A Costco Membership Could Be A Secret Weapon For Cheaper Car Repairs

Maintenance and repairs are inevitable for your daily driver, but factors like trade wars and new tariffs are sure to add a sizable chunk to your vehicle's servicing costs. With everything from engine oil to brake pads and labor charges rising through the roof, it's no wonder that more than 30% of car owners are willing to take the DIY route in fixing and maintaining their vehicles. 

To be clear, you can save cash if you change the oil yourself, though some maintenance items are worth paying for. However, you can take advantage of bigger savings if you're a Costco member, and all without straining your back or dealing with greasy fingers. The Costco Auto Program not only covers new and used cars for sale, but members can also get discounts on parts, services, and accessories through Costco-certified service centers. This article covers the program's ins and outs, as well as parts and services that are part of the deal.

Costco members are eligible for 15% off on maintenance items, genuine parts, and accessories for any vehicle included in the member's home. The discount applies to Gold Star, Business, and Executive Members whether the member used the Costco Auto Program to buy the vehicle or bought it anywhere else. Members get up to $500 off per visit on parts, servicing, and accessories.

The parts catalog includes air filters, belts and hoses, windshield wipers, touch-up paint, engine and drivetrain, key fobs, and more. Meanwhile, the servicing package includes periodic 30,000/60,000/90,000 maintenance, wheel alignments, brakes and rotor servicing, transmissions, shocks and struts, and air conditioning. You can also save on vehicle accessories like mud guards, floor liners, running boards, roof racks, tonneau covers, and more.

However, you don't just drive into any service center and start showing everyone your Costco membership card. We're living in the internet age, so it begins by entering your contact information (name, membership number, email, zip code, etc.) on the Costco Auto Program parts and service page, and Costco will send you a confirmation email that contains a unique authorization number, a 15% off coupon, and the participating service center or dealership near you. After that, you drive over to the place, show them the discount coupon, and choose the parts or services that you need.

No. The Costco discount program applies only to participating dealerships or service centers. A downside to the program is dealer location, which may be farther away than you'd like from where you live. "Now the catch would be where you are located, as far as how many places you have to choose from," said a user sbwl on the r/Costco auto parts discount subreddit. "For instance, my area only has one."

But Redditors on r/Costco have vouched for the 15% discount's validity. "Have been using this at the local Lexus dealership, and the best use is to present the coupon when you're picking up the car so they'll take off the full value at the end," said user kawi-bawi-bo. "Legit as I have used it several times at my car dealership for services," said Milas_WRX19.

And some users have used the Costco discount offer to receive comparable discounts from non-participating dealerships. "I even use it as a negotiation at other dealerships that don't officially take it (closer to my house) and get the discount," said user duckclucks. "TBH, most people use the auto program only for a negotiation starting point," said r/Costco user bassdrumer2.

As for parts-only purchases, be aware that the discount applies only to parts included in the list of discountable items. Redditors say that parts not eligible for the discount include tires, airbags, and oil changes, and the promo may not be eligible when combined with other incentives or discounts. For what it's worth, Interstate car batteries are cheaper at Costco anyway, and so are Costco's tire offerings.