Rolls-Royce maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

Are Rolls-Royces expensive to maintain?

No, Rolls-Royces aren’t expensive to maintain for the first four years of owning a new model. In fact, there’s no cost at all.

“Rolls-Royce includes complimentary maintenance for the first four years, regardless of mileage,” a service adviser at a California-based Rolls-Royce dealer told ConsumerAffairs.

Depending on how many miles you put on your Rolls-Royce annually, four years of free maintenance could save you tens of thousands of dollars.

“Rolls-Royce vehicles require maintenance every 7,000 to 10,000 miles,” the service adviser told us. “The first service is pretty basic — we change the oil, oil filter and pollen filter. But the third visit is much more involved, since we replace the spark plugs, engine air filter and more.”

But what if you purchase a pre-owned Rolls-Royce? Will the manufacturer still honor the complimentary maintenance period?

“If you purchase a pre-owned Rolls-Royce, you’ll still receive complimentary maintenance until the vehicle turns 4 years old,” the adviser said.

Needless to say, a total out-of-pocket cost of $0 will be hard for competitors to beat.

How Rolls-Royce compares with other automakers

When we look at the cost of maintenance only (not repairs), the cost of owning a $400,000 Rolls-Royce is actually less than the cost of owning a $20,000 Toyota. The only ultraluxury competitor that beats it is Ferrari, which offers seven years of free maintenance.

Bentley, meanwhile, offers one year of complimentary maintenance, but after that you’re on your own, and the cost of a standard Bentley service visit is around $2,350 out the door.

If you own a Rolls-Royce past the four-year complimentary maintenance period, you should know that the cost of a service visit every 7,000 miles thereafter rises to about $4,000 to $5,000, depending on the model.

Speaking of individual models, are there any Rolls-Royce vehicles that you should avoid?

Which Rolls-Royce models are the most/least reliable?

Generally speaking, when it comes to Goodwood-era Rolls-Royce models (2004 to now), there isn’t really one specific model in the lineup that stands out for being vastly more or less reliable than another. They’re all manufactured in the English county of West Sussex with a similar level of care and attention, and with similar parts.

“My 18 Wraith is a tank,” wrote one owner on Reddit.

“I have a 2016 Phantom and a 2012 Phantom Coupé. The maintenance really isn’t that bad and they’re essentially BMWs underneath. The engines are built to last forever with proper maintenance,” wrote another.

All that being said, you may still want to avoid any used Rolls-Royce with limited or unknown maintenance history. If the previous owner didn’t take care of it, you could be inheriting a gaping money pit.

Case in point: The service manager at a Florida-based Rolls-Royce dealer told us that not all trade-ins are in good enough shape to qualify for the brand’s Provenance certified pre-owned (CPO) program. And even those that do qualify require $15,000 in refurbishment, repairs and replacement parts on average.

So in a nutshell, the most reliable Rolls-Royce on the road isn’t necessarily the Phantom, Dawn or Wraith — it’s whichever vehicle has been well maintained. If you want the most long-lasting and dependable Rolls-Royce available, consider purchasing one new or CPO.

Rolls-Royce maintenance cost and schedule

We briefly touched on the Rolls-Royce maintenance schedule above, but here’s a bit more detail, courtesy of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Miami:

• Every 7,000 to 10,000 miles you’ll receive a comprehensive inspection, oil change, alignment, pollen filter, brake fluid change and more.
• Every third visit you’ll get new spark plugs, engine air filters, transmission fluid and more.

Once your four years are up, the cost of owning your Rolls-Royce will skyrocket. You’ll be paying out of pocket for things like oil changes, brake jobs and new tires.

» LEARN: Average car maintenance costs

How much does it cost to change the oil on a Rolls-Royce?

“The oil change on a Rolls-Royce can cost you anywhere from $600 to $2,500,” said experienced mechanic Sean Kim. The cost can vary based on whether you go to the dealer or a third party, as well as the cost of living in your area.

How much does a brake job cost on a Rolls-Royce?

While the cost of a brake job on a “normal” car tends to hover around $600 per axle, you can expect to spend much more than that on a Rolls-Royce.

“A full brake job on a Rolls will cost between $5,000 and $30,0000, depending on which type of brakes your vehicle is fitted with,” Kim said.

How much does it cost to replace the tires on a Rolls-Royce?

For starters, you should know that replacement tires are not included in the Rolls-Royce four-year complimentary maintenance plan. For most owners, the stock tires should last at least 30,000 miles.

Once the tires run low, replacing them may not be as expensive as you think.

According to TireRack, Rolls-Royce vehicles have pretty standard tire sizes (e.g., 255/50-19 on the Ghost), meaning you can purchase a set of four and have them installed and balanced for around $1,200 or less.

Now that we’ve covered maintenance, let’s discuss repairs.

Rolls-Royce repair costs

Rolls-Royce repairs are actually a similar story to maintenance. All new Rolls-Royce vehicles come with a four-year/unlimited-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, so if your Rolls suffers a breakdown or a part failure within that period, the cost to you should be $0.

Just keep in mind that even the most robust bumper-to-bumper warranty will only cover repairs needed due to factory defects. Misuse, abuse and repairs needed due to delayed maintenance will not be covered.

Outside of warranty, the cost to repair a Rolls-Royce can range from “expectedly high” to “catastrophic.” Here are just a few examples of real quotes we found online:

• Engine replacement: $45,000
• Passenger rear door handle: $4,000
• Post-collision body work: $141,000
• General refurbishment of a 2004 model to 2023 standards: $78,913.57.

“Rolls-Royce vehicles are honestly a lot more reliable than you’d think,” said Kim. “They’re just stupidly expensive when things do break.”

Given the low cost of maintenance — but the eye-watering cost of repairs — perhaps the adage of “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it” really does apply to the cost of owning an out-of-warranty Rolls-Royce.

Thankfully, if you’re shopping for a pre-owned Rolls, there’s a simple solution to prolonging your warranty period past four years.

» LEARN: What is a manufacturer’s warranty?

How can an extended warranty help?

An extended warranty can prolong your factory warranty coverage, giving you peace of mind as your vehicle ages — and potentially saving you from some exorbitant repair bills.

Unfortunately, while the best extended car warranty companies tend to cover Mercedes, BMW and even select Porsche vehicles, they tend to shy away from exotics like Rolls-Royces and McLarens.

In the words of a rep from Endurance, the sky-high cost of repairs on these vehicles simply makes it impossible for a third-party warranty company to provide coverage.

That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck, however, since Rolls-Royce itself will provide one additional year of bumper-to-bumper coverage (for a total of five from new) if you purchase a Provenance certified pre-owned vehicle. Plus, before that year is up, you can purchase a sixth year of coverage for around $6,800.

When you factor in that CPO Rolls-Royces also come with a squeaky-clean maintenance record, $15,000 worth of factory refurbishment, an invitation to the digital Whispers membership and more, it becomes clear that buying CPO may be your best bet for maximizing warranty coverage — and minimizing ownership costs.

To learn more, check out our full feature on Rolls-Royce’s CPO program.

» MORE: Car warranty vs. car insurance