Owner sites – what’s going on behind closed doors?

In most cases, not much.

Many OEMs offer a password-protected section exclusively for owners.  The registration process itself is straightforward – name, address, email, and VIN (not required by everyone).  Hyundai’s velvet rope section (shown below) is typical, maintenance reminders, warranty information, owner manuals, service schedules, and links to a preferred dealer.  It’s useful content, but not compelling.

Many OEMs also offer to help you find your “next [insert brand here].”  Maybe I’m missing the point, but doesn’t the brand site already fulfill that function?  Unless there’s a relevant owner-only incentive, it just feels like another intrusive sales pitch.

Some OEMs give you more.  Mazda connects to local enthusiast clubs, which is an important part of the ownership experience for many of its buyers.  On the other hand, I’m not sure why this has to be hidden in the owner site.

My favorite functionality comes from the Toyota and Lexus sites, which provide historical service records that are automatically uploaded from dealership records.  For a used-vehicle owner, it’s an amazing way to get access to the vehicle’s complete service history (at least, those completed through dealerships).  In the screenshot below, the records go back five years and show, among other things, that the front windshield was replaced in late 2008.  That’s more detail than any seller would ever give to a buyer!  On the flipside, I don’t know if the OEM’s payoff is worth the expense of offering the functionality.

I also like Toyota’s iGuides, video demonstrations of features for older vehicles.  While I’m sure most of us can figure out how to use the rear defroster, it’s a great resource for some owners.  And more complex technologies (e.g. tire pressure monitoring systems) will not be familiar to everyone.

I would prefer to see this kind of content be made more widely available, especially as vehicles become more and more complex.  For instance, Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen have dozens of new-vehicle instructional videos right on the main site.

I’m not currently financing any vehicles and wasn’t able to explore financing/payment content, which is truly must-have functionality for many buyers.  As for the rest, I think that for most of us it’s not worth the effort of signing up in the first place.

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