, we are likely to need at least 12 service appointments. The early ones will be fairly simple (oil changes, tire rotations). The later ones will be a bit more involved (belt changes, etc).

Bringing cars in for service the last few years has been one unpleasant surprise after another. What if we pay a lump sum now and know that we will pay $100 per service for 5 more years? Maybe our peace of mind is worth the up front investment.

Do you prefer to pay up front or take your chances?