Building The Vision · Powersports
Powersports Dealership Maintenance Programs: How Prepaid Maintenance Works
What a powersports prepaid maintenance program covers, how it differs from a service contract and wear and tear, and why maintenance records decide claims.
A powersports dealership maintenance program is a prepaid plan, sold in the finance office, that pays in advance for the scheduled services a motorcycle, ATV, UTV, snowmobile or personal watercraft needs: the break-in service, oil changes, full services and inspections. The customer pays once, at the sale, and comes back to your service department each time a service is due. Done well, it is one of the simplest products on the menu to explain and one of the few that keeps paying the dealership long after the unit leaves the lot.
This guide covers what a powersports maintenance program includes, how it differs from a service contract and from wear and tear coverage, why maintenance records decide claims, and the questions to ask before you choose a program.
What does a powersports prepaid maintenance plan cover?
Coverage is set by the plan and by the number of services written on the customer’s information schedule, so it varies by administrator. A good example of the structure is DOWC’s AdventureGuard Plus Care, a prepaid maintenance plan built for powersports. Its services follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule and are performed by the selling dealer:
- Break-in service. The break-in maintenance in the manufacturer’s booklet for that make, model and year.
- Full service. The full-service maintenance the manufacturer’s booklet calls for.
- Oil service. An oil change with oil filter replacement and chassis lubrication.
- Safety inspection. The air filter and breather element, exterior lights, headlamps, horn, tire inflation, emergency brake and exhaust system, drive belts, brake hoses and fuel hose, plus checking and topping off transmission, differential, brake and power steering fluid and engine coolant.
Because the plan is tied to the manufacturer’s schedule, it does two jobs at once: it keeps the unit serviced on time, and it leaves a dated service record at your store for every visit.
Maintenance program, service contract or wear and tear: what is the difference?
Customers, and sometimes sales staff, blur these three together. They pay for different things, which is exactly why they sit well together on a menu.
| Product | What it pays for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prepaid maintenance | Scheduled service the manufacturer requires | Break-in service, oil and filter, inspections |
| Service contract | Repair of a covered part that fails mechanically | A failed water pump or transmission gear |
| Wear and tear | Replacement of parts that wear out in normal riding | Brake pads and rotors, belts and hoses, bulbs and fuses |
The contracts draw these lines themselves. AGWS Compass Powersports Wear & Tear (form PS_WCARE_VSC_25) excludes the maintenance services and parts in the owner’s manual, such as adjustments, spark plugs and filters. Service contracts exclude wear items like brake pads, tires and filters. A maintenance plan covers the scheduled service that neither of the others will pay for.
Why maintenance records decide claims
This is the point most riders never hear, and it is the strongest reason to present a maintenance plan. Protection products assume the unit was maintained. The AGWS Compass Powersports service contract defines a covered breakdown as a part failing to perform in normal service with required maintenance. The AGWS Wear & Tear contract goes further: the owner must follow the manufacturer’s maintenance requirements and provide dated repair orders or receipts, and a claim may be denied if they cannot prove the maintenance was done.
A rider who services their own machine, or lets the schedule slide in the off season, can lose a claim they paid for. A prepaid plan performed at the selling dealer puts every service on a repair order with a date and an odometer or hour reading. When a claim comes in, the proof is already in your system.
Why powersports dealers offer a maintenance program
- It brings the customer back. Every prepaid service is a visit to your service department, and every visit is a chance to sell parts, accessories, gear and the next unit.
- It protects the products you already sold. On-time service supports the service contract and wear and tear claims behind it.
- It is easy to say yes to. A rider buying a new unit already expects the break-in service. Paying for it now, at a known price, is an easy decision to present.
- It suits seasonal riding. Units that sit for months between seasons still need their scheduled service, and a prepaid plan gives the customer a reason to bring the unit in rather than skip it.
How to present it on the menu
Present the maintenance plan to every customer on every deal, as part of the same menu as the service contract, tire and wheel and wear and tear. The clearest way to explain the package is by what each product pays for: scheduled service, mechanical breakdown, and the parts that wear out. On a new unit, lead with the break-in service, because it is due first and the customer already knows it is coming.
Keep the presentation consistent and voluntary. Protection products are optional and are never a condition of buying or financing the unit, and the customer should hear that plainly.
Questions to ask before you choose a program
Administrators structure maintenance plans differently, and the details decide whether a plan works for your store. Before you sign, ask:
- Which services are included, and how many of each can be written on one plan?
- Does the schedule follow the manufacturer’s booklet for each make, model and year, including the break-in service?
- Must the services be performed at the selling dealer, and what happens if the customer moves away?
- How does your service department claim payment for a completed service, and how quickly is it paid?
- Can the plan be transferred or cancelled, and how is a refund calculated?
- Which vehicle types are eligible: motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles, personal watercraft?
We place maintenance programs alongside the rest of the powersports F&I product line and can show you how the options compare for your store. Start the conversation.
Frequently asked questions
What does a powersports prepaid maintenance plan include?
It depends on the plan and the number of services written on it. A typical powersports plan, such as DOWC’s AdventureGuard Plus Care, includes the manufacturer’s break-in service, full services, oil services with a filter and chassis lubrication, and safety inspections, all performed by the selling dealer to the manufacturer’s schedule.
Is a maintenance plan the same as a service contract?
No. A maintenance plan prepays scheduled service. A service contract pays to repair a covered part that fails mechanically. Wear and tear coverage replaces parts that wear out in normal riding. Each pays for something the others exclude.
Who performs the services on a prepaid maintenance plan?
On dealer prepaid plans the selling dealer performs them, which is what brings the customer back to your service department. Check the plan’s terms for what happens if the customer relocates.
Does a maintenance plan help with warranty and service contract claims?
It helps keep them payable. Service contracts and wear and tear contracts assume required maintenance was done, and the AGWS Wear & Tear contract can deny a claim without proof of maintenance. Services performed under a prepaid plan are recorded on dated repair orders at the dealership.